Femi Fani-Kayode: Seven days in Zamfara – A message to Northern, Southern leaders
Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle of Zamfara State. I was received in Zamfara with joy, love and kindness wherever I went. I was treated as if I was a son of the soil. The overwhelming majority of the people of Zamfara are warm, humble and kind-hearted and I urge every Nigerian to visit the state.
The following day, His Royal Majesty, Alhaji Muhammad Makwashe, the Emir of Shinkafi, and the Shinkafi Emirate Council conferred me with the ancient and historic title of Sadaukin Shinkafi, “Warrior/Hero” of the Shinkafi Emirate. I was deeply humbled by this great honor because I never expected it.
In order to make Nigeria a just, noble, civilised, humane and equitable society that regards every single Nigerian as being equal regardless of tribe or faith we must identify those on both sides of the north/south divide that are moderate, reasonable and rational, that believe in fairness, equity, justice and equality and that understand and appreciate the importance of peace, unity, mutual respect and...
They do not believe in hegemony, suppression, subjugation, tyranny or racial and religious domination and persecution and they see themselves as being Nigerians before being anything else. These are the type of people that those of us with like minds from the south can work with, join hands with and build a new Nigeria with. We have a duty to our respective people and an obligation to our God to do no less.
We must build bridges even though a few shallow, undiscerning, feeble-minded, misguided, naive, gullible, ignorant and politically-motivated individuals believe and see our quest as nothing but an exercise in futility and a total capitulation to tyranny and injustice. We must build bridges even though the extremists on both sides of the divide shall hate us and cast aspersions on the character of those of us that seek to do so.
On my 6th day in Zamfara, Matawalle and I went to Sokoto state to meet with our mutual friend and brother Governor Aminu Tambuwal where we spent the night. Again we had fruitful and productive discussions about how to move the country forward and I was once again received with nothing but love and understanding.
We must forgive one another for past hurts and slights and we must attempt to put our differences aside and recognise our common humanity. That ought to be the guiding principle and focus as from today and it shall certainly be mine. There is no gain saying that in all faiths, in all races and in all tribes we have both good and bad. Not one tribe or faith is free of evil men and not one is made up of solely demons or angels.
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