Every so often, Nigerians devise a grievance and stipulate the solution.

Since our latest embrace of civilian governance and over several years, the clamour was for a sovereign national conference.

The Sovereign National Conference was for Nigerians to talk with each other on how to live together in the same Nation. For some unclear reason, proponents of the conference expect Nigerians to be incapable of having a normal conversation without a government intervention.

The same self-styled activists, regularly issue divisive statements in the media. The propaganda achieves its purpose of keeping Nigerians at loggerheads along the lines of region, religion, ethnicity, and, often, political affiliation.

Thus, established that Nigerians do not want to share the same Country with anyone of another faith or facial feature, the activists with a now regionwide following demand a conference. We have had some notable sovereign national conferences.

The last one was the outcome of a ruthless bullying tactic against the then President.

Well, Nigerians continue to talk at each other, in disdain and with blatant disinformation and propaganda.

Southerners, with the Yoruba and NdiIgbo as the principal culprits, employ the mass media and social media to spread their version of what the problem is in Nigeria. They proffer solutions, the most easily discerned of such solutions being: We do not want you to be the same as us.

Northerners, in particular the Hausa-Fulani, the Yoruba, and multiple ethnicities which stretch across the region, barring the Tiv and Jukun, have their own means of propaganda dissemination.

Sitting along the street, these criminals intimidate and harass anyone who does not conform. During sermons, religious leaders endorse and affirm the hate speech.

The problem with Nigeria is simple: Only by your insistence do we abide by the Constitution of the Federal Republic Of Nigeria.

There is only one solution: We want you to be the same as us. You see, here, Nigeria does not exist. We live together peacefully, provided you adhere to the laws we contrive at our convenience. Everyone, except you, cooperates with us.

Do you not observe the Yoruba, NdiIgbo, Edo, Efik, Ogoni, Igarra, and numerous other ethnicities of the South resident here promoting our way of life?

For the past few years, there has been a new problem identified by Southerners; a perceived lack of representation, the solution of which lies in restructuring.

Northerners do not visualise why Southerners have issues with a country which does not exist. Nigeria is not for us, though we bear a Nigerian passport to travel to Saudi Arabia on Hajj.

In this and several other attributes, Northerners are the twin siblings of Southerners who describe Nigeria in unprintable terms, yet hold a Nigerian international passport and a Nigerian identity card.

Southerners are among the very first to queue to ensure their due, from the Nigeria of their worst nightmare, arrives safely in their pocket. They insist we must talk with each other again, on the same issue of residing together.

Northerners opine there is nothing to discuss.

Southerners demand a fresh revenue sharing formula, where State Governments who owe workers and pensioners months in arrears, have a final say on how resources obtained from the State are utilised.

I say many State Governments have repeatedly demonstrated a gross inability to develop their respective States, despite the monthly handouts they receive from the Federal Government. A stagnation in infrastructural development is most appalling in the five states of AlaIgbo.

A better direction of restructuring is for Nigerians to restructure their attitudes towards the Nigeria.

•Umm Sulaim is the Publisher of Umm Sulaim’s Thoughts (https://iamummsulaim.wordpress.com).

Copyright © 2019 Umm Sulaim. All rights reserved.

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