RELIGION AND NATIONAL SECURITY IN NIGERIA

RELIGION AND NATIONAL SECURITY IN NIGERIA

Religion is an elusive concept that is difficult to convey its exactly meaning. This explains why scholars have agreed to disagree on the meaning of religion.

“Adeniyi defines religion as a body of truth, laws and a rite by which man is subordinated to the transcended being.

    Religion is of value to man, that is why he practices it. However, the understanding of the ultimate reality and the expression of the ultimate reality through rites, symbols and rituals varying from culture, religion to religion. It is this different understandings and expressions that ignite conflicts, especially when another understanding or tradition is undermined or under threat. This therefore accounts for the unending conflicts that are associated religion.

Another reason why religion is associated with particular conflicts is its manipulation by the political class and the elites in general. Religion has been used in Nigeria to achieve mundane interests, thereby forcing it into conflict.

However, from either of the reasons or both religions has become a source of conflicts in Nigeria to the extent the country could be described as “hot bed of religions conflicts”, religion “Armageddon”, “a pond of religions blood bath”. In this article, religion is understood as acknowledgement of the supreme deity and his worship in a manner that the worshippers constitute a family that seeks undue advantage in national life politics inclusive.

    National security first as many other terms do not have universally agreed meaning. “ujomu” points to the reason responsible for this.  According to him, national security has been construed in different ways each of which emphasizes vital factor factors underlying the ideal. However it should be noted that each of the conception, highlights just one aspect of what actually is a more embracing idea of the term.

    “Brain” holds that the concern for national security is undoubtedly as old as the nation-state itself. “ujomu” posits that in the quest for nation-sate, the central feature in the quest for national security is concern for the survival, peace and progress of individuals, groups and society as a whole.

        In the time past, national security was considered a military term “strict-sensor” however, franzblau” says national security concerns have expanded from the traditional focus on military threats to bordered and governments to include non-military sources of insecurity.

                FACTORSNINFLUENCING CONFLICT:

        Political factors: perhaps the most incidents of conflict influencing factors is the role of political operators who invoke religions mobilization to gain political relevance. Indeed most of the religions conflicts can be traced to this cause. Unless something is done to check this anti-social practice, the Nigeria agenda may end up in failure  as the category of evil men will stop at nothing until they have achieve their notorious aim.

        Economic factors: diverse claims over ownership and use of land, water and other resources and other tangible interest will continue to provoke conflicts between community and religious group.

        Social factor: as we have seem disagreement over cultural, virtual and social practices may provoke violent conflicts,  also relevant are chieftaincy matters; on this aspect, permit me to therefore appreciate the chairman of the Tiv traditional council prof. James Ayatse (tor Tiv the fifth), he makes a lot of attempts to handle this issue amicably.

        Defective legal frame work: a multi-ethic and multi-religious country like Nigeria should have permitted religious advancement as a political manifest to contest election as we have sadly witnessed in the country. It is a signal error that Nigeria citizenship I not inclusive. A citizen who is not an indigene for this state of abode is left out in the code in terms of political benefits and favors. We need to involve a credible criterion for membership of the state or local government.

        Failure of leadership: Nigeria has so far not produced a charismatic leader with ability to galvanize together the various ethnic and religion groups. No leader has demonstrated outstanding ability to lead and the capacity to inspire confidence.

        Failure on the part of government: insecurity on the part of government. Reports of panels set up to investigate various wrong doings continue to gather dust while government looks the other way. Failure of government to effectively check corrupt practices on the part of officials and ensure equitable distribution of wealth of the nation can only produce disruptive and neglect or failure to mobilize the civil society towards archiving religious harmony as a political program is undoubtedly unhelpful.  

Conclusion; religion must not be manipulated for personal gains. There is also the need for dialogue with all insurgent and protest groups in Nigeria. We cannot run away from the fact that these ignorant and greedy politicians who are hell bent on making the nation to death at all cost, these thugs who are ready to sacrifice their lives and thus throw families and nation into disgrace are our brothers, sisters, relatives and friends. In view of these, I beg every one (of you) go back to his/her home, to his/her brothers, sisters, friends who are bent on working this nation and be Gods spokesman to them.

                Cited works:

§  “Brown, Lester”, an untraditional review of national security”, in American defense policy’s “john akopkins” university press (1987)

§  More knowledge/ clearance from prof. S.D. shishima (department of religion and philosophy, Benue state university makurdi) E-mail: shishima4@gmail.com. (August, 2018).

§  Franzblau,” u.s immigration and foreign policy” research paper in u.s. commission on immigration reform (October, 1997).

 By Asen Sesugh Collins Colobrown.

(editor- in- chief of the press mirror)