THE COLLAPSE OF PAX AREWA

 

Africa must choose a type of governance, that would enhance its potential and the freedoms of its citizens WITHIN its laws. It doesn't need to copy the West.

Africa is blessed, but unfortunately, the forced amalgamation of many societies into a unit without a singular history or pace of development has only increased ethnic mistrust.

Often, elders have misinterpreted history to support their causes. This too hasn't helped with the collective national cause.

Western concepts of democracy cannot work in multi-ethic or Multi-tribal societies like ours. Regional system, actually assisted in focusing on a collective destiny of people with similar history. A region like the North was able to grant and be a united voice for 240 tribes, but the fragmentation of the regions into smaller units (States), has only created divisions, as every group desires a state. The rise of militant interpretations of religions has not helped either.

Christian Pentecostal religion largely came from the South to the North, and they were representations of Western-style evangelicals that eroded the Northern culture that was hitherto the responsibility of Orthodox Christianity that had adapted the language and customs of the North into their worship style, without changing the message of Christianity. 

Slowly over time, the Christian youth became more and more drawn towards these southern church branches for whatever reason, but ultimately imbibing these concepts that were detrimental to the North and its culture.

On the other side, the growing spate of blatant rise and loudness of this interpretation of Christianity started to be seen as an irritant and even a threat to Islam, as did the leadership disconnect and poverty in the North.

Reactionary groups feeding on the doctrines of local religious leaders who exploited and echoed the exaggerated threat of such enemies were also creating militancy in Islam. People like Ahmed Deedat, who while trying to protect his religion often went overboard in his zeal to protect his own. His literature (though South African) was vastly distributed all over and became a rallying point for zealots. The youth on both sides of the religious divide started becoming polarized and society started becoming segregated. The days of Christians joining the Muslims to celebrate Eid and Muslims doing the same for Christian festivals started becoming history. Groups such as Maitasine and Bokko Haram had a field day, building up on people's insecurity.

The vacuum in governance and insecurity also didn't help matters. All these culminated into an ugly quagmire for the quest for resources and the killings thus, were seen only from a religious and ethnic point of view, further fragmenting an already fragmented ethno-religious tapestry of the North.

All these culminated in the 2023 General Elections whereby a Monolithic North thus divided, voted along religious lines rather than on the lines of capacity, thereby shooting itself in the foot.

The largest region that makes up Nigeria, caved in on itself. The hydra heads of religion, politics, bad leadership, and poverty brought the North to a standstill. The Northern peace (Pax Arewa) that had made the North the most peaceful region in Nigeria for decades, collapsed.