Nigeria Day: Celebrating diversity, heritage
The Nigeria-state is underpinned by diversity in ethnicity, religion, and language, an uncommon heritage that Nigerians all-over the world pride themselves on. The celebration of this diversity is what has been tagged “Nigeria day” celebration. The ‘Nigeria day’ celebration is an annual ritual that brings together the Nigerian student community in Grahamstown, in an atmosphere of social harmony. The 2013 edition of ‘Nigeria Day’ held at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa provided an opportunity to celebrate Nigeria diversity-in-Unity and its rich cultural heritage.
Professor Wilson Akpan, Dr. Chris Ekiyor, Orla Quinlan, flanked by Nigerian Postgraduate students.
For the 2013 edition, it was spectacular and memorable in every sense of it. First, it was funded by the Rhodes University International Office and witnessed guest from within and outside South Africa. This year’s event is special in the sense that the Nigerian community was sending off six doctoral candidates and three MA students-a no mean feat for Nigeria.
Though, the 2013 editions of Nigeria Day was cultural in approach, it was spiced with intellectual discourse on terrorism and militancy in Nigeria.
For the cultural heritage, Nigerians from diverse ethnicity (Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, Isoko, and Edo) adorned traditional attires that depicted their cultural leanings while Nigerian delicacies complemented the cultural milieu. The juke box supplied Nigerian musical flavours and reinvigorated the atmosphere with rhythms that suited the occasion. Also, there were cultural dance displays from the Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo ethnic groupings, to the admiration of friends of Nigeria. On hand was the Rhodes University International office, led by Ms. Orla Quinlan, its director. In her brief speech at the event, Orla expressed her solidarity with the Nigerian student community at Rhodes University and moved on to have a taste of local Nigerian delicacies on offer. She left no one in doubt that her business is to internationalise Rhodes University and make it the first choice for international students.
Though, the 2013 edition of “Nigeria day’ was meant to celebrate Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage and graduating postgraduate students, it provided an atmosphere to deliberate the future of Nigeria, in the face of the continued Boko Haram onslaught. A talk-shop on the thematic topic, Militancy to Terrorism-Whither Nigeria, was well discussed by a panel of two respectable Nigerians comprising Professor Wilson Akpan and Dr. Chris Ekiyor.
Professor Wilson Akpan, who also doubled as chairman of the occasion, is the immediate past President of the South African Sociological Association and currently the Deputy Dean (Research and Internationalisation) of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Fort. For his part, Ekiyor was former president of Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) and transition committee chairman of Patani Local government Council in Delta state, Niger Delta region of Nigeria.
In his presentation, Akpan said only a few things can be regarded as a constant about terrorism: “One of this obviously is the “systematic” deployment violence. The other is the anticipated end result: the social order as we know it crumbles through a massive build-up of fear. Yes, it’s called the “Sociology of Fear.”
“Whoever is in the business of “systematically” creating public fear – with a view to crumbling the social order – would obviously be interested in the public profile of targets,” Akpan said
He emphasised that any group that openly calls on its members to reject both (western) education and the people that embrace it, as well as demand total retreat to religious fundamentalism (whether Islamic or Christian) is a group to be watched very closely.
Akpan however, emphasised that the mentality of Nigerians to deify social statuses has resulted in the failure of civic probity on terrorism
“Put simply, many of these “suicide attacks” occurred because so-called “visitors” in SUVs somehow drove through – they did not ram through – the well-manned security gates of the target organisations.”
Akpan said claims by the Nigerian military that its anti-terror campaign has been successful, is not only misleading but diversionary. He argues that while the military regards its anti-terror campaign as a success because it has been able to restrict terrorist activities to the north east, it does not help the profile of Nigeria as Africa’s demographic giant.
Akpan based his position on the fact that Nigeria’s “unique sales point in Africa is its population size, and investors want to see the totality of that ‘market’ as being available and accessible.
“Once the impression takes hold that some parts of the country are ‘terrorist-controlled’, we lose our profile as Africa’s true demographic giant – a huge loss indeed,” Akpan said.
“In the end, however, this much must be said: the expertise of our intelligence and security establishment, our power of anticipation (as a state and as a people), and our moral muscle as Nigerians have failed us. We have not managed to keep safe in the face of clear threats from people who seem determined to tear down the down the social order.”
For his part, Ekiyor, said terrorism and militancy are products of corruption in the social structure of Nigeria.
“The summary of this discourse is that economic, marginalization, frustration and desperation experienced by the greater population of Nigerians is the underlying cause of terrorism and militancy in contemporary Nigeria,” Ekiyor said.
However, he emphasised there is a world of difference between terrorism and militancy. Ekiyor said while militancy is a combative approach to the pursuit of a cause, terrorism is “unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government in furtherance of political or social objectives. – By Emeka Umejei
