"I freed a thousand slaves. I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves"- Harriet Tubman
How can anyone describe Nigeria as a free nation when Sheik
Othman Dan Fodio, the hero of the core Muslim north, the father of the Fulani
Caliphate and the first Mahdi of Nigeria once said,
"Allah has bestowed on me and my people the historic
duty to spread the holy faith of the Prophet throughout the Caliphate and
convert these pagans. If they refuse to accept Allah and his Prophet we will
wash the earth, the forests, the mountains, the rivers and the streams with
their pagan blood. Ours is a holy and righteous calling. We are doing the work
of Allah".
How can anyone describe Nigeria as a free nation when Sir
Ahmadu Bello, the Saurdana of Sokoto, the Premier of the Northern Region and
the second Mahdi of Nigeria once said,
"The new nation called Nigeria should be an estate of
our great grandfather Othman Dan Fodio. We must ruthlessly prevent a change of
power. We use the minorities in the north as willing tools and the south as
conquered territory and never allow them to rule over us and never allow them
to have control over their future".
How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when General
Muhammadu Buhari, the indisputable King of the north, the avenging sword of the
Caliphate, the almighty President of the Federal Republic, the unquestionable
leader of the African Mujahadeen and the third and last Mahdi of Nigeria once
said,
"It is my intention to spread sharia to every part of
Nigeria" and that "why should Christians bother when Muslims chop off
the hands of Muslims in the name of sharia" and that "Muslims should
only vote for Muslims" and finally that "an attack on Boko Haram is
an attack on the north".
What portion do those of us that are southerners and Middle
Belters have in this so-called "free country" and why have we been
consistently denied the right to decide whether we wish to remain in it by
having a referendum?
Were we born to be slaves whilst others were born to rule?
God forbid it. My Christian faith teaches me that I am the head and not the
tail.
It teaches me that it is a sore sight and a great evil under
the sun to see the sons of slaves riding on horseback whilst the sons of the
King walk around on bare feet.
It teaches me that we are the head and not the tail and that
light is meant to overcome darkness and not that darkness overcomes the light.
The truth is that whichever way you look at it Nigeria is
not free and Nigeria is not one nation.
We are in bondage and servitude to the sons and daughters of
Futa Jalon and we are badly divided. That is the subject of this essay.
*Femi Fani-Kayode, a
former Minister of Aviation & former Minister of Culture & Tourism,
sent this from Ile-Ife, Osun State
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