Nigeria must work to defeat every element of division –Ukah

Ripples of the ‘quit order’ given by some Northern elements, backed by the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and later replicated by the restless Niger Delta Militants are still generating indignation across the land. In this chat with The Daily Times, People’s Priest and human rights enthusiast, The Very Reverend Monsignor Livinus Ukah, considers the ACF and Niger Delta Militants’ pronouncements toxic, begging the question of, who actually owns the land.

You have described the recent quit notice issued by Arewa Youths, which has generated response from many other groups as toxic, why?
Nigeria is one indivisible, geographical entity; asking their brothers from the South East to leave “their land”, is indeed toxic! All lands belong to the Federal Government and all people living in it, besides foreigners are Nigerians.

Every person has a right to live in any part of Nigeria as brothers and sisters and to help develop any place they live.

In case we don’t know, what we call “Our Land” is God’s Own Land. He said to the man, Job, “Whatsoever is under heaven is mine”, so no person who knows the creator of the world can displace his brothers because of politics of discontent.

The Northern elders say it was an empty threat, that the ACF are only exercising their right to freedom of speech.
Of course, everybody has freedom to speak, but not freedom to scatter people that God has created. The voice of the ACF should not be a voice that creates a divide in a nation of diversity.

Nigeria has been managing her diversity and any word that creates tension, alienation, dehumanization, discrimination is not good for Nigeria that is suffering from economic recession.

Why should they create uncertainty while all Nigerians are working for better understanding of each other in their diversity? Can’t they see that Nigeria is trying to manage each other for a constructive future and for the future of Africa in general?

If Nigeria cannot manage each other, how can she exert influence in the rest of Africa? The world already is global, therefore, we should not be uttering words of divide that would set us back to 13th Century when problems were solved by gun and bitterness.

What is your roadmap to peace in Nigeria?
Hostile statements that send shock waves all over the Nigerian lands do not promote peace. How will Nigeria manage the exodus of Igbo people leaving a part of their fatherland and going back to their own land?

I am picturing the exodus of the Israelites escaping from Pharaoh, the king of Egypt that kept the people of Israel in bondage and also as slaves who could not be a nation free from oppression and tyranny of the king of Egypt.

How, for instance, would fellow Nigerians feel when they see a part of them going in convoy of buses in agony, leaving what would sustain them behind? Many might die in such a sojourn. Does the Arewa Consultative Forum not bother about the concerns and sensitivity of other Nigerians?

Can you visualise what any part of the country would be like without the Igbos?
It would certainly be odd, very odd. Now the rest of the country are beginning to know that what affects the Igbos affect them. If the Igbos leave the North, what will remain will be the North and the non Igbos. People are beginning to raise their voice when things become absurd.

Now tell me, when the ACF will be combing the North to see if some Igbos are still remaining in their land, how then will the non-Igbo identify themselves? Will they say, ‘I am not Igbo, I am not Igbo’ all of the time?

When governance is on the same political page with other Nigerians, there will not be a divide, Nigerians are beginning to feel each other in suffering, that what affects one part of Nigeria, affects the other, and this is a big development now because the first exodus was Igbo-focused; now the recent ultimatum may not be the same.

Nigeria is now on the road of togetherness. That unity is strength, it is on the road to progressive civilisation because they have a sense of purpose and their children will not live in limbo of uncertainty and Nigeria will not continue to shed blood. The blood-shed during the civil war brought stagnation. God has not forgotten Nigeria for shedding innocent blood.

Coming from a priest, your statement would appear to be indicting God…
Let’s see it this way: Who died during the war? They are the sons of the poor. The politicians saved their own lives and the lives of their children. Some sent their children overseas. When there is war, it is only the poor that are the casualties.

That ultimatum of ACF has exhumed many sleeping issues in other parts of Nigeria. Each is voicing its marginalisation exerted on them by bad governments; each is angry for using what belonged to them for all. They cry for the little they receive from what belonged to them.

More so, the ultimatum has resurrected many issues that are thrown under government red carpet. How will the Federal Government manage if there is breakage in the Nigerian Entity? After a hard fought battle during the civil war, what again do we do? What can we offer our children, the future generation?

Is it a divided Nigeria, where you cannot live in any part of Nigeria in peace? Nigeria has forgotten that God loves her by giving her many natural resources and man power. Nigeria is the envy of the world because of her many gifts from God, as well as her population and topography.

Nigeria must manage to keep up with her people by not allowing many diluted ideology of divide from those who do not appreciate Nigerian wonderfulness.

Nigeria must fight to defeat the dangerous ideologies that incite violence and a break down in the society. Let Nigeria not be a butt of ridicule on the continental stage. She should know how to solve her problems.

The rich and the politicians should not hide behind the youths to brew trouble. Neutrality is not a healthy thing to embrace, for one of the western philosophers said, “Hell is waiting for people who, in spite of moral crises, maintain neutrality.”

So what is your message to the people?
Nigeria should embrace love, create space for each other. The land we have belongs to God. God allows us to retain its radical ownership. We are renting the lands from God. No one can monopolise it.

The land is given to us by God, but when we hold the land firmly and call it our own, it becomes political. Nigeria should not encourage pogrom or exodus. It can affect the image of Nigeria and history will not forget her if she allows some segments of the country to take laws into their hands.

Some are shouting for the implementation of 2014 conference but some people are afraid of the implementation. When things do not favour some people, they resort to uttering words of hate that would lead to divide.

Afenifere was not happy over the toxic statement and OPC founder, Dr. Frederick Fasheun did not see the statement as tasteful, nor did the Niger Deltas who advocated their own republic on October 1st after clamouring for their oil to be returned to them as panacea for conciliation.

Benue State offered the Igbo people a dwelling place in their land. This is solidarity, which later made the Arewa Consultative Forum say they were misunderstood. So speaking with one voice helps to unite and foster development. Nigeria is in a global world and must not resort to pre-history.