A ku ku joye In Governance And Attributes Of Jihad, The Holy War
By Taiye Olaniyi
No matter how grandiose the position of rulership and power therein, the moment such is devoid of true leadership, then, Yoruba admonishes: A ku ku joye, meaning, "Better not to be in a position of power than hold the mantle of power yet lacks full control of one's domain."
Rulership without wisdom and knowledge makes the office holder a mere ruler without the traits of leadership.
This scenario Fela Anikulapo Kuti aptly refers to as,
"No wonder rere dey run or in English fashion "everything scatter, scatter."
Nigeria’s security situation is alarming. On the road, water, and air, in urban and rural areas, with the traditional rulers, and down the alleys and ghettos of the poor, insecurities to lives and properties have become a common decimal.
Banditry, kidnapping and terrorism have been so heightened, regionalized, tribalized and even religionized in content and context in Nigeria of today.
To one's dismay, the religious attributes in all the aforementioned, still a number of the unenlightened Nigerians daily proclaim their favour for waging jihad as the only way out. Jihad by whom, for whom and against whom? That's the nagging question.
A true jihad is a necessity for everyone if taken from the perspective of true spirituality and purity of mind and purpose but in Nigeria, everything good goes otherwise and is opposite of the ideal tenets and dictates of one's association with the one and only God.
Even a spark of any kind of epidemic threatens a titanic holocaust, or what do we and can we say of Lassa fever already killing even medical personnel and the coronavirus that was once a global menace to the world health order?
Medical facilities in present-day Nigeria are in shambles, the personnel are stressed up, and those who have and are giving their intellect, time, energy and wherewithal now feel their hard jobs seem unrewarding in Nigeria. They daily regret ever doing so much as they have nothing to show for such virtuous ideals whereas the politicians cast and cruise home with undesired and filthy largess of office or junket in medical tourism and probably indulge in money and organ laundering to boot.
The young elements of Nigerian extraction face incarceration of all sorts under the auspices of federal character syndrome, tribal and religious differences and to all intents and purposes, traits of patriotism are lost in all ramifications.
Drug addiction by Nigerian youths and personalisation of positions of authority are sure aberrations to what in organizational paradigm could be likened to a broken systemic structure.
Governance, in an ideal society and nation, is though a very difficult terrain for whoever is in the position of rulership, it however should go beyond personification and personalization by whatever individuals concerned as we have in Nigeria today.
Government and governance should be anchored on the collective destiny of the people, the governing class, the legitimacy behind it and the fate, fortunes and misfortunes of those being governed.
Today Nigerians feel unsecured as things are, and citizens die daily massively more than they hope to live.
This is so disheartening that our hearts as citizens have been shattered by the growing insecurity in the land.
As things stand, Chinua Achebe's viewpoint is apposite:
"Things fall apart and the centre cannot hold."
Further to this, Achebe submitted thus:
" The falcon no longer hears or listens to the voice of the falconer." Who will salvage Nigeria in the true spirit of patriotism against unhealthy prejudices of Afenifere, Ndigbo and the Arewa Northern flocks already in vogue?
Do we truly need a jihad too in the governance of the nation?
Similarly, do we need to embark on the true tenets of a "Holy War," the "Jihad"?
Emptiness is always the end point of wars for in the majority of them, all is lost and nothing is gained.
The only battle ever fought and most rewarding is a jihad, that "Holy War" that delves into the innermost part of being where no earthly dagger is drawn but only "Sword Of the Spirit." At this point, the mundane lower self submits to the most refined and pure innermost part of the self.
The most pristine sanctuary of self is the" Holy of Holies" within the portal of self.
To fight this "Holy war" then, you embrace "Peace" as a path to personal mastership, self-mastery and true jihad. I suspect that if we all individually and collectively send our consciousness inwards to find our God of understanding revealed, we surely would be able to glorify God Almighty rather than engage in the unending security challenges, skirmishes of war and general political and economic despondency in which we daily engulf the Nigerian nation.
The prayer is, God, please bless Nigeria.
God Bless Nigeria.
Taiye Olaniyi is a retired Postman