By Chidi Aloysius Nwosu (Abia Writers)
Edited by Livingrich Ezeikpe
I always see and hear people in Nigeria talking of one Nigeria, but in their actions or attitudes the one Nigeria-ness is not seen in them. They are “one Nigeria” because of what they are gaining or extorting from their fellow citizens and the dubious contracts they get from the government. If you take a look at their attitudes you will see that what they meant by one Nigeria are embezzlement and corruption. The government of Nigeria is also a culprit in the issue.

In Nigeria you will see a so-called Patriotic Nigerian working in government establishment especially in the north, who goes to work once or twice in a week. Although he was employed as a director in a ministry or head of department in Local Government with just secondary school certificate, and at the end of the month he gets his salary. If you ask him what he thinks about Nigeria he tells you that he believes in one Nigeria to sustain himself.

If you come to the security sector of the country called Nigeria, such as police, their attitudes to the country are even worse. Imagine a Nigerian police that can decide to arrest innocent people going about their legitimate businesses, just because they need money to take care of their families as government has not paid their salaries. After the arrest, they start asking the innocent citizens to bail themselves with money ranging from ten thousand to fifteen thousand Naira depending on the level of resistance to the unlawful arrest.

Imagine on the sixth of February 2018 in Benin City of Edo state, a policeman shot a bus driver that refused to give him one hundred Naira. The funny part of it is that if you ask this police man what he thinks about Nigeria, he will say I believe in one Nigeria. I once asked a police man what he thinks about Nigeria he said he believes in Nigeria that allows him to arrest innocent people whenever he needs money.

In the case of the military in Nigeria, can you imagine in Nigeria that the military are deployed to do the work of the police by arresting civilians and aiding the agents of the government to extort money from the masses, that is they are used as task force to collect their so-called taxes and levies. The military is everywhere in the eastern part of the country where there is no issue of terrorism, mounting roadblocks and extorting money from the motorists and any motorist that tries to resist the extortion will be beaten to pulp.

The most annoying part is that they block the road with drums and bags of sand forcing the motorists to pass through a small path, therefore causing traffic jams all the time. This makes one take extra one or two hours to reach his destination. The action of the military in the eastern zone slows down the economy of the zone. One day I asked a military friend what he thinks about Nigeria, he said he believes in one Nigeria and he will defend it, and I asked him the reason, he said that he was happy being on the road with gun every day, collecting and intimidating people. Is this not a false Patriotism?

The killing of the innocent people from different parts of the country such as Benue, Taraba, Enugu and Nssarawa by the Fulani herdsmen from the same tribe with the president has been alarming. Just like the killing of seventy-three innocent people from Benue state by the Fulani herdsmen. In fact, it was a massacre and the government did not care if there was such killings, the president did not visit Benue to commiserate with the people about the killing, until the people of Tiv from Benue form vigilante to defend themselves and killed only seven Fulani herdsmen, then the presidency ordered the arrest of a Divisional Police Office, the vigilante and also disarm the vigilante using the military. Does patriotism allow a president to be favoring and encouraging his people (Fulani herdsmen) to be killing innocent people of other tribes?

I see no patriotism in their attitude. That is why the clamour to divide the country is high and I support the agitation for the creation of the sovereign states of Biafra and Oduduwa. The north can stay as one or middle belt can also get their country.

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