04 April 2012

By Isa Ali Pantami

We are from our Lord and to Him we shall all return back ultimately.  The situation of our darling country, Nigeria is very devastating, and if care is not sincerely taken, definitely divine punishment will continue to visit the country, and the situation will continue failing from bad to worse. Every sincere Nigerian has already forgotten any point agenda, like 7-Point agenda or programme, like Vision20: 2020. The only vision at present is how to survive safely, and accommodate one's physical and psychological trauma, with a two or three-square meal. 

It is often strange to many people including academicians, making an attempt to adopt a prophetic message as a framework for analysing the situation of a country or generation. This is because we have been concocted, diluted and modernised by the theories of only western scholars, particularly the modern and contemporary ones like political scientist, Samuel P. Huntington, who proposed a theory titled as "Clash of Civilization and the Remaking of World Order" and Francis Fukuyama who wrote, predicted and proposed "The End of History and the Last Time" as a theory or framework. 

I have no iota of doubt; Nigerians are religious people, either genuinely or otherwise. Undoubtedly therefore, they respect religious verdicts, parables and symbols. Paradoxically, their greatest anathema is insincerity of implementation.  It is in the same pace, I intend to analyse Nigeria's problems serially by adopting a prophetic infallible parable as a divine framework for x-raying the situation of our darling Nigeria. Believe me; the horrific situation of our country cannot be rehabilitated with a permanent solution by adopting human framework. It can only be rescued, rehabilitated and transformed by returning to infallible and impeccable sources of guidance, i.e. our religious scriptures. They all unanimously fight all the cantankerous injustice and social vices that engulf our darling Nigeria. This is what I emphasized in a series of public lectures I delivered just last month during my holiday, in some states of the country, like Jos, Kaduna, Lagos and Bauchi. 

Our beloved Prophet (SAW) describes the parable and exemplification of an evil country with a "sinking ship" in an authentic hadith which has been reported by Imam Bukhaari (RH). In an attempt to explain the anatomy of this prophetic saying, Dr Salman authored a treatise on this hadith, entitled "Hatta Laa Taghriqas-Safiinah" and Dr Has-san Almisriy  presented a fabulous talk entitled "Kabla an Tagriqas-Safeenah" describing the consequence awaiting a country that has been illegitimately transformed into a theatre of injustice, wanton corruption and brutality, like darling Nigeria.

In a prophetic message which serves as our framework, our beloved Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) says: 

"The likeness of the man who observes the limits prescribed by Allah and that of the man who transgresses them is like the people who get on board a ship after casting their votes. Some of them are in its lower deck and some of them in its upper deck. Those who are in its lower deck, when they require water, they go to the occupants of the upper deck. Then they (occupants of the lower deck) had a meeting, with a resolution of saying: "If we make a hole in the floor of the ship, we shall not harm those in the upper deck. If they (the occupants of the upper deck) leave them to carry out their design they all will be drowned all. But if they do not let them go ahead (with their plan), all of them will remain safe and sound" 

We learn from this prophetic parable, the consequences of committing acts which are forbidden by our Lord are not confined only to those persons who commit them, but the whole society has to suffer for them, as we suffer in darling Nigeria. It is therefore, essential that the people, who are in the habit of committing sinful acts and violating divine injunctions, should be checked to rescue the whole society from destruction. If this is not done, the entire society will have to face a horrific divine punishment. Committing crimes has become a daily affair, which has been embraced by all and sundry ceremoniously or otherwise. These ugly felonies include injustice, corruption, irreligious religious crises, bigmanism, brutal and extra-judicial killings, robbery and immorality. 

An academician, Dr S. Shehu of BUK described Nigeria as a ship that the holes have already been illegally created. He said in our own ship "Nigeria", not only one, but so many holes had been created, and our ship has already sunk, we are now in search of pious professionals who will block the holes, rescue the people and take the water out of the ship, in order to avoid drowning ultimately. This aptly describes the ugly situation of darling Nigeria. We are not physically, politically, economically, spiritually and intellectually better than tsunami-drowned countries. 

I believe many Nigerians always ask themselves emotionally, why there is no solution to all these problems, felonies and injustice? It is because of the fact that, various stakeholders have failed in their responsibilities. These stakeholders, to mention among others, are executive leaders, security personnel, community leaders, parents, religious leaders, journalists, politicians, civil servants, teachers and energetic youths.  

At this juncture of crossroads, we need to ask ourselves aptly and sincerely, who are to blame for Nigeria's sinking as demonstrated in this Hadith? However, we are not blaming for the sake of blaming only, but we are strongly blaming the stakeholders including all Nigerians, in order to critically identify our problems, weaknesses and shortcomings with an intention of salvaging our country from destruction and drowning, and this is for our betterment in this world and in the next. Yeah, can I ask? For how long will this felony brutally remain in Nigeria? 

Dr Salman admonished leaders and followers by saying, just like individuals who must repent for their sins and bad dealings, so should governments and their followers repent for the injustice, social backwardness, corruption and instability they are responsible for. But not in our darling Nigeria. Leaders consider this trust- leadership as an enjoyment, not a burden. 

Mrs Hillary Clinton has completely placed the blame on the doorstep of darling Nigeria's leaders by saying, "Leadership has failed Nigeria". She made this categorical statement during her first full day in Nigeria as part of a seven-nation, 11-day African tour. Yeah, I agree with her view, but even their lieutenants and the masses have a substantial ungodly contribution towards this felony.  

Finally, this is the best and almost last chance we have, to sincerely and genuinely rescue our darling Nigeria from sinking. Nigerians are superb in talks and analyses, but docile in action and implementation. Let's rise up and change our attitude with action. As it is said, action speaks louder than voice. Till we meet in the next flyer of this series hopefully. 

Isa Ali Pantami, PhD Candidate (Computing & IT) in the United Kingdom, Lecturer, ATB University, Bauchi, Nigeria

E-mail: isapantami@yahoo.com

14/4/1433H (07/03/2012G)