BY VINCENT EGUNYANGA
AS I write this article, I decided to pulse to pay tribute to a
Nigerian, Patriotic Nigerian, proud Nigerian who is currently probably
in the mortuary as his death was announced last week. Col JOHN MADAKI
rtd.
I decided to honour him not just because he was a member of my parish
at Our Lady Queen of Nigeria Catholic Church, Garki in Abuja before
his death but because I have always seen in him a worthy Nigerian
that has taught me how to love the country.
Col John Madaki was the governor of Katsina state in 1991/ 1992
where I was posted to do my National Youth Service.. I remember
vividly that year in 1991 around October when we left the
Orientation camp at Government Secondary School, in Funtua, we
heard of Religious riots in Kano a nearby state. it was called
Ronnard Bonke riot. For the first time in the history of Religious
riots in Nigeria the Christians fought back. Some Muslim youths were
said to be planning a reprisal attack on Christians in Katsina state.
Col Madaki as the then governor rose to the occasion to stop the
reprisals. He went on Radio to announce that what was going on in Kano
state should not be allowed to spread to Katsina warning trouble
makers to stay clear of the state.
In my one year stay in Katsina for the NYSC I came in contact with
great men and women from the state, FULANIS who were ready to
defend the unity of the country, irrespective of tribe or Religion.
I remember particularly one Hadjia Hassu Iro Inko former Federal
Commissioner of Federal Electoral Commission FEDECO who served in
Lagos state. She took me like a son and always helped whenever I
was broke. She was over 65 years old then. I remember Rabi Sani
then Public Relations Officer Women Commission, I remember General
Hassan Katsina. I remember former Chief Press Secretary to
governor Madaki, Sadiq Yar Adua. I want to particularly recognize
Yahaya El Zazaky. Yahaya was the younger brother to the Leader of an
Islamic sect in Nigeria, Ibrahim El Zazaki. I was then as a corper
posted to Champion Newspapers for my primary assignment. I heard
so much about Ibrahim El Zazaki while I was in Lagos, so when I
learnt he was from Katsina state I insisted on interviewing him. I
went to his family house inside what was called KOFAR close to one
of the biggest Jumat Mosque. I was told the cleric was in Kaduna
at that time but I could speak to his younger brother Yahaya. Yahaya
welcome me into his private house and we chatted for about 30minutes.
We spoke about his brother Ibrahim, about Islam, Sharia and Nigeria.
Irrespective of what Buhari and his supporters want us to believe El
Zazaki family and his sect are peace loving, not fanatics and they
love Nigeria more than Buhari.
It was in Katsina that for the first time I came in contact with
women with Vaginal Vesicular Fistula (VVF) WE had a specialist
hospital in Katsina that specialized in treating VVF patients.
Incidentally even though most of the women suffering from VVF were
muslims, Medical personnel that took special interest in treating
them were Christians. These women that suffered from VVF were often
abandoned by their husbands for another women. I remember one Dr
Dan Fulani who was a Director in the state Ministry of Health for
many years but could not be promoted because he was a Christian.
This was also during the period of brain drain most Muslim Doctors
had travelled to Saudi Arabia in search of golden fleece. There
were always complains by the natives that their women were been
treated by Christian male Doctors. In order to satisfy the
complaints of the natives Col Madaki had to go the Egypt to recruit
Doctors who came to Nigeria as expatriates.
The impression we have in the South is that all Fulanis are
Muslims. That is pure lie. There is a place in Katsina state known
as MALUMFASHI, it is 90 percent Christian indigenous Fulani.
DUTSIMA is 50 percent Christian community. I feel very sad when I
hear Southern Christians say lets divide Nigeria along Religious
line. This is ignorant, what happen to Christians in the North,
especially the Fulani Christians.
I took time to explain all these things to say the Fulanis are not
bad people, President Muhammadu Buhari may be bad but he does not
represent an average Fulani person. Buhari is what he is today
because Nigeria tolerated him for too long and he is not through with
Nigeria yet. Buhari had been involved in mass killing in Nigeria
without been punished for it. In 1966 or so just before the civil war,
Buhari was said to have led some Northern Military officers to
Asaba, smoked out all the able bodied men slaughtered about 800
people in one day, without authorization from Defence Headquaters. No
punishment was meted out to him. We were also told that in 1980 or
thereabout as the GOC in Maiduguri he led some soldiers to repel
Maitasine attack in Maiduguri without command from the then
Commander In Chief President Shehu Shagari. No punishment was meted
out to him.
Buhari contested the 2015 Presidential election violating every
aspect of the Electoral law, yet he was allowed to contest the
election. Statement like THERE WILL BE BLOODSHED IF ELECTION WAS
RIGGED was certainly against the spirit of the electoral law, but
nothing was done. As I write this piece Buhari was yet to present
his School Certificate result an important requirement to contest
the election in Nigeria. President Buhari made a prediction in 2015
that there would be bloodshed if the 2015 Presidential election was
rigged. But since after the election we had witnessed many
bloodshed, especially Herdsmen killings in ENUGU, ABA, TARABA STATE,
BENUE STATE, KADUNA STATE, ADAMAWA STATE, NASSARAWA STATE , THE
KILLING OF OVER 100 PERCENGERS IN A LUXUROUS BUS ALONG ABUJA/
LOKOJA ROAD IN 2015 WHEN BUHARI WITHDREW SOLDIERS FROM THE STREETS
ETC. Could this be an indication that the 2015 election was actually
rigged and Buhari’s prediction came to pass.
NOW another election is coming up in 2019, an election we really do
not need. This is because a lot of money will be wasted on the
election and many people will die. The result of the election is
already known. Anybody thinking that President Muhammadu Buhari
will lose the election need a psychiatric attention. They will do
everything to remain in power, even if people will have to die.
Buhari is not somebody that will afraid of people dying. I think
after 2019 we should just beg Buhari to go. If he refused to go we
should beg the International community to help us. There should be
an international sanction against the country until he leaves.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said they
will need about N100b for the election. Please lets use the money to
pay workers salary, dredge Onitsha River, Oguta Lake, Gelegele sea
port, 2nd Niger Bridge, pay local debts etc instead of election.
More importantly let us save lives. We have wasted enough lives
already in this country.
This my advise should not be ignored. In 2014 before the 2015
election, I wrote a piece on this platform, warning then President
Goodluck Jonathan that the election would be war and that if he was
not prepared for the war he should step down for someone else to
contest. I said many people will suffer if he lost the election. The
following week we had Jonathan and Buhari signing a peace accord
to accept the result of the election. The peace accord was moderated
by a former Head of State General Abubakar. But there was no peace
accord to keep Nigeria one after the election. The war against
corruption being fought by the Administration is nothing but
punishment for presumed enemies of the regime. As I opened the
dailies this morning I read about some properties demolished by the
government or EFCC. THE Properties were said to be demolished for
presumed contact with the former first lady Patience Jonathan. Lets
even assume that the properties were from proceeds of corruption is
there any court ruling authorizing demolition. Why didn’t
government just sell the properties and recover the money, if
actually it was from a stolen money. Why are we wicked in this
country.
VINCENT EGUNYANGA A PUBLIC AFFAIRS ANALYST WRITES FROM NIGERIA.