Still on Southern Kaduna genocide  

It’s quite painful to start a new year on a morbid note, but that’s due to what the Kaduna State governor, Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai has turned the state he sworn to govern into. A deliberate and carefully orchestrated campaign to wipe out the people of Southern Kaduna whom he perceived to be his enemies and not just opponents, though the Shiites too have had it worse under his watch.

One does not know which is more painful: el Rufai’s paralysis in safeguarding the lives and properties of citizens he is paid to protect or the stupefying silence from our president, Muhammadu Buhari. While we have seen repeatedly that only certain lives are important to our dear president, the callousness of shoving it at our faces that he will not do anything must rank as one of the worst witnessed under him even by his low standard. A president that had the mind to apologise on video to Bauchi State citizens because his proposed visit to the state has been postponed courtesy of harmattan, which made it unsafe for him to fly down, still does not think that the people of Kaduna deserve his empathy.

The almost-57-year-old el-Rufai is a study in contradictions and by this I speak of his love, or more appropriately pretence, to higher ideals than the usual base instincts of your average Nigerian politician. How many of them could boast of books chronicling their time in government with ‘revelations’ that many of those involved have not been able to deny or challenge in courts of law despite their huffing and puffing? What about that novel idea of an inauguration lecture complete with a plethora of intellectuals from universities across the globe? He speaks of books too, seemingly reading them regularly. Sadly, all these do not translate to higher ideals as Kaduna State governor for a man who seems to enjoy the company of people of letters. If he is not engaging in a needless fight with one of the senators representing the state like other governors, he will be telling us how he paid Fulani herdsmen not to kill the citizens under his watch.

Nearly two years ago, el-Rufai then as deputy national secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), issued a statement on why he wanted to be the next governor of the state.  “Our state, Kaduna, is now fragmented across ethnic and religious lines. Without federal allocations, the state cannot survive. Our renowned educational institutions are decaying, while unemployment and youth restiveness are visible. Trust in government is low and the essentials needed to stimulate socio-economic development are most lacking. Otherwise the cohesive fabric of our community may be completely destroyed”. Hopefully, he can read those words again and ask himself the pertinent question: Is Kaduna State different today than what he claimed it was in 2015? Definitely for a group of people who have reportedly lost nearly a thousand souls, their trust is no longer in a government under the watch of Mr. el-Rufai.

There have been accusations and counter accusations from different sides in the current crisis, but what is clear is that scores have been killed and the Kaduna State government has let the people of southern Kaduna down.  True, the crisis predates el-Rufai but it has festered under him. The usually sedate Catholic Church, the Kafanchan diocese, issued a statement last week that would make even the stonehearted ululate.  In the last weeks and months, we have become victims of systematic attacks orchestrated by another version of Boko Haram, who also go by the name ‘Fulani Herdsmen’. This Militia, of the Fulani extraction is bent on pursuing an agenda that is aimed at subjugating the Southern Kaduna People, disintegrating the country, weakening the Gospel and grounding completely the social and economic life of our people. Suffice to State ab initio, that Southern Kaduna is no stranger to violence, perpetrated against it by Jihadists, the statement reads.

Indeed some have argued that the crisis is not religious but a communal clash, even if we accepted this argument, what about the people killed? From 1987 when the first religious riots happened after a Christian revival organised by College of Education, Kafanchan students, it has been a cycle of violence in the area. Remember the Zamani Lekwot trial too under the late Sani Abacha? Hopefully, el-Rufai will rise up and protect those who do not share his faith or political persuasion but his record is poor in this area. This column has noted his infamous role in the Shiites saga and so how do we expect him to be different this time around?

To the rest of us including some sections of the media who preferred to be indifferent, it could be your turn tomorrow. By the way, did the Southern Kaduna genocide featured in discussion between Pastor Tunde Bakare and President Buhari when he was at Aso Rock last week?