When the sun keeps shining, the earth glitters. But as darkness takes over, the lingering of the light ends until a drastic measure is taken. This can be rightly said of the Nigerian traditional rulers and religious leaders today.
Even the previous era can say that. Now that thick dark clouds hover the land, all cognitive creatures scamper for safety and earnestly wait to see the outcome and even pray against any disaster that might come out of the uncertain clouds.
In epochs, traditional rulers’ and religious leaders played economic role in the national development, maintenance of peace and unity, conflict prevention and mediation among others. But the present ones are not like the previous due to the fact that their lives are open to many dangers such as threat to lives, kidnapping and even killings.
Meanwhile, few among the traditional rulers and religious leaders are backbones to the prevailing state of Nigeria with help of some impediments (above the law), so-called moth and rust citizens of Nigeria. Imagine, a bone in a throat that neither moves to the stomach nor comes out. What a country struggling to free itself from the shackles of conflict.
The root of the traditional rulers and religious leaders in Nigeria can be traced from the rulers of independent states or communities that existed before formation of modern Nigeria, which the inherited pattern of rulership and leadership is painted BLACK. But indeed as a Hausa proverb blames a crack on the wall for a lizard to peep through. All the things the country is experiencing without commensurate upsurge in living standard have only come to be because the unity and common voice known of Nigeria have all crumbled.
History has shown that traditional rulers and religious leaders of the past command respect from their people and have a considerable influence in the country, but today, there is chronic death of respectable rulership and leadership in Nigeria, it takes serious toll on the country and bare its internal and external wounds. The rulers and leaders, as taught by history, are free minded people. Free in the sense that their minds are not poisoned with the so-called religious differences as ushered by the predominant religion in the nation, which produced religious fanatics full of hatred, jealousy, greediness and even effort to populate disunity with strong will to annihilate the nation unity, progress and peace.
The thin line one can draw about the traditional rulers and religious leaders of the past is the presence of attributes such as truth, honesty, love to everyone, regardless of his land and religious background and effort to promote unity, progress and peace. What a loss. To say the fact, such rulers and leaders have been of great help to the nation, but today with their being lost, it has become another story. It is not that rulership and leadership is death, rather the rulers and the leaders are physically fit but inwardly serpents in sheep clothing.
Regrettably, however, it is pertinent to say that the past rulers and leaders have realized who they are, that is why they are able to do what they did. It will be better for present day traditional rulers and religious leaders to wake up from their slumber and behold or capture the picture of what they are, to work in line with the real spirits of rulership and leadership. The time is fast running as the nation is getting older and older by the day as humanity and yet things have not been put into order.
In fact, the rulership and leadership state of Nigeria can be likened to a pig tied in shackles in an open field and when rain began to drizzle, it turned out to be hot water. Thus, the beast cannot escape, despite the scathing hot water, which is harmful to it. The hitherto powerful traditional rulers and leaders of Nigeria, which were seen as a force to reckon with in the socio-political equation of Nigeria have lost its grip. With the loss of true rulership and leadership by the nation, it has become so vulnerable like a helpless orphan.
To unearth the root cause of the whole scenario as anchored by the so-called predominant religions, resulting from the ascension of some unimaginable citizens of the nation to the wall, who planted and pioneered the issue of political and religious differences as the order of the day, also watered by hatred, greediness, jealousy and disrespect. What apoplectic acts that have capacity of annihilating the entire nation. The challenges bedeviling Nigeria both within and outside the country are so enormous that the future looks nude as the country marches aimlessly into wilderness.
Although the country is in a chaotic stage, yet the traditional rulers and religious leaders are medicine that can cure the illness. Because they are respectable set of people whom contributions and comment counts. By so doing, the uncouth segment of the population will bow to the majority choice of Nigeria living on the platform of peace and unity. Those in the field of politics and religious fanatics should strive harder to see that all errors coming from them contributing to the prevailing state of Nigeria is completely corrected for the country to forge ahead and the sooner the better because the music which no one knows the dancing steps is played.
The villain part of the story is the fact that nobody is willing to accept that Nigeria can change, while he/she is in the position to change the country. It is pertinent to remember that “hadinkai yafi komai” as another Hausa alludes. Since democratic governance is the reigning government, all human beings in the country are free and have equality in dignity and rights, with reason and conscience, so all should act toward one another in a spirit of brotherhood and national integration.
Those people who have ill-will against the nation and the rest stand as if blindfolded beholding the scenario should realized that is high time they weakened the terrorist and the spirit of darkness, gangsterism and sentimentality for the country’s motto (Unity, faith, peace and progress) to be materialized.
Gradually but speedy, effort should be made tirelessly by the traditional rulers, religious leaders and all corporate citizens to promote peace and unity. It is this simple analogy that can have great impact on the country. Advisably effort like educating the citizens on danger of the present action (religious differences, corruption, kidnaping, religious and tribal conflict among others) of everyone regardless of status will be a great contributing factor in the need to restore the peace and unity of the country as progress rings. The language remains united we stand divided we fall.
. Abdulrahman is a Level 3 student of the Department of Mass Communication, University of Maiduguri and can be reached on Kasualgirl18@gmail.com.
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