The political leaders and others in Nigeria particularly the ‘creative’ or lettered public have continued to dissipate unnecessary energies on ‘populism’ and ‘frivolities’ instead of sticking to core or critical issues and treating them with creative judgments.

As a matter of fact, the era of creativity and critical thinking is dangerously eluding the country. Issues of critical national importance, when they arise, are no longer visited with process words such as how, what, why, if, etc.

The culture of critical thinking is speedily evaporating and disappearing from the landscape of the country.

The above is the position of the Int’l Society for Civil Liberties & Rule of Law (Intersociety) as contained in a statement issued on Friday in Onitsha, Eastern Nigeria. The statement was signed by Emeka Umeagbalasi (Chair of the Board); Obianuju Joy Igboeli (Head of Civil Liberties & Rule of Law); and Chinwe Umeche (Head of Democracy & Good Governance).

Intersociety’s statement was in reaction to worsening insecurity in Nigeria, “particularly the ceaseless killing of Christians and abduction of traveler Igbo citizens and others in northern part.” It was also “particularly in response to calls on President Buhari to resign and sack of service chiefs.”

According to Intersociety, “If truth must be boldly told, the ceaseless killing of Christians in Nigeria and general insecurity have gone beyond calling on Mr. President to resign or sacking of service chiefs. From independent point of view, no fewer than 100 Christians particularly women and children (including 35 in Kaduna, 23 in Plateau and 19 in Kogi) have been hacked to death in the country in Jan 2020 alone; with dozens of Igbo travelers and others abducted for ransom or for death in northern part of the country. The perpetrated or dastardly acts are repeatedly traced to the doorsteps of the trio of Boko Haram, Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen and ‘eco-religious terror’ group known as “Islamic Bandits”; with the grossly lopsided security forces doing little or nothing to fish them out and ensure they face justice.

“Therefore, Intersociety sees the calls are part of ‘populism’ or half-baked intellectual culture bedeviling Nigeria and its current national calamitous insecurity. This is more so when such half-baked calls are coming from the people in the country’s corridors of power who also know the ‘A-Z’ of the root causes of the country’s insecurity challenges, in addition to enormous legislative and oversight powers in their hands including power and right to speak out ‘the dodged truth’.”

Commenting on “the truth being dodged or hidden by Nigerian leaders”, Intersociety had this to say:

“Composition of the Present Federal Government: the present central Government is nothing short of ‘a jihadist government of the day’ with no semblance of pluralism or balanced ethno-religious composition.

“Lopsided Composition of Service Chiefs, Armed Forces, Police and Paramilitaries: they are Islamic dominated and anti-secular; thereby threatening and endangering the short-changed regions particularly the old Eastern Nigeria and Northern Christian Nationalities.

“Defective & Manipulative Constitution: the 1999 Constitution is inherently defective with no inputs from the country’s ethnic nationalities particularly the South and the Northern Christian entities. It also has little or no inbuilt protection or safeguards for collective security and safety of the existing ethno-religious nationalities particularly the Peoples of old Eastern Nigeria and Northern Christian Nationalities.

“Abuse of the Constitution & Anti Secular Conducts: these are done with reckless abandon by the present federal political leaders which include gross misinterpretations, misapplications, manipulations, violations and abuses, etc. Anti-secular conducts include turning the country, by policy and conduct, into ‘an Islamic Republic governed by Sharia Laws’ in place of secular Constitution and doctrine.

“Propaganda & Lies: these have remained the salutations, greetings and foundation of the present central Government.

“Hate Policies & Conducts: these are the second foundation upon which the present central Government seemed formed or founded.

“Jihadist Insurgencies under State Protection: Circumstantially and by body language, these have been the case.

“Islamic Friendly & Lopsided Security Establishments Can’t Fight Their Non-State Actor ‘Comrades’: There shall always be ‘comradeship’ or ‘esprit de corps’ in the so called ‘counter-insurgency operations against Boko Haram/ISWAP insurgency and Fulani Herdsmen Jihadism as well as the ‘eco-religious’ terrorism by the so called ‘Islamic Bandits of Northern Nigeria’. These shall continue so long as the country’s security forces and superintendence remain lopsidedly composed or Islamic friendly.

“Granted that insurgency is one of the most difficult in modern warfare, but had the country’s security forces been pluralistically and secularly composed and superintended; with effective intelligence and without present state Islamic friendly politicization, the insurgent groups named would have been tamed when still at rag tag stages or before reaching sophistication-and continuously be checkmated till date.

“Non-Declassification of Mr. President’s Health Status/Fitness: a former SGF under the present central Government (Babachir David Lawal) had in 2017 during a rift asked: “who is the Presidency?” Though the question has remained unanswered by the ‘Presidency’, but it is a quick reminder to the fact that the true health status of Mr. President, both physical and mental, has remained worryingly classified; thereby raising another critical question as per ‘who is truly in charge of Nigeria-Mr. President or a Cabal?

“We are deeply worried because Nigerians especially the lettered or informed are losing it; to the extent that some are either confused or have resolved not to address their letters or make representations to their ‘beloved President’, to avoid same not being received and treated well or getting into the hands of ‘a cabal’. This has further made a cross section of the lettered to keep wondering how on earth Mr. President could retain failed Service Chiefs including a failed Chief of Army Staff for almost five years, if not eight years in the end and corner over 90% appointments in security, oil and economic establishments to citizens of his own tribe and religion.

“The above is just to mention but a few key of litany of truth being dodged or failed to say by the Nigerian leaders. For us at Intersociety, the present central Government is steadily pushing Nigeria and Nigerians to the nadir of collapse or irreversibility. The Government is also pushing the country to the point of citizen radicalism. The country must not waste its slim chance of being returned to the path of pluralistic and constructive governance in togetherness or peaceful apart.

“The Government’s hate and radical policies and conducts are already encouraging the proliferation of small arms and light weapons across the length and breadth of the country. Also with rising regional quests for regional defensive security arrangements and the present central Government’s recent waiver granted to the aliens-both the good, the bad and the ugly; the proliferation, both licit and illicit and prohibited and un-prohibited SALWs, is expected to rise exponentially. Totality of these is a time bomb for a poorly governed and highly divided country of approximately 2003m people.”

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