By Fani-Kayode
In reaction to the suggestion that the people of Southern Kaduna should defend themselves from mass murder and genocide given the fact that their state government has refused to protect them a political advisor to Governor Nasir El Rufai wrote the following in an essay titled “Kaduna
In reaction to the suggestion that the people of Southern Kaduna should defend themselves from mass murder and genocide given the fact that their state government has refused to protect them a political advisor to Governor Nasir El Rufai wrote the following in an essay titled “
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| *President Buhari and Gov El-Rufai |
He wrote: “The
greatest challenge to peace in Kaduna State now
is the antics of political jobbers and opportunists who have gone as low as
spreading hate speeches, telling communities in Kaduna State Kaduna State Kaduna State
Instead of showing remorse for their woeful
failures and begging for forgiveness for the sea of innocent blood that has
been shed under their watch, the government of Kaduna State is lashing out at all those that have
called them out and that are deeply concerned about the carnage that has taken
place in Southern
Kaduna . The advisor pours scorn on the suggestion that a man
should protect his family, loved ones and home from cold-blooded murderers who
are attempting to maim and kill them.
He is suggesting that the people of Southern
Kaduna should keep quiet, passively fold their arms and happily welcome, with a
warm smile, those that have come to rape their wives, slaughter their children,
burn their homes, wipe out their faith and take their land. Is that how to make Kaduna
Is that how to get back to the peaceful days of Kaduna Kaduna
In any case one wonders just who these “political jobbers and opportunists” are
and precisely what these “ongoing efforts
to achieve lasting peace in Kaduna” are given the fact that the Kaduna
State Government does not appear to give a damn about the fact that thousands
of innocent and defenseless people, including women and children, have been
butchered during their watch and right under their noses. The Government of
Kaduna State is evidently more interested in insulting, undermining,
discrediting and threatening with arrest its critics and those that have
expressed outrage about what the people of Southern Kaduna are
being subjected to than in protecting and saving innocent lives.
Yet since no names were mentioned, for now I
will limit myself to responding to Mr. Special Advisor only with the words of
Mr. George Makeris of the One Nigeria
group who hails from Southern Kaduna himself and whose views reflects the minds
and thoughts of many concerned citizens not just in Kaduna but throughout the
country.
In a direct response to the Special Advisor he wrote the following: “Picking of arms for self-defense is obviously the last bastion of hope for Southern Kaduna and not its first option since the commencement of these mindless massacres. This last resort became necessary when it becomes glaring that government is not interested in securing and protecting the lives of the people of Southern Kaduna people even though this is against its oath of office. If Government had lived up to it constitutional responsibility and demonstrated unparalleled commitment in curbing the menace, citizens have no business bearing arms. It is the failure of government that makes taking up arms necessary. Even America
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| *Femi Fani-Kayode |
“It is only natural to arm your citizens or
allow your citizens to arm themselves, when you cannot guarantee their safety.
It is such a shame that the El-Rufai Government is not worried about its
inability to secure the lives and properties of the Southern Kaduna people. It is not worried that despite
a twenty four hour curfew, a massacre took place in Goska. It is not worried
that the Southern
Kaduna people lack
arms amidst relentless hostilities. It is not worried that it cannot arrest and
prosecute the murderers but it is worried that the victims of constant attacks
are now rising to arm themselves for self-defence as enshrined in the
constitution.
“Does this not tell any rational mind that the
Government is helping the mindless murderers and condoning the massacres? How
can people who have never spoken against the massacres since it began suddenly
start talking against carrying of arms for self-defence? This tells us the type
of criminals we have in power in Kaduna Kaduna
Mr. Makeris has hit the nail on the head. I
could not have put it better myself. Permit me to conclude this contribution
with a few words about someone that I have come to respect and admire. I had
the distinct honor and privilege of receiving Rev. Musa Asake, the Secretary
General of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), in my home a few days
before Christmas. He is a courageous and truly wonderful man and I was struck
by his extraordinary humility. We discussed the situation in the country and
particularly the marginalisation, persecution, slaughter and genocide that
Christians are being subjected to in our nation today with particular reference
to Kaduna
Two days later Southern Kaduna ,
which is where he comes from, was attacked by the Fulani militants and herdsmen
and approximately 800 innocent people
were butchered. Asake is one of the few men of God in this country that has
the courage of his convictions and that is prepared to risk all for the Body of
Christ. He is also one of the few Christian leaders and men of God in this
country that has not been intimidated by the gratuitous insults, unadultetated
violence, veiled and unveiled threats and pure hatred of those that seek to
wipe out the Christian faith in Nigeria
Neither can he be compromised by their lying
words, serpentine spirit, charmed meat, forked tongues, consistent inducements
or the tiny crumbs that they regularly serve the uninformed, naive, gullible
and morally bankrupt from their accursed table. He is not amongst those
Christian leaders and clerics who are only too ready to sell their souls for a
pittance, prostitute their principles, betray their faith, denigrate and
undermine the Church, turn a blind eye to the slaughter of their flock,
decimate the faithful, destroy all that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and
millions of martyrs that came before and after Him died for and attempt to stop
the spreading of the glorious gospel.
