Memories! Memories are like
soothing balms that heals an emotionally charged human mind and drives it to
the blissful experiences of the past even as the troubled spirit begins a
journey of recovery and psychological balance.
Fond memories are even more
comforting and psychologically rich and have remained one of the best known
panaceas to healing a human mind devastated by the existential realities of
unprecedented scale of bloody violence and man’s inhumanity to man in our
contemporary times.
In one of those sober moods of fond
memories, my troubled mind travelled like an adventurous strange bird from the
increasingly fearful vicinity of the nation’s capital city of Abuja to those
violence ravaged Northern Nigerian towns, villages and hamlets that formed
substantial parts of my childhood as a Nigerian of Igbo parentage who was born,
bred and educated in Northern Nigeria of the late 1970’s and early 1980’s.
Fond memories of Northern Nigeria
came flashing and flooding down towards my sub-conscious as I reflected
extensively on the imports of some weighty comments on the ongoing
terror-related violence and bombardments in Northern Nigeria as made by the
senate President David Mark, Alhaji Kashim Sheftima of Borno State and even
President Goodluck Jonathan.
These prominent political office
holders made their respective interventions on the terror-related mass killings
in the North at the recent retreat of the Senate of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria which took place in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
Before proceeding to examine the
statements made by the aforementioned political heavyweights in Nigeria, a
reflection into what some knowledgeable persons wrote about the concept of
memories are as important as they are relevant in Nigeria of today.
James M. Barrie said thus; “God
gave us our memories so we might have roses in December”. Saul Bellow is of the
considered opinion that; “everybody needs his/her memories. Memories keep the
wolf of insignificance from the door”. Not wanting to be intellectually
surpassed in his comprehension of the beautiful concept of memories, another
thinker, Libbie Fuldim captured his thoughts on memories thus; “Recall it as often
as you wish, a happy memory never wears out”.
I ask, how true is it that happy
memories of the past regarding my childhood Northern Nigeria will not wear out
even when the realization is true that I am no longer safe traversing those
same memorable places in Northern Nigeria because of ongoing bloody violence
unleashed intermittently in places of worship by armed Islamic insurgents in
Northern Nigeria?
But from the same beautiful book
titled “Quotes worth Repeating”, authored by Bob Kelly, I later learnt that
Charles Kuralt said thus; “The good memories are all of stopping and staying a
while. I realize I have always driven too fast through life, carrying in my baggage
too much impatience and apprehension, missing too many chances, passing too
many good people in the dust”.
In complete obedience to the above statement
of universal truth by Charles Kuralt, I have therefore decided to suspend my
overwhelming apprehension and impatience occasioned by the unprecedented state
of insecurity in our once beautiful Northern Nigeria with the belief that the
fond memories of some good experiences, people and places I encountered in my
growing up years will serve as the healing tonic to encourage me to keep
writing and working for lasting peace, religious freedoms and security of lives
and property of citizens to be restored to our increasingly diminishing
Northern Nigeria. Oh God may I be right.
Memories drove me elegantly like a
harmless Butterfly to Kafanchan in Kaduna state which is my place of birth and I
recall going to Aduwan one primary school, formerly, Saint Peter Claver primary
school with dozens of my childhood Hausa/Fulani, Berom, Bajju, and Kataf
speaking Childhood friends whereby we will learn in convivial and happy serene
environment with an expansive football pitch whereby some of us little boys
back then would try our innocent footballing skills amid jeers and jubilations
of childhood years.
Memories drove me to recollecting
some friendly encounters I had as a child with some beautiful Hausa/Fulani
girls who showed undying love to learn to speak my language of parentage – Igbo,
since in their understanding I already know their first language which is Hausa
that was widely spoken even in our class rooms.
Memories indeed! Fond memories took
me to my secondary school days at the Teachers College Kafanchan whereby
several of my bosom friends were Hausa/Fulani’s, indigenous people of Southern Kaduna,
Yorubas, Gwaris, Idomas, Igalas, Igbos and a sprinkle of some few Ijaw speaking
co-students who exhibited exceedingly good fraternal communion with all.
I do also remember going to
Katsina, Daura, and Zaria all in the old Kaduna state as part of sporting teams
from my secondary school to participate in the inter-school games which were
beautiful memories.
