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Death of Constitutionality
By
It is common knowledge now the mayhem visited upon innocent citizens of Nigeria by northern talakawas/almajiris instigated by their ulamas/politicians under the guise of protesting an innocent article written by one Miss Isioma Daniel which they felt was blasphemous.
In the said article, Isioma had opined that Prophet Mohammed could have probably married one of the beauty queens who were in Nigeria for the World Beauty Contest. While this may be an insensitive statement as far as Islam is concern, the Nigerian constitution does not regard religiously insensitive statements as crimes. Moreover, the constitution provides for freedom of speech for all her citizens. When Isioma Daniel wrote the article, she did so in exercise of her right to free speech and was merely expressing her opinion. I do not believe that she wrote this piece knowing that it will trigger this mayhem that has been going on for four days. By the last count of the red cross, more than 215 people have been killed. Twenty five churches and eight mosques burnt, 5000 rendered homeless and thousands in various hospitals as a result of injuries inflicted on them.
We are all aware that northern politicians and religious leaders have been threatening for months that they will disrupt the Miss World Contest slated for Nigeria. They tagged it 'a parade of nudity' which they claim is offensive to Islam. We all know that Islam has been in Nigeria for ages. Under all the regimes that have misruled Nigeria before now be they illegimate or legitimate, be they from north or south, be they Muslims or Christians, Beauty Contests had always been held every year in Nigeria. It is the same 'parade of nudity'. Do these Zamfara-type Muslims think the nudity of a Nigerian woman is different from the nudity of the contestants from other countries? I do not think so. What is going on in Nigeria now goes beyond the Beauty contest. It is the worst form of devilish politicking by northern elements who having deliberately failed in educating their teeming population have so shamelessly turned them into objects of terror for cheap political gains. Their gain is Nigeria's loss.
Nigeria's loss? Yes. Nigeria once again has been stripped naked and disgraced on the world stage. Nigeria once again has lived up to world opinion that it is a lawless country. Nigeria once again has lost the opportunity to show to the world that it can host a world class event. Nigeria once again has shown that it cannot provide security for its own people talkless of foreign investors. For all these we thank those who think their religious/political will should be imposed on others albeit forcefully. They have been doing it for 42 years. They continue to do it. They continue to succeed as Nigeria continues to fail.
Do I blame these political devils? No. How can I blame them when the President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, has promised to appease them by dealing ruthlessly with poor Miss Isioma Daniel and the Newspaper editor. If what I am hearing is true, Miss Isioma and the editor are now in detention thanks to Obasanjo. And the rioters and murderers? They are still free conducting the business of mass murder. Obasanjo has once again failed to uphold the Nigerian constitution that guarantees freedom of speech. Instead he has chosen to rewarded killers and looters. If this did not alarm Nigerians, it certainly alarmed the international community gathered in Nigeria and they promptly fled to London. Shame on Obasanjo and his co-murderers in the north for bringing this monumental disgrace upon Nigeria. Shame to the Ulamas and almajiris for allowing themselves to be used time and time again to execute agenda inimical to Nigeria's progress. Shame on the Nigerian intelligentsia who have failed to speak up when they should instead have dwarfed themselves in subservience/prostration to political devils in exchange for soured and blood stained cramps from crumbling oligarchic table. Shame on south - south governors who still pray and work for the third coming of a monumental failure called Obasanjo.
I weep for Nigeria and sometimes I am tempted to regret ever coming from Nigeria. However I know deep down in me, that when the true Nigeria emerges, there will be no place for the Obasanjos, IBBs, Abachas, Buharis, Okadigbos, Nwobodos, Grahams, Etiebets and all their supporters and collaborators. God bless Nigeria.
Nov 2002
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