The National Association of Seadogs is deeply saddened by the recent events that has once again brought our dear country untold grief and suffering. Specifically, the orgy of violence in the name of God in Kaduna and a few other northern States, which were replied in the eastern States of Abia and Imo, has left this association grieving.
We hold that what happened should not have, if the people we elected to represent us, to mirror our ideals and pursue our visions and goals had lived up to the mandate we gave them. The loss of over 400 lives and property running into several hundreds of million Naira is definitely too much a price to pay.
Please recall that on the 30th of October 1999, in my maiden press conference and subsequent press statement on the 3rd of February 2000, NAS underlined its position on this same issue, the sharia that has in the last one week, caused an implosion of the magnitude this country has not witnessed since the 1967-1970 civil war. In that press conference and press statement which were given wide coverage, NAS had warned:
The National Association of Seadogs which I must add, is made up of members with all kinds of religious (including Islamic) persuasions is convinced that the prime movers of the inordinate, headlong plunge down the Zamfara Sharia precipice have an agenda other than religious or social purity as their goal. We therefore call on President Obasanjo to view the move with all the seriousness it deserves. We see in it, a desperate move to split Nigeria.
We do not deny anybody or group of persons the right to association or religion, but we insist that the expression of such rights must fall within the ambits of the constitutional provisions of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. There is nowhere in that constitution that anybody or group is given any right to actions that negate or threaten the corporate existence of the Nigeriannation. Rather, there are ample provisions made for those who do not feel that the constitution as presently is adequately address their needs. They are allowed to sponsor democratic processes that will lead to amendments of the constitution to accommodate a particular need, whether it is Sharia or not. Until any such amendment is proposed and made to the constitution, we regard it as an inviolate body of laws by which the day-to-day relationship of individuals within this geographical space called Nigeria is administered without unfair regard to tribe, religion, social or political affiliations and whatever other circumstances.
I hasten to add that there were before, and there have been since, various tenors of warnings from several other stakeholders of our dear country. But our leaders will not take heed. All well meaning people must continue to add a voice to the Nigerian situation before it gets too late, the time is tickling away very fast and the bomb might just explode any minute. The peace we have now is peace of the graveyard; the hour has come, we must sit down to talk now and not postpone the evil day.
In that conference, NAS stressed the need for a constitutional conference to discuss the reality and future of Nigeria. Again, several other well-meaning individuals and bodies joined us in the call. But, rather surprisingly, one of the most enduring insults we have had to be subjected to in this quasi-democracy, is the wild statement credited to Senate President Chuba Okadigbo, that those calling for the national conference are talking rubbish.
One of the fall-outs of the sharia riots to my mind, must be that Nigerians will now begin to demand that apart from seeking the motives of their utterances and actions, the mental health of some of the people we call our leaders be subjected to close scrutiny. Perhaps then, we will better understand them.
The National Association of Seadogs expresses deep condolences to the families of all those who lost loved ones and property to the sharia conflagration. If only Obasanjo and Okadigbo had listened…
Signed:
Tim Amola Akpareva
NAS Capone
National Association of Seadogs (NAS)
3rd March 2000
