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It Should Have Been Kano

This Day (Lagos)
OPINION
June 2, 2004
Posted to the web June 2, 2004

By Joe Igbokwe
Lagos
I was busy with others in preparation for the burial of our dearest in-law, Mrs
Uche Lucy Ileka in Nnewi when the news filtered into our home that a state of
emergency had been declared in Plateau State by President Olusegun Obasanjo. My
first reaction was why Plateau State of all the volatile states in the Nigeria?
What of Kano State? A state known for her penchant for human blood. A state
with long history of blood shed and mass murder in the name of religion. A
state where murderers and fundamentalists are provided safe haven to continue
to shed innocent blood. A state where you can give a small boy a bottle of coke
and order him to kill as many people as possible in return. A state where your
neighbour for 30 years would be the one to provide fuel and matches for you to
be roasted alive. A state where all the evils in the world have gathered and
built a home for themselves. A state that has no regard for the federal
authority. A state likened to Thomas Hobbes State of Nature where life is
nasty, brutish and short. Kano State has become a law unto itself.
President Obasanjo in a warning letter to the Governor of Kano State said it is
becoming a way of life for certain elements in Kano "to capitalise on ethnic,
religious or other disagreements in other parts of the country to initiate and
execute the slaughtering of innocent persons and destruction of properties."
Stressing further the president said, "it would appear that in Kano, there are
permanent interest groups that have decided to undermine the state, ignore the
rule of law and due process and use religion as a cover to perpetuate uncouth
and clearly anti-religious actions. In fact, people now appear to have
absolutely no respect for the sanctity of human life."
In the botched coup of 1990 led by Major Gideon Orka, Kano was among the
troubled states he slated for isolation until they learn to tolerate other
people who are different from them. Fourteen years later Kano State continue to
make nonsense our desire to build a nation where justice, equity, fair play
prevail. It seems to me that ime has come for us to call Kano State or any
other volatile state in the North to order if we have to be build this country.
Kano is one state out of the 36 states of Nigeria and a subordinate to the
federal government. It therefore behoves on the federal government led by
President Obasanjo to protect the lives and property of other Nigerians
resident in Kano.
Governor Shekarau was asked by people who know the history of Kano to shelve
his so-called peaceful demonstration but he thought otherwise. Hausa/Fulani
leaders should re-examine themselves and tell themselves the home truth that no
section of this country has a monopoly of violence. Details of the mass murder
in Kano is yet to be made known. I want every ethnic group in the South to seek
to retrieve the bodies of its murdered citizens just for record purposes. If we
do not deal with the menace of Kano State and others in the North today this
country is likely to be destroyed. The state of emergency should not have been
in Plateau State, rather it should be in Kano State.

   

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