By Awuna Simon Tavershima
Nigeria is a nation blessed with different ethnic groups and tribes numbering 371. Among these tribes, there are three major ones, that’s the most populated tribes, which include: Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo.
Each of these tribes has its traditions and religious beliefs, but the most common ones are Christianity and Islam.
Over the years, there have been records of conflicts between these two religion, especially in political arena on who to govern the country.
In the northern part of the country, many states are headed or ruled by Muslims because they believe leadership is their birth right.
In fact, in our country today, most of the political appointees are Muslims. In most federal and state tertiary institutions in the northern part of the country, no matter how intelligent or brilliant a Christian student might seem to be, his or her CGPA must not be more than an average Muslim students in any department.
In student union government, religion has become the most needed criteria for illegibility of every comrade. These have gradually degenerated into a very big problem, which leads to the present state of our country.
Many projects initiated by the past administrations, especially the introduction of National Youth Service Corps by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the building of Almajiri schools in Sokoto and other states in the North by former President Goodluck Jonathan and many other programmes I cannot possibly mention here, all of these were to encourage unity among the tribes and religious groups in the country.
Unfortunately, the aim of these programmes has been defeated since Corps members are equally not exempted when there are conflicts in the states where they are posted to serve their nation.
It has become the utmost priority of the herders, unknown gunmen and many other terrorist groups to manhandle the woman and children across our geopolitical regions. Our country value system is decaying, the gap between the rich and the poor has gone high.
It hasn’t been easy, but instead we learned to live with our terrible situation like virus. It’s very unfortunate that upon the blessings on our country, we are still dangling into scrupulous economy!
Our country will regain its lost glory if we put aside our differences and embrace one another despite our religious beliefs, political affiliations, tribes and ethnicity.
2023 is a visionary year that we must be careful as a people of this great nation in selection of leaders. Our future depends on the choice we make today! Political parties are already campaigning for their candidates, but we must not be deceived by the party alphabet, religion and tribes.
Let us collectively do the right thing now or perish together as a people. Our nation will be great again.
• Tavershima, writes from Ajio, Benue State