Femi Fani-Kayode: The Cry Of The Almajiri – Part 2

To the people of the south-west, south-south, south-east and the Middle belt I say the following.

We must be steadfast and strong. We must look to our God and draw our courage and inspiration from Him. We must take off the gloves and get down to some hard work.

We must forge closer ties and remain united.
We must stand shoulder to shoulder and resist these hegemonist and born-to-rule devils with every fibre of our being.

The Holy Bible says that the blessing of the Lord resides where there is unity.

It tells us that the power of God flows where and when there is unity between believers and when those that share common values and a common world view are in one accord.

That is why the north spends a good deal of its time trying to sow seeds of division between the ethnic nationalities of the south. They feed on and draw strength from our petty rivalries and internal divisions.

Yet the truth is as follows. We all know it but no-one wants to say it. And that truth is that the answer to Nigeria’s problems is not just in restructuring because too much innocent blood has been spilt and shed by our collective oppressors over the last years fifty seven years.

Restructuring is only the first step and it is nothing but a means to an end. Essentially it is just a temporary and ephemeral palliative. It is a good first step in what will be a long and hopefully peaceful journey to an expected and better end.

The final and lasting solution to our numerous problems is either a complete break up of the nation into five or six pieces at the very worse or the implementation of what has come to be known as the “Gideon Orkar” solution where the two core northern zones of the north-west and the north-east are excised and expelled from the federation at the very best.

Either of the two options are fine by me. Too much innocent blood has been shed over the years by the internal colonislists for anything else to suffice.

There can no longer be any genuine love and true fellowship between us. And if we say that there is or that there can be then we are just fooling ourselves and pretending.

Why should we continue to be our brother’s keeper when that brother hates us so much?

The bottom line is that there is no longer any basis for unity between the north and the south.

Between the Hausa Fulani core north and the rest of the country there is no love lost!

The great Greek philosopher Plato once said, “no-one is more hated than he who speaks truth”.

He is absolutely right. Yet despite that I have spoken the truth on this matter anyway and I stand to be corrected.  I have spoken that bitter truth because I refuse to be intimidated or to be bound by political correctness.

Love me or hate me and take it or leave it. And despite the hatred and the insults that will come as a consequence of speaking truth, posterity will prove me right and judge me kindly.

Meanwhile I laugh when I read the obscene words and hear the obnoxious and self-serving cry of the almajiri.

They have said that “the Yoruba are chronic backstabbers” and that is an insult that they will live to regret. When will these creatures learn that they need Nigeria far more than Nigeria needs them?

The time of glorifying themselves and feeding their vain and fanciful delusions of grandeur will soon be over.

Until then we shall continue to look unto the hills from whence our help and we shall continue to call on the Lord of Hosts and the Ancient of Days to deliver us from these hateful Arewa demons.

Permit me to end this contribution with the words of Pastor Bayo Oladeji who is the spokesman of the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). On 29th June he wrote:

“When we told you that Christians are being marginalised and being descriminated against in the North, they said we are lying. We dare them to publish name of public schools in the North where Christian Religious Education is being taught; name of states where churches are being given the CofO of their land; name of states where Christians are given support for holy pilgrimages as it is being done for the Muslims they are keeping quiet! Yet they are paying lips service to the unity of Nigeria. As long as a group of people or a section of the country are being treated as second class citizens, the unity of the country will remain a mirage!”

May those that dispute the fact that we have a major and festering problem in this country and that unity between the core Muslim north and the rest of the country is nothing but a vain illusion consider Oladeji’s insghtful words.

The great Fench writer and philosopher Voltaire said, “to know who rules over you simply find out who you cannot criticise”.

Those slaves that find it difficult to challenge or criticise the northerners and their numerous excesses and acts of tyranny clearly know who their masters are. May God help them before it is too late.

I would rather die on my feet as a free man than live on my knees as a slave.(CONCLUDED).

Femi Fani-Kayode is a lawyer, a Nigerian politician, an evangelical christian, an essayist, a poet and he was the Special Assistant (Public Affairs) to President Olusegun Obasanjo from July 2003 until June 2006. He was the minister of culture and tourism of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from June 22nd to Nov 7th 2006 and as the minister of Aviation from Nov 7th 2006 to May 29th 2007. He tweets from@realFFK.