I'm posting here an
interview by one character called Prof Labdo with a view to generating
discourse and clarifying our position on ethnic nationalism/jingoism.
http://punchng.com/why-we-are-destined-to-lead-nigeria-for-long-prof-labdo/amp/
On another platform, i had reacted as follows to the Prof Labdo interview.
By
publishing the interview with Prof Labdo, i do not know whether Punch's
discretion is service or disservice to society. For one, the
publication has helped to expose the perverse mind of the so called
intellectuals behind the dehumanized and demented armed Fulani
gangsteric herdsmen. This is to distinguish the historically peaceful,
friendly and orderly Fulani herdsmen from the armed murderous Fulani
gangsters who operate under the guise of being herdsmen. On the other
hand, giving space for the expression of such ethnocentric ideas of Prof
Labdo may hardly be a healthy diet for building and sustaining
desirable harmonious social order in a multi ethnic plural society like
Nigeria. Furthermore, Engaging people like "Prof." Labdo also has a way
of undeservingly dignifying him. So, I'm really not sure whether a
newspaper like Saturday Punch should not have exercised discretion not
to give vent to destructive and backward ideas of Prof Labdo and
company.
However,
at the backdrop of Public statements by the Defence Minister and the
IGP who reportedly maintain that the anti grazing law is the cause of
the Benue killings, one cannot but be disturbed that Fulani
ethnocentrism perhaps enjoys official state backing. How can anyone
justify genocide on the basis of the perception that a law has a sudden
consequence of changing the lifestyle of a people? Assuming, without
necessarily conceding that the anti grazing law has the negative import
of changing the lifestyle of a people, does the solution lie in shedding
blood?
Prof
Labdo's interview is heavily based on the claim of superiority of the
Fulani ethnic group over other ethnic groups. As Prof Oduleye aptly puts
it on another platform, racial supremacy has no validity in biology or
history.
Indeed, Prof Labdo displays a heavy dosage of Messianic claim to the leadership of Nigeria by the Fulani.
Prof
Labdo goes further to argue that Benue State belongs to the Fulani by
conquest. What this claim suggests is that the bloodletting is part of
another conquest struggle for the Fulani to reclaim the land of their
forefathers.
In
answering a question as to why Fulani herdsmen have a sense of
entitlement to land wherever they go, Prof Labdo said, among others,
"So, what we are saying is that we are all settlers. So, if you want to
call us settlers, call yourself settlers first before you call us
settlers". Prof Labdo's response here sets out to justify laying claim
of entitlement to the land where Fulani herdsmen may settle in the
course of nomadic business, on the perception that even those they met
there are also settlers. This tends to lend credence to the suggestion
that the proposed cattle colonies are precursors to future conquest
battles to be waged.
Our
"Prof" also claims that Fulanis "are destined to continue to lead"
Nigeria. According to Labdo, "We are the ones who brought literacy here
as we have manuscripts, hundreds of them, which were written between,
300 and 500 years ago today, when no other tribe knew how to write. And
that is why the lot fell on our people to lead in this country and we
are still leading the people. We are destined to continue leading
people; but i know, if people read this, they will say he is a
supremacist or something like that, no! It is not like that. This is a
burden and we pay for it. Sardauna was killed because he was a ruler. If
he had not been a ruler, why would he have been killed? Murtala
Mohammed (a former military head of state) was also killed. Why? It was
because he was a ruler. So, it is a burden. It is not something we are
we are proud of ; it is a burden but we have to shoulder the burden
because we are the ones who are qualified for it... "
The
perverse ideas displayed in Prof Labdo's interview could in fact be
used to justify killing to realize or sustain the destiny of being "born
to rule" since it is for the overall good of the larger society, even
though the rest of the society may appear not to appreciate the benefits
derived from being ruled by the superior ethnic group.
The
bottom line of the phenomenon represented by Prof Labdo and company is
that the conventional comprador Ruling elite can no longer take society
forward. Unless popular forces are able to form formidable forces to
reorganize society on an equitable basis, predicated on pro people
governance philosophy in which the wealth of society is used for
satisfying the basic needs of ordinary people rather than the greed of a
few, the current Ruling class may inevitably plunge Nigeria into an
avoidable competitive ethnic cleansing bloodbath, out of the desire to
hold on to power at all costs, predicated on promoting primordial
differences, sowing ethnic and religious discord, hatred and
suspicion.
Prof
Labdo is a good example of someone who eminently deserves to bear the
full burden of due legal consequences for unacceptable hate statements
based on Fulani ethnocentrism.
In
the final analysis, let us appreciate that Prof Labdo speaks for the
Fulani Ruling elite and not for the Fulani Talakawa whose interests are
the same with those of the poor Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa ordinary people as
well as the poor of all other ethnic groups who must unite across the
Niger to shake off the yoke of the Ruling elite of all ethnic groups.
Another world of peace, unity and comfort for the masses of all ethnic groups is possible!
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