These fond memories were
interjected by few sectarian skirmishes between followers of the two dominant organized
religions of Islam and Christianity. But these disagreements were soon settled
before much blood was spilled.
As children, then in Northern
Nigeria, I remember invading some fresh fruit farms with my childhood friends
mainly of Hausa/Fulani origin to pluck mangoes, oranges and cashew fruits to
fill up our little hungry stomachs on our homeward journeys from our Teachers’
College Kafanchan that was like 30 minutes of hard trek to town where most
residents stayed peacefully then. Today, Kafanchan is split into two equal
segments with Christians and Moslems staying apart in distinct districts of the
once lovely town. Today Kafanchan have three markets for Christians, Moslems
and Igbo Women.
In the early 1980’s, I remember
vividly when I first travelled to Maiduguri, Borno state in one of my early secondary
school adventures to know some uncharted territories to meet new friends and
know new places. Those days were very peaceful and people had great respect for
the African cultural values of hospitality and respect for life as sacred gift
from the Divine creator. Not anymore.
Those beautiful days are far gone
now in Northern Nigeria with the large scale killings by armed religious rebels
in most parts of Northern Nigeria which very recently sparked off retaliatory
killings of Muslims by Christians in Kaduna, Northern Nigeria. The Christians for
the better part of the last two years have faced a barrage of bombardments and terror-related
targeted bomb attacks from professed armed Islamic insurgents.
I indeed weep for our vanishing
Northern Nigeria the same way that editors of the globally respected
Newsmagazine-“The Economist” lamented the melting of the Arctic and extensively
reflected on what this ugly phenomenal situation means for trade, energy and the
World Environment in a special edition of June 16th-22nd 2012 which they aptly
titled “The Vanishing North”.
I am not alone in my lamentations
of the quickly vanishing Northern Nigeria since even President Jonathan, Senate
President David Mark and Governor of Borno state Mr. Shettima Keshim have also
collectively joined the chorus although in different undulating tunes.
Ensconced in the serene and
peaceful environment of the retreat center in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, far away
from the Northern states that have become war zones whereby Southerners and innocent
Northerners have come under threat of bloody violence, theses politicians
weighed in on the ongoing Northern violence and warned of imminent national
disaster.
David Mark of the entire speakers
at the Uyo, Akwa Ibom Senate retreat made the better intervention when he
promptly warned that if the killings by armed Islamic insurgents in the North
are not effectively checked and defeated, then Nigeria is on the speed lane of imminent
break up just like the over speeding underground train that has failed break.
David Mark gave his verdict thus, “The
way the exercise is going at the moment, if Boko Haram is not halted, it may
result to the breakup of this country and God forbid, because people will not
take it for too long.”
On his part, President Jonathan who
recently fired his National Security Adviser General Owoaye Azazi and Defence
minister Mr. Haliru Bello and hired a northerner, Retired Colonel Sambo Dasuki
as Security advisor, blamed opposition politicians for playing politics with
national security matter.
I think some politicians in Nigeria
are mischievously celebrating the unprecedented state of insecurity in the North
as the demonstration of People Democratic Party-led Federal government’s
failure, I do also think that the Jonathan administration has so far not
effectively implemented proactive security measures to stop the bloody violence
which has shifted to churches with the attendant devastating consequences on the
lives of innocent worshippers. This is a war crime and crime against humanity
as was recently acknowledged by the United Nations Human Rights Council.
On June 26th 2012, the Catholic
Bishops Conference of Nigeria met and issued detailed findings on the Northern Nigerian
violence whereby they collectively called on government to arrest the
widespread insecurity and mass killings.
Their words: “It is the primary
duty of government to ensure security of lives and property of citizens all
over the nation. There can be no excuse for failure in this primary duty. There
is evidence that the state has been doing a lot to arrest the situation…much
more need to be done in the area of intelligence gathering, analyzing,
interpreting and security equipment procurement. The terrorist must be
identified, engaged, and disarmed”.
Our worst fears of imminent break
up of Nigeria would be arrested and our fond memories of a nation whereby all
citizens will freely exercise all the fundamental freedoms including freedom to
worship, movement and right to life would remain inviolable and sacrosanct only
if Government takes the right steps to stop the mass killings.
*
Emmanuel Onwubiko, Head, HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS’ ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA,
writes from
www.huriwa.blogspot.com.
27/6/2012
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