‘Seye Akanmu.
I’m sure people will be wondering why Kadaria is included in this article. In her article captioned ” lets stop ethnic profiling” on February 14 , 2021, she talked of ethnic profiling (of Fulani herdsmen) while mentioning the role of the media ( RTLM ) in fuelling the Rwandan genocide in 1994. The radio RTLM, formed by Hutu extremists played an ignominious role in the genocide that also took the life of President Juvenal Habyarimana whose aircraft was shot down with surface-to-air missiles.
Contrary to Kadaria’s allusion, a political scientist, Scott Strauss in 2007 in an empirical study stated that only 15% of the perpetrators alluded that radio was a key influence in their actions in killing the Tutsis. Face-to-face intimidation and communication with peers were strong influence.
When former President , Umaru Musa Yar’adua died, I was pained as if he was my relation. He was Fulani! Many Nigerians too especially from the south voted him and supported him till his unfortunate illness and death despite being Fulani.
A large sections of Nigerians never created any ethnic profiling including the press because he governed as a true patriot who believed in one Nigeria and walked the talk .
Mr President suddenly has found his mojo but unfortunately, his polemics have heated up the polity once again like his 5% speech at Chatham House. Kadaria perhaps wants the media to perform the role of the government and assist it propaganda and help it clean the mess it creates.
This regime continues to make blunders that makes governance look like rocket science. Like , the insistence of making Onochie a commissioner of INEC despite ample evidence that she is a core and famous party member.
Does the government expect the media to clean up this mess ?
The government must do what’s right to get the support of the media. Hostilities and blackmail against the media can’t work because it survived the most brutal military regime of Abacha.
The unpresidential statements from PMB has heated up the polity. It also gives centrifugal forces the courage to demand for breakaway.
Evaluating these statements below by PMB, “those who are discussing restructuring, my question is, what are you going to restructure? If you ask many Nigerians what they are going to restructure, you will find out that they have nothing to talk about”, or the threat on Twitter to treat ” those misbehaving in the language they understand ” , it is obvious PMB enjoys belligerent approach to sensitive national security issues. Mollification isn’t his style. Is the media expected to downplay any consequences arising from the crises the President creates from time to time?
It is obvious PMB isn’t an intellectual and thus has no deep Knowledge of what restructuring is.
That the 1999 constitution is a near facsimile of the 1979 constitution means it is perfect or workable?
I’m not here to write on restructuring itself but the President must know that amendments to the constitution is a piecemeal attempts to panel beat and trivialise the numerous fundamental issues that pro- restructuring groups and individuals are hopeful will bring a better country .
Contrary to the platitudinous homilies the president gave on restructuring, salient issues like unicameral or bicameral legislature ? Resource control, reduction in presidential powers etc are weighty issues restructuring is expected to correct.
Nigeria is a holding federation as against the USA’s coming together federalism, as such, secession will always brew especially when a clannish President is in power.
The President gave the tirades on pro- restructuring groups at the Kudirat Abiola Peace Foundation in Zaria, Kaduna state! What this means is that Nigerians are desirous of a united country with absolute values as Justice, equity , equality and fairness.
The president will sooner or later vacate the office , he should have a legacy that people will cherish from generation to generation.
I overhead a northern youth discussing with a market woman over rising cost of food prices, the woman asked him, ” buhari no be your person?”. Immediately the guy said ” I be Hausa , no be Fulani!
Same people chanting “Sai baba” before the 2015 election are now disassociating themselves from him!
If the south south and the South East voted massively for Atiku in 2019 despite being a Fulani man, therefore, Southerners or the media have no hatred for the Fulani tribe but a certain Fulani man has created situations that make the group the most talked about after the Boko Haram and Iswap terrorist groups threatening our national security and unity.
