Obasanjo and Sharia Phenomenon
By
We will jolly well recall that after the last Sharia bloodbath during which we also witnessed the most bizarre wanton destruction of
churches and arson of high magnitude in the North and the reprisal killings in the South East, the Obasanjo government was roundly criticized for its
gross negligence in failing to arrest the bloody situations. The government later resolutely defended itself by saying, among other things, that the
Sharia conundrum was a complex phenomenon in our national life. President Obasanjo himself adopted a somewhat philosophical mien about the tragic incident
assuring all that the Sharia monster would fizzle out. But many commentators drew his attention to the fact that the Sharia monster would not fizzle out
just like that unless something tangible was done to it, for example, dragging the monster to court and crushing it to death there. Other intelligent
Nigerians spoke up proffering alternative solutions on how to tame the monster but the president and his men would not bulge. Since then, President
Obasanjo has continued to appeal for caution and national dialogue on the vexed Sharia issue.
Truly, having come to the realization that the Shariaration of Nigeria is already a fait accompli, I would agree with President Obasanjo that we the
vanquished should now dialogue with our Sharia conquerors. Also, having seen the bloody war which Ahmed Sani Yerima Bukura of Zamfara State, the righter
of wrong against muslims, the Usman Dan Fodio and Jihad revivalist of modern Nigeria and his fellow Sharia protagonists have declared against the infidels
and unrepentant nonSharia states, we might heed Obasanjo's kind advise, sheath our swords and rest our case on national dialogue. Go into the matter
yourself and see for yourself. When your powerful opponent has waylaid you, you have to broker peace and dialogue with him otherwise he decimates you and
snuffs life off you. The misdeed had been done and there is water to wash it off the hands of the murderers. The Sharia monster has since been let loose
and it is doing incalculable destruction to our sovereignty and unity. Jangedization has been going on unabated even as I am writing this article. So the
most reasonable thing to do now is to beg Ahmed Sani and his Sharia protagonists for mercy and forgiveness. There is nothing we can do now. I read that
they have imported some amputation machines from abroad to facilitate the limbcutting show. Armchair critics of the strong man of Zamfara State should
bury their heads in shame. Sokoto State has hired the man as a Sharia consultant with specialty in amputation of the hands of suspected petty thieves. His
Excellency will go places. Who knows whether his Excellency, our dear Sani intends to extend his consultancy services to his brethren in the South? Why
not if muslims ask for it? Even without asking for it, has it not dawned on these irreligious Southerners that the only thing they need to curb the high
incidence of armed robbery in the South is Sharia? Even we need Sharia courts throughout Nigeria to dispense substantial justice approved by Quran, Sunah
and Ijitihad of the Maliki School. Those who argue that Sharia is unconstitutional don't know what they are talking about. Sharia, Allah, is good for the
muslims. If Christian like they can start Canon law, we no worry. See, if you go round all the whole North you no go see all this bad things like harlots
because of Sharia...Thief never dey for North since Sharia come...
So, my friend you can see that the people you want to dialogue with are very intelligent. You can perceive their articulate and analytical minds too. The
Sharia dialogue that President Obasanjo keeps harping about is a dialogue with the deaf. It is a sheer waste of time. We have had enough dialogue. We need
action now. Whether we call it a genuine Sharia, political Sharia and even stomach Sharia or Saudi Arabia Sharia, we are referring to the same monster.
What has not been said under the sun against the foolhardiness, illogicality and stupidity of imposing a State religion on the citizenry in a secular and
multireligious State like Nigeria? I have read literary masterpieces by Archbishop Onayeikan, Professor Dahim Yahaya, Fr. Matthew Hassan Kukah, Mr.
Justice Akinola Aguda, Hurilaws, Professors Itse Sagay and Ben Nwabueze et all on the Sharia. But as I have repeatedly said, the Sharia debate or dialogue
will not be won or lost by superior argument, logical reasoning or ingenuous constitutional interpretation. If it will, the debate or dialogue should have
ended many years ago with a clear winner or loser. It is only when it comes to defending the Sharia that a supposedly educated man or even a lawyer who is
proSharia begins to reason with his anus (excuse my language) So, lets call off all the bouts of debates and dialogues. They are not working. In any case
while Obasanjo is advising us to sit down and dialogue some people are brandishing their swords in readiness for another Jihad. So, who is deceiving who?
Contrary to President Obasanjo's expectation, the Sharia will remain a progressive paralysis in Nigeria. It will never fizzle out unless we engage it in a
fight and wrestle it down. So long as we continue to shy away from doing this, the Sharia will continue to lurk around and threaten our existence. It will
continue to influence the nature of our public policies. For example, the current debate about bringing the OPC to catch thieves in Lagos has brought the
Sharia issue once again into sharp focus. How? The protagonists of the OPC are claiming that the OPC is their own Sharia. They are saying that OPC is the
only thing good in Lagos State. Therefore, if Sharia is good in Zamfara State, OPC, is hundred times better in Lagos State. This argument, I think, has
some merit. What is good for goose is good for the gander. If the Federal Government has allowed Ahmed Sani of Zamfara State and his cohorts to get away
with criminal assaults and violation of our constitution in the name of religion, why can't Senator Bola Tinubu recruit some able-bodied men in the name
of OPC to maintain security in Lagos State? If one argues that the OPC, Bakassi Boys, Egbesu Boys and now Edo Vanguards are outlaws, how does one justify
the indiscriminate physical assaults and molestation of innocent citizens in the name of religion?
I can't understand the multiple standards. When the oilproducing states or socalled littoral states (should they be referred to as littoral states?)
yawned about their fair share of the revenue derivable from their territorial waters, the Federal government took them to the Supreme Court. I overheard
someone jokingly commenting that since Chief Bola Ige SAN filed the resource control suit he has been experiencing some reverses in his political career.
Whenever the OPC tries to catch armed robbers and prosecute them in their Godgiven Oduduwa Kingdom they are called all sorts of funny names. When Ralph
Uwazurike, the MASSOB leader and his followers foisted the Biafran flag and floated the Biafran currency, they were immediately arrested and charged to
court for treason. Even some people are now disturbing Bakassi boys and preventing them from completing their "assignment" in Anambra State. But
when Ahmed Sani of Zamfara State and his ilk in other states conspire to challenge the supremacy of our constitution and sovereignty of their fatherland
contrary to sections 1(1) and 2(1) of the constitution, the Federal Government did not deem it fit to institute a Sharia Control suit at the Supreme
Court.
The other reason why President Obasanjo cannot wish away the Sharia monster is that the year 2003 elections are almost around the corner. Speculations are
rife that the president may be standing in again in 2003 for reelection as a President. May I remind him that the Sharia monster is still hale and hearty?
If there is anything that will jeopardize Obasanjo's chances of being reelected as President come the year 2003, it is this Sharia monster. The boggling
of the Sharia cannot be swept aside. I don't believe President Obasanjo is helpless and powerless before the Sharia monster. I believe he still has enough
time to pursue the monster. Pursuing the monster must not be seen as a kind of religious battle between the Muslims and Christians. It must essentially be
seen as one way of safeguarding our constitution from abuse. We cannot make the mistake of voting in a civilian president who is not interested in
preserving the sacredness of our constitution. Therefore if President Obasanjo wants a second term he should first of all kill the Sharia monster.
September, 2001