Tag: boko haram

The deaths of more than 16 young applicants who died in Abuja and other venues during the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS recruitment exercise is a mirror of dysfunctional leadership and government. The tide of greed and inequality unleashed by the ruling elites through their selfish system of capitalism is the root of the nation’s top problem. It is therefore important for the ruling elites to stop extracting undue leadership milleage out of the peoples misery and poverty. However, the most serious struggle facing our generation is bad leadership values, corruption, the struggle against terrorism, and violent extremism which are forces for disorder and conflict. Nigerians value diversity, moderation, tolerance and pluralism, freedom of speech, religious freedom and good living condition. Against these values the ruling elites, terrorist and other extremist groups see and use the masses democratic ignorance as a vulnerability to exploit. The ruling elites are corrupting the tenets of democracy just as the Boko Haram are decontextualising Quranic passages thereby distorting the tenets of Islam. They rely on the fanciful doctrine of abrogation to promote violence using extreme religious interpretations of the Sharia Law to justify killing innocent souls and suicide bombing.

The Quran elaborates the right to life, respect, equity, justice and liberty, the right to acquire knowledge, to work, the right to basic need and to privacy. The global struggle is that when extremist and especially terrorist values go unchallenged, according to Alexandra Downer, a former Australia Minister for Foreign Affairs ‘more and more people, mainly young men, risk being recruited … This is happening in the Middle East, it is happening in South East Asia and is happening in Western countries.’ Nigeria is not an exemption hence, the challenge is that extremist ideology demand a joint campaign because silence or siddon look – a sign of submission is not an option in such a time as this when Nigeria is heading towards a bleak future through extremist cultural values. Beyond Boko Haram is therefore a call to counter the extremist ideologies and narratives in Nigeria before it is too late.

The activities of Boko Haram insurgents in Northern Nigeria and its ideology is more or less what is called the terrorist narrative shaped by the writings of Islamists like the Egyptian militant Sayyid Qutb that ignores the authoritative mainstream views of the Islamic world. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have also crafted an ideology shaped by the terrorist narratives which is sharply at variance with Islam’s emphatic renunciation of aggression and violence. The argument is that Islam is under attack from the West and that the only way to unify the Islamic world which is divided is by eliminating all Western influence vehemently especially in Nigeria. The aim is to pursue with total commitment as a religious duty, hence, slaughtering of innocent people has become the order of the day especially in the North East of Nigeria. Terrorism is now alternative and legitimate tactic for Jihad due to their lack of military and technological means. The condemnation and rejection of this ‘nihilistic terrorist ideology and murderous methods’ of Boko Haram by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III and other Muslim leaders needs to go a step further. This is because ‘the terrorist narrative does still seem to strike a chord in many Muslim communities and its does win recruits,’ coupled with the poverty ravaging most of our communities. The Muslim leaders need to unwrap and counter the terrorist narrative/religious mantles Boko Haram is using as agents of insurrection to spread their ideology because they indoctrinate passive sympathisers to commit different atrocities.

The Boko Haram and other extremist/militant groups in Nigeria are capitalising on the corruption, injustice, lack of economic and democratic freedoms in the country thereby drawing ‘strength from the natural tendency of people to turn to religion (or ethnic affiliations) in times of change and uncertainty.’ Generally, most Nigerian are uncertain about the leadership and the performance of Government hence, greed and extremism breeding in such uncertain contexts are less than ideal. It is argued that ‘the virtue of democracy is that where there is a capacity for people to offer alternative plans to improve lives extremist ideology becomes less appealing.’ The challenge is ‘if there aren’t alternatives, people will stray to the extremist ideology because extremism offers a simplistic kind of utopian ideal.’

Extremist ideology not only indoctrinates passive sympathisers including the Almajiris (migrant students), and jobless youths negatively, it also empowers the active political and religious players to promote their economic interests. Nigerians are becoming more religious day by day but this does not translated to responsibility and integrity. People now use and see religion that ‘offers simple, utopian solutions to complex problems, a method that has attracted recruits to radical causes down through the ages.’ In a nation where democracy is just about elections without manifestos and accountability, extremism will flourish as the order of the land. Kidnapping is now a demonic and extremist challenge in Nigeria. Human life is now a major trade in Nigeria on the altar of ransom payment or killing, and atimes both together. The pro-Biafra group, Biafra Zionist Movement recently invaded Enugu State Government House and successfully hoisted the flag of the Republic of Biafra. The Ijaw warlords and Odua Peoples Congress are not resting over the 2015 election. The greed and extremist tendencies in Nigeria are becoming a cancerous wound that need an urgent approach. A well develop democratic system is about the checks and balances to prevent leadership abuse and unending looting of the nation’s commonwealth. Democracy in Nigeria has been captured by the ruling elites hence no judiciary independent, no security, and oppression is breeding extremism and militancy all over the country. Just as Boko Haram is becoming, more or less, a political masquerade and weapon with religious piety, other extremist/militant ideologies are protestant politicians with cultural undertones and agendas.

The challenge is how to overcome extremist narratives politically, socially, and religiously. According to Arthur Koestler who wrote about the burning of Berlin’s Reichstag in 1933, an event which gave rise to Nazi Germany, ‘we said that if you don’t quench those flames at once, they will spread all over the world …’ The flames of greed and extremist narratives are all over our beloved country and urgent action must be taking as we approach another season of election. As a people, we must arise and promote common values, accountability, love for others, leadership as a service and peoples-shaped democracy. If the only thing the on-going Confab would achieve is to confront the greed and extremist ideologies and defend peoples-shared values, let it be, rather than just another assembly of 492 tongues ruling elites and political godfathers. The paradox is that some of the ruling elites and political godfathers with a whooping 12 million naira for the 3-month duration of the Confab uses the jobless youths and vulnerable masses to win elections and there after abandoned them. The idle hands later become a serviceable hands for extremist practices. Who is fooling who in Nigeria? A visit to some towns and villages outside the state capitals and local government headquarters in Nigeria will show the depravity and depression average Nigerians are going through on daily basis without any hope of tomorrow. It is only in an insane society that the flagrant display of stolen and ill gotten wealth is acceptable.

Nigeria is blessed by God but ‘jinxed and cursed’ by the few greedy ruling elites exploiting the human and natural resources for personal gain. According to the NNPC, Nigeria lost 109.5 barrels of oil in 2013 but our ruling elies are now flying in state-of-the-art private jets. God has blessed us with creative, strong, intelligent youths coupled with good weather and the best crude oil (Bunny Light) in the world but today, Nigerian youths ranked among the top unemployed youths in the world. Our man-made problems may be solved by man if we obey God’s commandments. The fate of our country is in God’s hand but we must do our part by repenting and using our challenges as opportunity to overcome the menace of Boko Haram and also counter other extremist ideologies and narratives. Nigeria’s problems is not beyond Nigerians because the masses are the decisive element of their common destiny. Our peace and prosperity is not in separation or disintegration but in our peaceful coexistence, justice, and discouraging flagrant display of stolen and ill gotten wealth. God bless Nigeria.

Very Rev Dr Deji Okegbile, Nigerian Methodists Chaplaincy, United Kingdom/Ireland.