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The mischievous attempt by the Australian mediator, Mr. Stephen Davis, immediately seconded by the Leadership of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), to associate Rtd., Lt. Gen Ihejirika to Boko Haram is nothing short of an orchestrated manipulation, ignorance, and outright wickedness to demean and persistently harrass the ably retired Army General. It is also nothing short of callousness for The Chairman of the ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS (APC), Chief Odigie- Oyegun to swallow such mischief hook, line and sinker.
The APC Class should know better. It is very poor political fodder to use unsubstantiated, ignorant statements to score cheap political points. Is the APC looking to hang onto anything to look relevant?. We thought the APC did their homework. Or, are the APC and the Arewa working hand-in-tandem?.
The Australian’s erroneous impression exposes the flaws of calling in rather naïve and easily manipulated mediators who look at issues purely on the surface, as a human failing, which though it is, but pales when juxtaposed against the deep ethnic, religious and racial fault lines to which we have been consigned as human beings.
The Boko Haram leaders sold the Australian mediator a dummy and he bought it. One almost asks what the background and understanding of the Australian mediator is, Especially, regarding Nigerian traditional peoples and systems? It is the height of Ignorance to think that Nigerians are suddenly one people who simply co-ordinate with each other. A debriefing of this mediator by the Federal Government before the assignment would have been in order.
Historical analysis reveals that Lt. General Ihejirika, as the Chief of Army Staff, waged a pure war against the BOKO HARAM. His attempts in the Borno forests were so successful, that Northern leaders resorted to an open smear campaign regarding a South-East vengeance on the North 40 (forty) years after the civil war. President Jonathan removed Lt. General Ihejirika probably to calm the above sentiments. The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) further threatened to drag Ihejirika to the International Criminal Court (ICC), based on his successful attempt at curbing the dissident elements from the North. They (Arewa) were seriously warned not to attempt such mischief. 7 to 8 months later, they are back at it again, trying to extract a pound of flesh from the Ihejirika name. Only a fool would even fathom the above association. One however, wonders how serious the Boko Haram is about mediation when they fly such bogus kites.
The fact is that the Australian mediator should go do his homework on the ethnic and religious fault lines and how they affect the Nigeria politics vis-a-vis the Nigerian State, and how ignorant political one-up-man ship using willing minds has put Nigeria in the odious state it is today.
Enough of this foreign ignorant one- size- fits- all approach to diplomacy. Yes, these are Human issues but our ethnic allegiance and survival are far thicker and cut across any western superiorist ideals. The Arewa has just shown and manipulated that. The Australian should consider this his primer in inter-ethnic mediation. He has just been played for a doughnut and fell for same to the chagrin of his benefactors. With this recent pronouncement, Boko Haram have now found a willing tool to create a diversionary ruse while they laugh at our expense and plan God knows what.
The Nigerian Government should call the mediator to order and clearly educate him on the ethnic fault lines in Nigeria, the past, present and future, including the political and social implications for the populations inherent. It would be sheer stupidity to let such ignorant comment go unanswered because an “Australian” said so.
This Australian requires a basic education in African ethnic, religious and cultural systems, and how our ethnicity, cultures, religions align our politics and political systems. Nigerians are too exposed to fall for this nonsense.Because at the ALL PROGRESSIVES GRAND ALLIANCE (APGA), we remain our brother’s keeper.
