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Deliberate manipulation of the masses

By Gabriel Osu
16 July 2017   |   4:39 am
A recent photograph trending on the social network shows former Governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, Aliko Dangote and few other influential young Nigerians cooling off in a yacht during the recent Muslim festival.

Gabriel Osu

A recent photograph trending on the social network shows former Governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, Aliko Dangote and few other influential young Nigerians cooling off in a yacht during the recent Muslim festival. They were obviously having a nice time. One thing that struck one on viewing the photo is the fact that these men hail from different parts of the country. Donald Duke, for instance, is from the South, while Dangote is from the North. Notwithstanding the fact that they all come from various parts of the country, they still come together to fraternise. What does this tell us? In a country like ours, where politicians often use ethnicity and religious sentiment to divide the masses, it is worth knowing that the rich and affluent are not infected with this anomaly. Forget what they tell you in the media to register your attention in their private lives, they unite, eat and dine together.

Many Nigerians are very gullible. They have been so blinded by the antics of the political class that they fail to see that they are being manipulated. Goaded by fear and complex, they have since resolved to remain bottled-up in self-pity, waiting for God to come down from heaven and fight for them, forgetting that heaven only helps those who help themselves.

Politics, I always say, is like a chess game. The players are like husbands and wives, who readily make up after quarrels. No matter how much misunderstanding they may have, they will eventually reconcile.

Have you ever paused and wondered why it is difficult for Christians and Muslims in some parts of North to live together in peace and harmony? Why has it become the norm for some Northern youths to take up arms against their Christian counter-parts at every little excuse with no qualms for the grief and hardship they cause others? Why is it that despite the incessant cries by Christian leaders and media against these incessant attacks, our government appears helpless in addressing holistically this harassment of Christians in the Northern parts of the country? Are some human lives more sacred than others? I believe these are all stage-managed for selfish reasons. You hardly see children of the rich affected by the troubles. It is always the masses that fall victims. As long as there is disunity in the country, the rich smile in anticipation of the gains awaiting them.

Someone once opined that children in the North are deliberately left out of quality education, so that they can continue to be used as agents of destruction by the political class. They knowingly keep the people in perpetual bondage, so that they can be used as foot soldiers to wreck havoc, when occasions warrant it. If this is true, then it is unfortunate and evil. No one has the right to hold others in bondage. God has created us to freely express ourselves and achieve all He has set for us. Those who fuel hate-messages amongst their followers by their utterances, actions and inactions should desist from doing so. Those who allow themselves to be used to inflict pains on their fellow humans should know that God’s judgment awaits them.

The current agitation for restructuring across the nation is long over-due. The present structure is lopsided and does not allow for maximum human growth and development. Nigerians are very enterprising people. When given the opportunity, they readily excel in their endeavours. But the current structure in the country is strangulating to say the least. And so effort must be made to restructure the system and make it conducive for citizens to thrive. But it will not come easy. Those benefitting from the current lopsided structure will make every effort to frustrate this struggle. However, we must not give up. Evil can only succeed, when good men and women refuse to speak up and act. It is God’s will that Nigeria will be a great nation, the envy of all. It is God’s will that we overcome our present challenges and emerge stronger and better. We just must be ready and willing enough to remain steadfast in our resolve to have a better structure in place for our children and us. May God help us. Amen.

• Very Rev. Msgr. Osu, Director, Social Communications, Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos.

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