By Nnamdi Okosieme
Before I address the issue above
fully, let me a few points clear.
1. I do not think much of Nnamdi Kanu; I am not a fan of
his; I do not agree with his methods but concede he is entitled to seek a
better life for himself and his people.
I also think we would have been spared all his drama, shenanigans and tantrums if our president had not been heedless enough to arrest him instead of finding a more workable approach to tackle the challenge he presents.
I also think we would have been spared all his drama, shenanigans and tantrums if our president had not been heedless enough to arrest him instead of finding a more workable approach to tackle the challenge he presents.
*Nnamdi Kanu |
2. I believe that those who call for tinkering with
Nigeria as it is presently constituted not only have every right to do so but
are indeed right for there is a lot that is wrong with this country. That
tinkering can come either by way of geopolitical restructuring or
constitutional amendment or whatever works best. But tinkering? Certainly!
3. I believe that it is wrong to threaten to lop off someone's head or disembowel him simply because he does not subscribe to your
views. In that regard, Kanu and others threatening people with death are way
off the mark and dead wrong. In the main, rather than advance their cause, it actually
diminishes it.
Now, to the issue above. Hate speech is decidedly
abhorrent for if left unchecked engenders violence and spawns genocide in the
end. When Hitler was threatening Jews and pigeon-holing them, the rest of the
world went about their business unperturbed. Europe and America which
had the political and military might to intervene looked the other way until
the chickens came home to roost.