By James Kanyip
Some children sat on a dirty ground and were playing with sand. An elderly person who was passing by saw them in this dirty game. But instead of admonishing them to stop it and then sending them away, he sat down to play the dirty game with them.
I am not the least worried that the so-called Arewa Youths issued a “Quit Notice” to our fellow compatriots, the Igbo people, to vacate the North on or before the 1st October deadline.
I see their outbursts as childish and youthful exuberance which should be condemned, or ignored. They should not be taken seriously on their face value. I really do not see them as having the capacity to execute their outbursts. I am not in any way impressed with them either.
I believe that the 1st of October will come and go like any other day in Nigeria; the Igbo people will continue to stay and live in the North; and Nigeria shall still continue to be the same one indivisible and indissoluble entity that we have all recognized it to be.
So, why should I get myself worried over an inconsequential empty outburst of threat by some over-zealous youths? I will not!
All the youths from across the country that are calling for either secession, separation or division of Nigeria did not witness the horror of the Nigerian Civil War which claimed many innocent lives and almost devastated our collective existence.
They may also have poor historical knowledge of countries like Rwanda, Sudan, Somalia, etc that had witnessed civil wars in the recent past and the horrible consequences thereof. I recommend two movies to them: “Hotel Rwanda” and “Black Hawk Down”.
The youths have no idea of the price the fathers of our nation paid to buy the peace we are all enjoying now: the very peace that even allows them to hold a meeting in Kaduna and spew secessionist, separatist and divisionist words.
But, I get worried when our elders who were witnesses to the Nigerian Civil War and thereby are supposed to admonish these youths and condemn their childish and unruly behaviour have, instead, also joined them in this childish and condemnable frenzy.
It is disheartening to see some supposed elders supporting the youths calling for the secession, separation or divison of Nigeria. What lessons on nationalism and patriotism are they teaching the youths? Are they fit to be called elders in the true sense?
Therefore, when an elder stoops so low to play the dirty game of sand with the children, he does not only get dirty, he also becomes a child. And the children will never grow up because there will be no elder to teach and guide them to growth.
Both the youths and elders are playmates and stalemates.
James KANYIP
10/06/2017.
OPINION EXPRESSED IN THIS ARTICLE ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHOR AND NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE EDITORS OR PUBLISHERS OF PROCYON NEWS.
