WHAT WE CAN DO TOGETHER

WHAT WE CAN DO TOGETHER

Cornelius Afebu Omonokhua

 

I got a distress call on August 4, 2013 that some Muslim youths were attacking St. Mary’s Catholic Church Karu. Some print media reported that four people were killed in the process. I immediately called one of the Muslim youths in the National Mosque, Abuja who went to the Mosque close to the Catholic Church in Karu to find out what actually happened.  His report was confirmed by the parish priest of the Church that it was not a case between the Christians and the Muslims. On Thursday, August 22, 2013, I led some Muslim and Catholic Youths to meet with the Parish priest and the Imam of the mosque. With us were some staff of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria and staff of the office of Dialogue of the Archdiocese of Abuja. In the meeting we were able to discover that:

• The crisis was a result of an argument between the security agents and the commercial motorcyclists who were protesting that the punishment given to one of them was inhuman.
• It was one of the Muslims who informed a sister in the Church of what was happening outside thereby helping to protect the worshippers from running into the riot.
• That the report in some print media that four people died was not true.
• That no body was killed in the protest.
• That Huzaifa Abdullahi was hit by straying bullets in front of the mosque.
• That the Soldiers paid the hospital bills to treat Huzaifa but the National hospital could not extract the bullets from the patient before the industrial action (strike) of the hospital workers.

We visited Huzaifa, the victim of the protest who was in serious pains at home. We had to assist in taking him to St. Mary’s Catholic Hospital Gwagwalada for better medical attention. What can we do together as human beings to put smiles on the faces of those who are suffering? What can we do together as Nigerians to make life worth living for the citizens? What can we do together to deliver religion from being given the bad name, “instrument of violence”?

Together, we can work for the eradication of poverty. The root cause of the “Karu protest” did not value up to a hundred naira (N100.00). Many graduates today because of the massive unemployment in the country get themselves employed as “commercial motorcyclists”. This “industry” is given different names in different places. Consequently, you hear of “bike”, “okada”, “achaba”, “going” “ala alok”, “aka uke” etc. This business to struggle for survival has been used in some cities for different types of crimes. Some major cities in Nigeria have placed interdict on “bike business”.

On the fateful Sunday morning of August 4, 2013, the “bike man” set down (drop) a passenger in front of the church. Unfortunately, he did not have “change” to give to the passenger so he decided to wait while the passenger entered the Church to look for “change”. The security agents told him to take the motor cycle away from there. He refused to obey.  A military woman gave him corporal punishment by pushing him into the gutter where he claimed that he drank dirty water. The report was that the soldier did not stop punishing him in spite of his pleading. This provoked his colleagues who were also using “bike” as means of survival. They blocked the road and started attacking any person or vehicle on the road.

The reaction of the commercial motorcyclists appeared like a symptom of accumulated anger of people who have been deprived of comfort and means of livelihood akin to the popular allegorical novel, “Animal Farm” (1945) of George Orwell whose real name was Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903-21 January 1950). There is a limited elasticity to suffering after which the victims of poverty become insensitive to human value. This is where the security agents need to show sympathy and empathy but our political space has made every Nigerian a “terrorist suspect”. In a situation where the soldiers and police can not differentiate between criminals and patriots, they too need to protect themselves in our existential jungle that has rendered human flesh so cheap. In the process of trying to dispense the angry mob, the male genital organ of Huzaifa Abdullahi was almost blown off by bullets. The effort of the military to provide medical care for the innocent victim was thwarted by the industrial action of the “medical industry”.

 

In the midst of this national poverty of unemployment and welfare of those who already have jobs, religious sentiments remain an instrument to win sympathy for violence.  This calls for a deeper reflection on the philosophy of Karl Marx that “religion is the opium of the people”.  Together as people who believe in God and believe in religion, we can help people to understand the value of truth. We can assist in naming events, persons and things without bringing in religious and tribal sentiments as adjectives and adverbs. 

Once upon a time, I was a parish priest and Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in a certain Local Government Area of Edo State. The youths were protesting against the Local Government Chairman. They were going to burn down the buildings of the Local Government Council. They allowed me to intervene when I confronted them. I asked them, “Where is the Local Government Chairman from”? They shouted, “He is not from here that is why he does not care about our welfare”. Then I asked, “The buildings you want to destroy, where they are located?” They answered, here in our town. I continued, who is the loser if you destroy what is in your town? They replied, “oh father, you have spoilt our day, go and warn the chairman”.

That same week, I led a delegation of CAN, Muslims, the palace chiefs and elders of the town to see the governor in Benin City. After that meeting, the State Government restored light to the General Hospital that was left without power supply for over a year. The new market that was under construction for ages was completed and some roads in the town were repaired. There is a lot we can do together if we refuse to allow religion and ethnicity to tear us apart. What do we gain if the already existing structures and properties are destroyed in the process of protest? What do we gain if the same people that we are fighting for their rights are killed in the process of protest? Is it not possible to have a peaceful demonstration without killing innocent people, destroying physical structures and properties? Can we not have a situation where the security agents are not forced to use weapons of destruction to maintain law and order? May we all cooperate with God and the leadership of our government to create jobs, various means of transport and a life that befits civilized human beings! There is a lot of we can do together to enhance human dignity and value irrespective of our various differences. 

Fr. Prof. Cornelius Afebu Omonokhua is the Director of Mission and Dialogue of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Abuja and Consultor of the Commission for Religious Relations with Muslims (C.R.R.M), Vatican City