BROTHERHOOD

Brotherhood’s most perfect analogy is a broom. A single broomstick, one prepared from the shredded leaf of a palm tree as is commonly used here, can hardly be described as a broom but in a bunch, you get a most efficient broom. A broom is as people united, and therefore empowered to confront their challenges collectively. Each one supporting the other, to sweep out any filth in the land.

Brotherhood breeds togetherness; a group, a team, a battalion. Let us take the latter, the army. The mentality of troops is as simple as ‘we versus them’. Soldiers have each other’s back because their lives depend on it. They can only face the enemy as a united whole. All for one and one for all. Each soldier is ready to give his life for his colleague, as he knows that they would do the same for him. He is therefore not afraid, even when he is in the midst of battle. He is part of something that he believes in and each and every one of them is ready to die for. This is all because of inclusion, acceptance, love even happiness in the midst of battle.

It is for this reason that when a soldier leaves the scene of battle and is returned to normal civil society, it is difficult for him to reintegrate. It is difficult for him to feel special. He simply blends again into one amongst millions. That feeling of togetherness of brotherhood is lost. It is this that gives him strength and he would rather return to that great feeling, despite the violent situation of the battlefront.  

From an anthropological standpoint, individuals needed protection against wild animals, the elements and external aggression. So what did they do? They came together to form a tribe to collectively overcome common dangers; to allow them sleep comfortably at night.

A togetherness formed to unleash terror is as formidable as the one retained to forestall it.  This is why Boko Haram is a challenge to a fractured Nigerian Army. The group shows brotherhood, even mounting attacks on our army installations to release their captured brothers. They are more motivated and effective. Why? Because they possess a vital ingredient lacking among the rest of us – brotherhood, inclusion. In recent weeks, there have been reports of mutiny in the ranks of our army.  Boko Haram on the other hand appears impenetrable, yet you will agree that in numbers and resources, the Nigerian Army is far superior.

Where there is no cooperation and inclusion, we begin to fight each other. The more we fight each other the weaker we become and external forces capitalise on such cracks. Boko Haram is a manifestation of many things, but chief among them is our lack of brotherhood; we have lost our neighbourliness and are now picking up arms against one another. Terrorism might be the most devastating security challenge facing us today, but is it our only challenge? Kidnappers are seizing fellow Nigerians for ransom in the South; herdsmen and farmers are killing each other in the North Central and secessionists in the East are targeting public institutions for attacks.  Civil servants and politicians are lining their pockets. If you loved your neighbour enough to die for them, would this be happening?

We have made monsters of ourselves. Worse still, we are creating more monsters to fight our battles of failure. Now we have civilian JTF in crisis-prone areas; an army of uncoordinated, untrained, largely undisciplined and aggressive young men armed by the state to fight terrorists.  We concur with our silence! But let me give you a scenario, what happens to these soldiers of war once BH is defeated? Another militia group is born.  This is how Boko Haram emerged in the first place. Niger Delta militancy was also borne out of politicians arming unemployed youths for electoral gains. Will we not learn from history?

A people divided will never be able to tackle their problems successfully. Our leaders need to understand this simple principle and look to how to include all of us. Look to why we do not feel leadership from them. Look to why the average Nigerian is not ready to die for Nigeria.  There is no inclusion here, no brotherhood.

Last week Barack Obama was in Afghanistan. He was not afraid. He went there to thank the troops for the sacrifices they had made for their nation, to protect their interests! This is lacking here and is why the rest of the world feel sorry for us on the one hand and laugh at us on the other. Here our leaders fly everywhere else apart from the war zone. It is akin to a coach not attending a football match. They do not care. We need leaders. Please step up now.