Asake is clearly either a conscious or sub-conscious
believer in and practitioner of what came to be known as “liberation theology”
which was made famous by primarily Catholic priests who stood up for the poor
and the oppressed, who emphasised on evangelism AND social responsibility and
who confronted and resisted tyranny and dictatorship in Latin America and other
parts of the world from the 1950’s up until today. He comes in the mould of
other great clerics like Matthew Hassan Kukah, Benson Idahosa, Ajayi Crowther,
Martin Luther King jnr., Jean-Bertrand Aristide of Haiti, Gustavo Guttierez of
Peru, Leonardo Boff of Brazil, Jon Sobrino of Spain, Renee Padilla of Ecuador,
Samuel Escobar of Peru, Orlando E. Costas of Puerto Rico, Alan Boesak of South
Africa, Desmond Tutu of South Africa, Ian Paisely of Northern Ireland, Nicholas
Duncan-Williams of Ghana and the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan of the
Nation of Islam in the United States of America.
Such is the fire in his bones and such is his
courage and passion. A few days after Christmas, I listened to his riveting and moving words in an interview with the Port Harcourt-based radio station, GardenCity FM, and I wept. He told us exactly what happened in Southern Kaduna on Christmas eve and on Christmas day
and it is simply barbaric. I thank God that we have Christian leaders like him
who are not ready to sweep things under the carpet and who have the courage to
speak out and tell the world the bitter truth. May the Lord help and deliver
our brothers and sisters in Southern Kaduna . I implore those that have the
opportunity to do so to trace the 20 minute interview on the internet and to
find the time to listen it. And to those that are unconcerned, that don’t give
a damn and that believe it doesn’t matter I say the following: You are
shortsighted, ignorant, narrow-minded, insensitive, callous and very selfish.
As Rev. Asake rightly said, those of us from
the south should get ready because the Fulani killers and herdsmen are coming
there too and they have a master plan! Yet few understand the gravity of the
situation or even care. The Nigerian people are so weak, so battered, so
bruised, so stoic, so trusting, so naïve, so ready to accept injustice, so
gullible, so uninspired, so uninspiring, so fearful, so faithless, so incapable
of being courageous and standing up for truth. They are like the proverbial
frog that is slowly boiled to death in a pot of hot water. They just sit there,
doing and saying nothing until death comes. The ability to joyfully accept
barbarity, wickedness injustice and to merrily tolerate evil and tyranny is NOT
a virtue. It is a curse. For those that do not see it that way please consider
the words of Rev. Martin Luther King.
He said,
‘COWARDICE asks the question: is it safe? EXPEDIENCY asks the question: is it
political? VANITY asks the question: is it popular? But CONSCIENCE asks the
question: is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position
that is neither safe, nor political, nor popular – but one must take it simply
because it is right’.
My love and words of encouragement go out to
our Christian brothers and sisters in Southern Kaduna particularly
who have just been subjected to ethnic cleansing and genocide by the Fulani
militants and herdsmen backed by government security agents and the military.
May the souls of all those that were slaughtered rest in peace. May God heal
the wounds of their loved ones and all those that they left behind and may He
strengthen and avenge them speedily. God will never abandon or forsake them or
indeed any of us. Help is on the way, hang on to His sure word and hold on to
His promise. Our God is mighty and He will surely deliver.
To the Nigerian people I have the following to
say. May the Lord give us a strong resolve and the fortitude to stand up for
the weak, the helpless, the dull, the vulnerable, the young, the elderly, the
marginalised and all those that are being subjected to genocide, persecution
and injustice. 2017 is a year of miracles, blessings and breakthroughs for
those who know and trust Him.
It is our year of abundance and final victory
over evil. Have faith, be happy and be strong. Despite the challenges, the
difficulties and all the noise we hear on the market, God will make all things
beautiful. The night may be dark and filled with sorrow but joy comes in the
morning.
For Rev. Musa Asake I have only three words to
say: “Onward Christian soldier!” Happy New Year!
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