The recent announcement by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan as the elected President of the Federal republic of Nigeria was greeted with joy and violence.
In the South, East and West Nigerian trooped out to celebrate the victory of democracy, while in the North, violence erupted in Kaduna, Kano, Zaria and Sokoto State as loyalist of former president General Muhammadu Buhari went to the street destroying and killing innocent citizens.
This is not the first reported incident of violence in Nigeria, as there has been several incidents of violence assassination and extra-judicial killings by even the police in several states of the country.
What is responsible for these negative tendencies and how can it be curbed? Illiteracy Majority of fanatics and political thugs used to perpetrate violence in the country are known to be illiterate.
Knowledge is a tool that can liberate a man from the bondage of slavery and ignorance.
Illiteracy is a deadly virus that can kill both the carrier and others that get in contact with it.
One of the failures of past government especially in the North is the lack of commitment in investing in the academic future of the youths.
There is an apparent lack of commitment from most state government to build up the intellectual capacity of both the youths and entire populace in virtually all the Northern states.
The result of neglect and mismanagement of funds allocated for human capital development is what we are witnessing in the Northern part of the country today.
Religion Religion plays a vital role in ensuring sustainable peace and development in a country.
I was recently told about how a Moslem cleric who was supposed to be preaching peace and unity during this period of election, began to campaign for a particular candidate.
It was apparent that the role of religion had obviously been misplaced at the altar of greed and sentiment.
It is obvious that these killings and orgy of violence have some religious undertone as evident in the burning of churches and houses of perceived enemies.
When religious Leaders who are supposed to act as arbitrators begin to display sign of bias, the possibility of violence and mass killings cannot be ruled out.
Role of the police There have been numerous calls by state government in the Southern part of the country for the establishment of regional and state police.
This will ensure the proper policing of the states and region.
A situation where police are deployed to some parts of the country and they fold their hands and allow innocents citizens to be slaughtered to death cannot be tolerated in our modern dispensation.
The solution to end these violence and killings lies in the hands of our political and religious leaders.
They must be able to call their followers to order and begin to preach the gospel of peace rather than violence.
When violence becomes intense, it can lead to war which will ultimately result in suffering and undue loss of life and properties.
The recent victory and triumph of democracy should act as a tonic of unity rather than division and strife.
Nigeria is bigger than any region or ethnic nationality and the sooner we all come together to move the nation forward, the better for us as a country.
In the South, East and West Nigerian trooped out to celebrate the victory of democracy, while in the North, violence erupted in Kaduna, Kano, Zaria and Sokoto State as loyalist of former president General Muhammadu Buhari went to the street destroying and killing innocent citizens.
This is not the first reported incident of violence in Nigeria, as there has been several incidents of violence assassination and extra-judicial killings by even the police in several states of the country.
What is responsible for these negative tendencies and how can it be curbed? Illiteracy Majority of fanatics and political thugs used to perpetrate violence in the country are known to be illiterate.
Knowledge is a tool that can liberate a man from the bondage of slavery and ignorance.
Illiteracy is a deadly virus that can kill both the carrier and others that get in contact with it.
One of the failures of past government especially in the North is the lack of commitment in investing in the academic future of the youths.
There is an apparent lack of commitment from most state government to build up the intellectual capacity of both the youths and entire populace in virtually all the Northern states.
The result of neglect and mismanagement of funds allocated for human capital development is what we are witnessing in the Northern part of the country today.
Religion Religion plays a vital role in ensuring sustainable peace and development in a country.
I was recently told about how a Moslem cleric who was supposed to be preaching peace and unity during this period of election, began to campaign for a particular candidate.
It was apparent that the role of religion had obviously been misplaced at the altar of greed and sentiment.
It is obvious that these killings and orgy of violence have some religious undertone as evident in the burning of churches and houses of perceived enemies.
When religious Leaders who are supposed to act as arbitrators begin to display sign of bias, the possibility of violence and mass killings cannot be ruled out.
Role of the police There have been numerous calls by state government in the Southern part of the country for the establishment of regional and state police.
This will ensure the proper policing of the states and region.
A situation where police are deployed to some parts of the country and they fold their hands and allow innocents citizens to be slaughtered to death cannot be tolerated in our modern dispensation.
The solution to end these violence and killings lies in the hands of our political and religious leaders.
They must be able to call their followers to order and begin to preach the gospel of peace rather than violence.
When violence becomes intense, it can lead to war which will ultimately result in suffering and undue loss of life and properties.
The recent victory and triumph of democracy should act as a tonic of unity rather than division and strife.
Nigeria is bigger than any region or ethnic nationality and the sooner we all come together to move the nation forward, the better for us as a country.
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