(Caveat: This post may rankle you, please!)
This is not self-praise but personal reality: over the years, I have learnt to keep my emotions in check when looking at public issues, either political, ethnic or religious. And this is both on social media and real life.
Now my point: Buhari’s government is one of the most USELESS, PAROCHIAL and INCOMPETENT since independence. I don’t need to restate its unprecedented mismanagement of our diversity.
But also take this: Even the most USELESS and IRRESPONSIBLE government in the world will NEVER fold its arms and watch you break up a country. You may call me names for this assertion. I do NOT care.
The justification for the planned break-up is DIFFERENT THING ENTIRELY. Many of the reasons being put forward by the agitators are incontestable. Especially in the South-East. But if you think any government ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD will just watch and let Sunday Igboho and Nnamdi Kanu carry on as they have been doing, well it means all that guide you in understanding of statehood management is nothing but your emotions.
If governments usually treat secessionist agenda with such kid gloves, then: Morocco would have let Western Sahara go long ago. India would have given up on Kashmir. China would not have taken back Hong Kong from Britain in 1997. Azerbaijan and Armenia would not fought over Nagorno-Karabakh. South Sudan wouldn’t have fought for 56 years to break up the old Sudan. Britain will not be fighting tooth and nail to keep the United Kingdom as it is. Russia would have let Ukraine keep Cremea. I can go on.
The way this cursed regime has been handling bandits and Boko Haram is a different thing. And another different debate is if how they have treated Igboho and Kanu in the last few days is not despicable.Oh…it is. And it is nauseating.
However, if you think that is enough reason for this evil of a government to allow secessionist agitators to do as they like, then it means you still don’t understand how state actors behave all over the world. The same Americans preaching for Democracy in Egypt, Libya, Sudan and Algeria have pretended as if they don’t know that Saudi Arabia does not practise one! Yet, Saudi is their number one ally in the Middle-East. Jamal Kashoggi, the slain journalist has died in vain. Were it to be another country, and not Saudi, America would have nearly pushed for regime change.
Samuel Ajayi
