Let me wish my fellow country people a happy celebrations for a well spent Eid-El Kabir in my opinion. I considered it a well spent one owing to the level of well wishing I saw from people of differing faiths both on social media and on personal account.
It indicated a great improvement to understanding for tolerance which had always been hoped for through insisting that there can be unity in diversity. Various high placed Christians including pastors, presidential and governorship individuals wished the Muslims a happy Eid and honestly I felt elated.
Even though the positives and the opportunity they afforded us to measure the progress of our unity is enormous, you cannot rule out some flashes of negativity which could also serve as a lesson to future endeavors. On the sallah day, there was a report of kidnappings incidence on the Abuja-Kaduna expressway and it dashed the optimism of those who had thought such was over but again for some of us who have hopes and faith, we shall continue to believe that with a common resolve and love for country, we shall overcome all these negativities that tend to put a spanner on the wheel of our progress.
Let me also drag us back to a recent happening that could be tied to my topic for today which was the appointment of Mr Femi Fani Kayode to a traditional title in Shinkafi emirate and such generated a lot of concern from all quarters which I’m sure also touched Fani-Kayode himself. The incidence went very far in enlightening us over the crass display of bigotry without any cause for it because you could easily get caught in the sort of the web Fani-Kayode was caught in where the same people he demonized choose to pay him back with utmost kindness. We must work as a people to defeat bigotry and usher love and the level I saw during this Eid was commendable and can be improved and consolidated upon.
Again, just recently, the issues canvassed by Mallam Mamman Daura, the acclaimed leader of the PMB cabal over the zoning of presidency generated a lot of concern notably from the Niger Delta and Middle Belt elders amongst others but some people got worried over their silence on the fleecing going on at the NDDC. Could this imply that these elderly people have not learnt much over the years on the need to be more discerning and at-least showcase some level of patriotism and elder statesmanship even if once. In fact I was speaking with a Bayelsa elder brother recently and we got talking about the issue and his response was impressive that it left me speechless. He opined that it justice and equity is what we truly clamor for, then the North Eastern part of Nigeria had never been president both in military and democracy and should then be given opportunity to take a shot at it this time around. But the question is, would such elders and their ilks be ready for such an objective conversation? They should in my opinion.
Finally, let me touch on Mr Presidents comments particularly the one on betrayal of trust by appointees. Some of us have long ago clamored to the President for the appointment of strong and competent characters to critical positions, political compensations to less qualified people can be left to the less critical areas. What’s happening in terms of the betrayal is a result of such negligence and the only way out is to take a stock of the appointees and weed out those who’s performances do not match the expectations of them. The people the president was referring to are those who lack strength in character and never believed in the vision of the president from day one. They don’t even know what to do talk less of attempting to do it, they are excessively greedy to allow the appointment of critical aids who can help them out so they rather crash the ship with their incompetence. Wishes are that Mr President will see reason to take a stock and do the needful so we can utilize the remaining three years to consolidate on the many gains in other sectors which will culminate in writing Mr President’s name in gold in the anal of history.
There are indeed positives and areas to improve upon.
May the Lord make us witness the next Eid with more progress to analyze about. God bless Nigeria.
– Hashim Suleiman – oneheartnaija@yahoo.com , Twitter- @oneheartnaija