President Buhari and FCT Natives
Tribalism is alive and well in Nigeria.
Aso Rock, a major landmark of Abuja
In last year’s election the indigenes, or natives, of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, voted for the opposition. One of the factors their leaders stated was that in his first election Buhari had promised to name one of their own as a minister of the FCT, but failed to do so.
In a meeting with a delegation from the FCT who paid him “Sallah homage” during the recent Muslim celebrations, he said, “I think they know that they are necessary evil that was why they decided to vote for PDP.”
Saying that voting for the opposition is a sign that people are evil is not healthy for democracy. Nor is it helpful to eradicating the worst elements of tribalism. The President of Nigeria is the president for the whole country, not just those who voted for him.
The FCT is a modern city
Buhari has been outspoken about ending corruption and has taken some useful steps. He is sometimes accused of only targeting those in the opposition. But they are not evil or more corrupt than his own party members.
Longstanding Issues
Problems of differences between the country’s north with the Muslim Hausa-Fulani majority and the south, majority Christian with Yoruba and Igbo people dominant, have been around for centuries. The issue of smaller ethnic groups and their role in the country has also persisted.
I have started reading the book I wrote about last time, Liz Bird’s Surviving BIafra: A Nigerwife’s Story, with Rosina Umelo. Liz’s first chapter is an excellent review of the history and background of these conflicts. They remain largely unresolved.
Minority Ethnic Groups and Human Rights
She includes references to some of the smaller tribal (or as my daughter says I should say, ethnic) groups. They can be overlooked in the broader picture. But their issues are real too.
The Federal Capital Territory was created in 1976. According to Wikipedia, “The area chosen as the new capital was principally Gwariland with high concentrations of Muslims and Christians and high degree of neutrality from the dominant ethnic groups.” Still there may be lingering resentment and a reasonable desire to have their voices heard. Buhari should not call them evil.
UN on Development
For me, the UN Millenium Development Goals and successor Sustainable Development Goals are important. Though they do not specifically address treatment of minorities, they do encourage prosperity for all.
The newer SDGs are “a call for action by all countries – poor, rich and middle-income – to promote prosperity while protecting the planet. They recognize that ending poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies that build economic growth and address a range of social needs including education, health, social protection, and job opportunities, while tackling climate change and environmental protection.”
Yes, the 17 goals are ambitious, and no, we will not end poverty. But I applaud the emphasis on addressing social needs by all countries.
I think that includes minority populations everywhere. That means small ethnic groups in Nigeria.
Holidays in Nigeria
Our son Sam called yesterday. He said today, June 12, was Democracy Day in Nigeria and the third mid-week holiday in three weeks, with a Monday holiday (Easter Monday) just a couple of weeks earlier.
In fact, he said, Democracy Day was celebrated twice! The first was for the original Democracy Day, on May 29. That holiday was created to remember the day when the military government handed over power to civilians. May 29 was the day President Olusegun Obasanjo was inaugurated, “marking the beginning of the longest continuous civilian rule since Nigeria’s independence from colonial rule in 1960.”
Abiola’s campaign poster
A week later, President Buhari announced that Democracy Day would henceforth be celebrated on June 12 to commerate MKO Abiola. In an early attempt to return to civilian rule, Abiola was elected on June 12, 1993. “The election was declared Nigeria’s freest and fairest presidential election by national and international observers, with Abiola even winning in his Northern opponent’s home state of Kano” according to Wikipedia.
But the election results were canceled and military rule continued for another six years. Abiola continued to campaign for civilian rule and was finally imprisoned. He died on the day he was to be released four years later. He has been celebrated as a symbol of democracy in Nigeria since then.
Welcome Visitor to Westport
Clem and Monica on our patio
Clem’s sister Monica is in Westport for a week with us. She flew from California on Monday night, arriving early Tuesday.
You may recall my writing about the horrific murder of her son Emeka three years ago.
This afternoon she had a long phone conversation with her other son, Edozie, who lives in Nigeria. He reminded her that his nickname when he was at DMGS, the same school my husband reveres as his alma mater, was Abiola!
I asked her why. “I used to drop Edozie at the school. He would buy biscuits with the money I gave him, and give them away to other students! He earned the nickname because Abiola was known to be generous,” she said.
