Between Abu Minyar Al Gaddafi, David Mark’s Mad Man
Comment And Quest For Disintegration (II)
23 May 2010
By Jibo Nura
Gaddafi, one understands, has no doubt done well for
his people. His people fondly call him green in the
desert, because he has in place housing, education,
healthcare and food for Libyans. He is today
considered by many people across the globe as the one
and only person that enjoys a reputation amongst many
Africans as an experienced and wise Statesman who has
been at the forefront of many struggles over the
years. Gaddafi has earned the praise of Nelson Mandela
and others, and is always a prominent figure in
various pan-African organizations such as African
Union. Being the recent Ex-Chairman of the Union,
Gaddafi once addressed an assembly of African leaders
in Ethiopia by telling them that his vision, mission
and plan for Africa and Africans “is to continue to
insist that our sovereign countries work to achieve
the United States of Africa”.
Indeed, for a man with vision like this to be called a
“mad man”, it sends signals that those that labeled
him as such, are either barmy or have gone wacky about
Gaddafi and what he stands for.
What Gaddafi actually tried to explain and likened it
to Nigeria’s situation is the partition model of
Pakistan, which was born in 1947 where the Muslim
minority of predominantly Hindu India agitated for
their own homeland under the leadership of Mohammed
Ali Jinnah. The Pakistani model was successful,
because a state for the Muslims and another state for
the Christians became established.
Sadly, those that see Gaddafi’s comment as a taboo to
Nigeria were not able to read in between the lines the
comparison he was trying make.
Hear him:
“The painful situation that Nigeria is enduring
resembles the situation of the Indian subcontinent
before 1947, at the time of the massacres between
Hindu and Muslims”.
Therefore, no one is wishing Nigeria a bad omen or
perpetual succession on the basis of tribalism or
religious intolerance. All of us know that our country
of today is really engulfed in sequential crises. And
most of these crises are either religiously inclined,
ethnic or sectarian in outlooks. The Shagamu
antecedent; Zaki Biam massacres; Kafanchan and Kaduna
brutalities; and Kano mayhem are still fresh in
memory. But instead of the likes of Senator
“honourable” David Alechenu Bonaventure Mark to
realistically act and find a lasting solution to our
predicaments, they are there in Abuja languishing with
Nigeria’s problems that are ought to have been thrown
to the dustbin of history. What a shame? There was
never a time when people such as Mark are heard over
the urgency to bring out a platform or level playing
ground in the Senate that will melt-down religious and
tribal sentiments in Nigeria if not the unnecessary
debate on late ‘Yar adua’s health condition that God
Has often brought to rest. May Allah forgive Yar adua
and give our ordinary leaders who sit in Ivory towers,
the wisdom to lead with zeal, commitment and
compassion. Because, as somebody asserted elsewhere
i.e. in Nigeria “Those sitting at the corridor of
power debating on issues that are unnecessary, are not
really disturbed over the happenings in Nigeria.
Perhaps, due to the fact that “non- of their families
is being wiped out, non- of their businesses or
property got destroyed; non- of their mosques or
churches got burnt, they sit comfortably and curse
Gaddafi”.
Hence, David Alechenu Bonaventure Mark needs to
understand that the patriotism gospel that he lives to
preach since the time of his military training, can be
dangerous to national development, because when one
defends his country and countrymen so blindly, when
one sees nothing wrong with his country, when one
perceives all criticisms such as Gaddafi’s as
destructive rather than constructive, when one
subjectively encourages his fellow Nigerians in the
Diaspora to talk only about the good aspects of
Nigeria; not mindful of its bad sides, one got to step
back, hands akimbo and ask the cardinal question: Are
all these obsequious defense of one’s country a good
omen?
According to Mark’s gospel and judgement, which one
begs to disagree, is the double Decker question as to
whether love for Nigeria requires any citizen to
always identify with pleasant things about that
country and overlook the unpleasant aspects, because
every country has only good features?
Indeed, it could be that Mark has not come across the
fact that evil always thrive mostly in societies in
which a majority of people maintain silence while
things go wrong. And to remain uncritical when things
are wrong, according to Levi Obijiofor, a writer, is
the deadly way to destroy a country.
Ironically, Alechenu while exposing his naivety and
intellectual regicide about Nigeria, commented in the
Monday edition of Guardian Newspaper of July 27, 2009
by stating thus “This country is doing well, we are
moving in the right direction, but for some people who
are running down this country from within and without.
A lot of Britons will never go out to criticize their
country elsewhere, but a lot of Nigerians go out and
start running down our country. Why can’t they go and
start another country?”
This, is one of the complex assertions that one can
say without any iota of doubt that it is not true.
Because, the British citizens do criticize their
country in Britain and overseas. It is just that Mark
has gross misconception about Britons, patriotism and
national issues criticisms.
Honestly, dogmatic expression of Nigeria’s good
qualities is not really a good barometer for gauging
someone’s level of patriotism, says Obijiofor in his
critical comment on “Mark: Off the mark on
patriotism”. It is quite inappropriate for citizens of
any country to keep silent or to engage in harangue
and praise singing of the political leaders who pilot
their country in the wrong direction.
In view of the above therefore, Mr. Alechenu should
not look at Gaddafi’s commentary about Nigeria as an
act of “madness” or disloyalty. There is nothing more
dangerous and damaging of a country’s reputation and
socioeconomic development than to gullibly play foul
with the citizens by vomiting them words that are
hardly chewed. For they will one day make one eat up
his/her vomit!
Concluded.
Jibo Nura, a Quantity Surveyor, is Secretary
General, African Climate Change Research Centre.
Contact Nura at: jibonura@yahoo.com
©
EsinIslam.Com
Add Comments