By Taiye Olaniyi

To deny peace in one’s life and living, in thoughts, words, and conducts, no doubt, is courting for the insecurity of minds and purposes.

That Nigeria is today one of the most insecure countries in Africa and Nigerians are now in disarray in thoughts, words, and actions call for more than meets the eyes and also deeper thoughts and thinking than what commoners say is “common sense” but which to me may be nonsense.

Common sense most times is nonsense because it could be very pedestrian in reality and outlook.

Preparatory to the 2015 Nigeria elections and the fast approaching one this year 2023, the fear of pre, during, and post-election violence necessitated an arrangement of the peace accord by people of like minds for, and, amongst presidential aspirants so in their words and actions, the elections of the year would be seen to be free and fair, hitch, disruption, and violence free.

Notable personalities, democrats, and world-renowned personages such as our own Emeka Anyaoku and Kofi Anan former Secretary General of Commonwealth Nations and Secretary General of United Nations respectively were 2 major umpires and referees at the Peace Accord as one major flank to flag off peaceful and violence free elections of 2015 in Nigeria.

The Peace Accord, pact, and covenant with man and God is a noble course only if enshrined and especially imbibed in the minds of those to whom it was administered. This is because beyond mere its administration, it is to be a litmus test of the path of the aspirants to the domain of God or eternal perdition of souls when the gates of hell are opened by the Nigerian permanent representative, its key holder and ambassador plenipotentiary.

The two major aspirants then, whether in military garb of old, now “Babanriga” or the overall of what is now tagged the “South-South”, both had at one time or the other sworn to the great “Oath” of Office” with glaring evidence of acts of omission and commission.

Whereas at his 1963 inaugural speech by the first and maiden president of Nigeria, our beloved Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe admonished us all rulers and the ruled, ” To no person no matter how rich we should we mortgage our conscience. To no nation no matter how powerful should we mortgage our independence”.

On this note Zik and others after he had and still have been promising to abide by the constitutions of Nigeria, the provisions, and the guidance therein. In reality, both the constitutions and decrees have been manipulated to suit the personal, group, and desires of Nigerian highly placed mafia, coup plotters, now cabals, cartels and militants, and warlords in their variegated forms including their innumerable personal and fiendish interests.

The first civilian rule in Nigeria was overturned in 1966 by the coup led by Nzeogwu and the counter coups after made obvious the statement of one of our history teachers at the School of Basic Studies, Kwara College of Technology before the Saraki eras in Kwara State, ” When tribalism entered the military, every other coup was being organised along the tribal line,” as Oyeyipo, alias Lafayette once opined.

Can we rightly claim that military and now civilian coups andcounter-coupss in Nigeria of today are devoid of tribal leanings?

The Atikulated, BATinated, and the Obidinated of this world in this year 2023 still hover their words and conducts around ethno-tribal jingoism that is devoid of any iota of patriotism and true nation building.

Hmmm what a heritage of tribal sentiments in everything Nigerian and of Nigeria of today especially in election campaigns in both overt and covert manners.

To attain peace in elections, electioneering campaigns have not been devoid of religious sentiments and laying of hands on the aspirants by hierarchies of pastors and burning of incense, the tying of all sorts of talismans by marabouts of all shades including the night Unidentified Flying Objects.

Asher words still persist, maligning of integrities if any, and rituals in the decimation of innocent souls especially in the North – East with pockets of such in other areas of the country still persist and not abating.

Many Nigerian jobless youths with red eyes like Solfatara volcanic eruption are looming around corners shouting for change, the militants in the creeks daily vituperate and promise nuclear radiation like that of Chornobyl if transformation agenda is taken untransformed by those whose clan interest seems the only interest in Nigeria polity.

In all these how real and realistic has the Peace Accord judging by the current frightening circumstances in Nigeria?

Where lies our securities, our hopes and aspirations for a united nation where tribes and tongues though may differ, but in unity, our minds, hearts, thoughts, words, and conducts are discovered pure and worthy? Another albatross in great dimension is Buhari- Emefielephobia and the fuel catastrophe now endangering the lives and properties of average Nigerians. The woes, miseries, and “heartquakes” are everywhere.

Nigerians have in conducts repudiated God and His laws in the universe though in words we daily shout both Halleluiah and Allahu Akbar in vain, deceit, and in hypocrisy.

How I wished that our aspirants would for once allow “Conscience”, “The Eye of God in the Heart of Man” dominate their thoughts, words, and conducts rather than currencies both local and foreign that stare the eyes, bend the hearts, and dent the souls when germinating in corridors of power.

How I wished that if it is their residing in government houses would escalate further bloodshed in Nigeria why not lose their lifetime ambitions to gain more permanent repose of soul in life beyond?

Hmmm! hopefully with the upcoming elections and the fear of its probable postponement, I do hope the injunction of Jesus Christ would find appeal, ” He who must gain his life must first lose it” whether political or apolitical, now or hereafter.

Son of Man feels like intoning.

” Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand”.

Taiye Olaniyi, a retired Postman of the Nigeria Postal Service. is based in Lagos