I want to know when it would dawn on Nigerians that their utterances could make or mar the nation and its people. Each time there is a thorny issue, Nigerians usually give it either ethnic or religious colourations.

In the recent unfortunate Jos crisis that sent about 400 harmless and hapless Nigerian citizens to their early graves, many reports in the media referred to it as, ‘reprisal attack’. That was a subtle way of justifying the terrorist action that took place.

Statements by clerics and students  do not help matters either. A faction of NANS, said to be headed by one Imeobong, operating from Uyo, had spat fire.

In the same vein, one Bishop Bassey in Uyo, said to be the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Chairman for Akwa Ibom State, had, in one of the national newspapers, warned the Federal Government to find immediate and lasting solutions to anti-Christian violence or else, Christian youths would be asked to return fire for fire.” This is not the best from a Christian Bishop.

Also, another newspaper had it that 54 Muslim organisations from across the country, led by Supreme Council of Sharia in Nigeria(SCSN), issued a communiqué which urged the Acting President to reverse the composition of members of the Presidential Advisory Council, which had a northerner and a southerner Christian as chairman and the  and deputy chairman, respectively.

They, in addition, alleged discrimination, saying Muslims are not encouraged to join the military, whose topmost ranks they argued, are presently occupied by Christian Officers.

All these people and their way of reasoning should not becloud our progress. They should watch their utterances and stop putting the nation at the edge each time.

Geoffrey Nnadi,
University of Maiduguri,  Borno State.

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