RE: KNEELING FOR IMAMS OF NORTHERN NIGERIA | The Tribune
Monday Lines by Lasisi Olagunju
May 20, 2024
Kneeling, pleading, cajoling?
For how long do we keep at this? The observation by the Columbia University professor “Schacht (1902-1969), the author of ‘Islam in Northern Nigeria’, is that “the Muslims of our North whom he saw in 1957 “form a very isolated community.” He wrote that “most of their isolation is VOLUNTARY and intentional” and that “they are generally afraid of being contaminated by modern ideas, and particularly by the non-Islamic South.”
Olagunju then added “I strongly believe they still prefer their isolation from “modern ideas” and from the South.
And we are still in the same country.
Shouldn’t we just restructure and redefine boundaries and contacts?”
Why then is Olagunju pulling his punches, conceding that he had deleted paragraphs that he had earlier written? Is he hoping and praying that a century old cultural problem would simply go away? Having been routinely pilloried and misunderstood is he suddenly afraid to be misunderstood? We surrender to northern wiles and idiosyncrasies only to claim that we have been held hostage.
Olagunju should have bitten the bullet and insisted on a renegotiation of the non-consensual polity that grieves him so. The north has been against ANY TALKING, any discussion whatsoever. The reason is simple. Their fear of contamination of 80 to 120years ago, which is understandable, has been replaced by the realpolitik of southern subjugation and exploitation. We should be allowed to continue to live UNDISTURBED in a 17th Century Northern Nigeria while the free flow of unearned resources from our despised Southern neighbours is guaranteed.
That’s what.
For those who didn’t have a clear understanding from the past, the British spelt it out once again in 1966. Ask Gowon for the unpublished details of his discussions with Sir David Hunt.
Hence for an agitated Om’Odua like Lasisi Olagunju what is the worst insult that he can get for speaking the truth? He would be called IPOB. Mark you not an Igboho activist and follower in The Yoruba Nation Movement. That’s supposed to be civilized, despite the recent indecent rumblings since Tinubu took office. IPOB has to be the ultimate insult, being an Igbo thing.
Please Lasisi, take a stand. Insults will not break any of your bones.
Please talk to NINAS.
Oduche Azih,
Lagos.
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