The reality today is that the Nigerian state is severely deformed and badly positioned to act as an agent of sustainable development.
The major source of the disability of the Nigerian state is the unending killings and insecurity in the country.
I wish the Fulani herdsmen killings have not come to complicate the already grave situation created by Boko Haram and other ethno-religious crises in the country.
Brilliant analyses have started to emerge, linking the killings in several parts of the country to settlements where innocent looking peasants are actually the havoc-wrecking vampires.
This is really scary because we have these settlements in all parts of the country. The fear now is that as trailers and tankers move goods from one part of the country to another, they may in fact be used to smuggle arms used for these killings.
I read and appreciate the apprehension of some kingpins supplying arms used in killings in Benue, Plateau, and Taraba states. Kogi state has joined the fry of affected states in spite of the friendly disposition of Governor Yahya Bello.
I suggested community soldiering as a way of fighting the grave situation confronting us. The general assumption is that cattle rearing herdsmen who settle in the volatile areas are responsible for these attacks.
My fear is that all those involved in tomatoes, yams, onions, etc. cannot be ruled out as actual or potential accomplices in these killings.
I have noted earlier that Nigeria as it is now is actually an INSECURABLE country. Killings organized around primordial economic activities and religious extremism are so difficult to curb. Experience has shown that politics can play a role in either fueling or curbing these primordial economic related killings.
In Nigeria, politics has failed to curb the situation for a number of reasons:
1. The state has not really existed as independent of these primordial groups. Sentiments of state the managers affect the direction of state policies.
2. The Constitution and basic structure of the country is anti-development to the extent that it does not favor equity, justice and fairness.
There is a consensus that federalism is best situated for culturally diverse Nigeria. Yet we have lived with a unitary system more or less.
3. Politics has failed to embrace modernity as a national development philosophy. Just look at how we organize our economy in the rural and urban communities and the point will become clearer.
4. There is no evidence that politics is able or will be able to rain in these sources of killings as comprehensively and timely as the situation demands.
As an interim measure, all settlements with concentration of ethnic groups must be placed under surveillance. Leaders of these communities must begin to take responsibilities for these heinous crimes.
Sustainable development will remain elusive in Nigeria as long as several parts of the country are loosing production activities to violence.
