I write this piece today at the risk of
sounding sycophantic and with a heavy heart over the last negative incidences
in Kaduna State. The problem of ethno-religious conflagrations in Kaduna has
become endemic with its attendant negative consequences of colossal loss of
human lives and property. In most of the past crises the state government had
been accused of not taking swift security measures to curtail escalation. The
present government of Sir Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa however proves different in
this regard. For just some few hours after the eruption of the last crisis
evidence of government effort towards tackling it emerged. This significantly
contributed to the swift control of the crisis.
Thus the state government deserves commendation in this regard.
Prior this, the government has
demonstrated a clear sense of responsibility in citing meaningful projects even
in traditionally opposition areas in the state.
This helps in engendering a sense of collective belongingness and allays
fears of marginalization along ethno-religious and party lines. Another befitting reference point in the
Yakowa leadership style is the appointment of youth into key government
positions. This is a commendable gesture
especially when viewed from the backdrop of the critical role of youths in the
development process. Also the
government’s establishment of community interaction forums which create room
for exchange of ideas among different ethnic groupings in the state is as well
a step in the right direction.
Having identified a few of the bold
steps taken by the Yakowa administration which can be described as the early
signs of an adroit administration committed to achieving peaceful co-existence
and meaningful development in a potentially volatile but highly endowed state
like Kaduna, it is now pertinent to suggest ways of attaining sustainable peace
in the state.
First and foremost any attempt at
proffering solutions to the lingering ethno-religious tensions in Kaduna and
indeed Nigeria as a whole must stem from the realization that the recurrent
conflicts are only symptoms of other underlying factors which have their roots
in both the social and economic conditions of the people. For instance, in his
development theory, Dudley Seers theorized that the three major indexes of
measuring development in any society entails a critical assessment of the
levels of poverty, unemployment and income inequality. It is factual today that these three factors
are predominant features of our economy.
For
example, Kaduna has been known as the industrial hub of Northern Nigeria where
people flock from all nooks and crannies of the federation in search of greener
pastures. This gave the state a very buoyant, enviable and self-sustaining
economy. However, all these can today be described as past glory because of the
collapse of the industrial sector in the state.
For instance, one of the largest employers of labour in Kaduna and
indeed Nigeria is the textile industry which literally have its base in Kaduna
but which today is in a state of total collapse going down with it thousands of
jobs.
Ibrahim
and Okoruwa writing in the Sunday Tribune of 25/09/2011 on the plight of the
textile industry in Nigeria stated that: The Nigerian textile industry was the
second largest in Africa after Egypt’s in 1997, with over 250 vibrant factories
operating above 50 per cent capacity utilization. Then, the local textile
market had a share of about 20 per cent of Nigeria’s textile products with the
balance of 80 per cent being imported. As
at 1980, the textile industry in the country could boast of over 175 textile
factories, but today only about 25 are still producing, as most of them have
closed shop.
This massive job loss comes with
attendant consequences of rising poverty level which in turn geometrically
increases crime levels and preponderance of moral vices like prostitution,
adultery, dishonesty, and rapid collapse of the extended family system. Furthermore and more unfortunately too, today
unemployed youths have become ready tools in the hands of politicians, ethnic
warlords, and terrorist organisations for entrenchment of their agenda which
are often geared towards satisfaction of certain individual interests and to
the detriment of harmonious communal co-existence and human progress.
To address this ugly trend it is
pertinent that the government take proactive measures in addressing issues
surrounding the collapse of our industrial sector. In this regard, giant strides must be taken
towards addressing the problem of epileptic power supply which remains the
greatest factor militating against the growth and development of our industrial
sector. Also other allied factors such as smuggling must be checked by ensuring
that our porous boarders are effectively and genuinely controlled because the proliferation
of foreign goods in our local markets has equally played dominant role in crippling
our local industries over the years.
Furthermore, government policies must be geared towards deliberate
creation of massive employment opportunities to accommodate our ever-increasing
youth population.
The issue of income inequality is also
critical in understanding the causes of social conflicts in our society. Ours is a country in which the nation’s
wealth is controlled by less than 10% of the entire population. Thus while the majority wallow in abject
poverty, the privileged few who happened to join the elite class through
accident of birth, access to opportunities, superior educational/professional
attainments, etc. engage in brazen show of affluence through use of
state-of-the-art automobiles, opulent houses in choice areas, and access to
sound healthcare and education for them and their wards. Consequent upon this, public
institutions/infrastructures are left in total shambles with the fortunes of
the less-fortunate majority ever dwindling.
Unless deliberate steps are taken by the government to assiduously
address this wide class difference, the society will continue to sit on a
dangerous time bomb that can explode at the slightest provocation.
It is also pertinent that existing
structures for interactions among community and religious leaders and their
disciples be strengthened to create room for more understanding of the diverse
socio-cultural and religious differences of the people that inhabit the
country. Such efforts will definitely
help in fostering unity, understanding and mutual respect among the populace as
well as contribute in allaying deep-seated mutual fears, suspicion and
distrust. Towards this end religious
leaders on both sides of the divide must be enjoined to preach restraint,
peaceful co-existence, maturity of conduct, and respect for values held
sacrosanct by adherents of other religions.
Furthermore in a multi-cultural and
religious society such as ours, vertical and horizontal balancing in government
appointments and access to opportunities will serve as a stabilizing force for
peaceful co-existence and political stability. This is because most of the
problems that trigger social conflicts in our society today are rooted in
official lopsidedness, highhandedness, and lack of due consideration of the
structural composition of varying societal interests that have to be constantly
pacified and addressed.
Moreover, social structures that play
critical roles in shaping and reshaping of youth psychology must be given due
consideration. This is because the youth
always form the basic agent for stoking the fires of ethnic hatred which
ultimately leads to undesirable consequences.
Towards this end, the family, as the first agent of socialization has a
critical role to play in instilling desired values of honesty, hard-work,
piety, patriotism and fear of God in their wards. Academic curriculums must also be redesigned
to include courses that will redirect the thinking and character of our youths towards
virtuous lines. Furthermore, the
curriculums must be enriched to include entrepreneurial studies that will
enable graduates to become self-employed instead chasing too few or outrightly
non-existent job opportunities.
Another critical factor that will also
assist in engendering peaceful co-existence among the populace is a major
change in the attitudes of our politicians in their quest for power. The
political class must understand that politics is not a do or die affair. They
should also realize that the whole essence of politics is about service and
adding value to the society not causing havoc to societal fabric through
untoward appeal to ethnic and religious sentiments. They should equally realize that there can be
only one winner in any contest be it political or whatever and thus learn to
take defeat with equanimity and the victors, victory with accommodation for
what goes around comes around!
