“Therefore, as honest as the call for national healing might be, it is more or less a situation of putting the cart before the horse. Scientifically, before healing is administered to an injured person, it is important to know what indeed is the nature of the injury and how it came about. This information helps to determine what healing elements are to be applied to lastingly and effectively cure the injury, and to ensure that another episode of it does not crop up in the nearest or fartherest future. It is literally a keg of gunpowder when the aforementioned details are not pointedly excavated but rather a superficial treatment is rushed, and the victim is inconsiderably told to move on with the root causes of the injury left to fester.”
The 2023 elections might have come and gone, but did leave searing vestiges that have seen a sizeable proportion of Nigerians hurting from the manner at which the elections were conducted. This is manifest in the ethnic slurs, personal aspersions and political vitriols that have painted every nook and cranny of the nation red, and still painting.
Amid this have been impassioned calls for national healing riding on an harmless motive to plunge the country forward, rather than being coiled in the past. The calls have plausibly been made by those whom the elections did favour, while those hurting on the back of losses, feel hard done by, and have vowed to not accept the election outcome, until it can be ascertained that they did lose fairly.
The dispute of the veracity of the election outcome and the ‘rectitude’ of the means that achieved the end has seen inexorably a toxic back and forth between not just political gladiators but Nigerians who demand justice and fairness from their leaders in their own land.
Therefore, as honest as the call for national healing might be, it is more or less a situation of putting the cart before the horse. Scientifically, before healing is administered to an injured person, it is important to know what indeed is the nature of the injury and how it came about. This information helps to determine what healing elements are to be applied to lastingly and effectively cure the injury, and to ensure that another episode of it does not crop up in the nearest or fartherest future. It is literally a keg of gunpowder when the aforementioned details are not pointedly excavated but rather a superficial treatment is rushed, and the victim is inconsiderably told to move on with the root causes of the injury left to fester.
This is the conundrum we have found ourselves, and for the sake of posterity, it is a process that must be thoughtfully and substantially transitioned. As a matter of fact, this hurt, coming from the political, religious and ethnic facet, has been decades-long, which fortunately got let out by the elections, and it now behooves on us to quit scratching it surface, but rather face it headlong for the perpetuity of the unity of Nigeria and the protection and promotion of our democracy.
We need to face the truth – the brutal truths. This is the only way true healing can happen.
Politically, our leaders must come to ensure that the irregularities the elections recorded are acknowledged, and studied to the level it affected the 2023 elections. And to this end, they must ensure that justice is done, and not just ignored to favour a few. Ethnically, national orientation needs to be majorly invested in to marry all tribes in the country, and see to it that tribal sentiments are replaced with national attitude. Religiously, people must come to respect and tolerate choices of faith, and stop the hate or discrimination of people on the basis of religion.
Again, the first step to healing is coming to face the truth. It is only when the truth has been identified, admitted and treated, can the society concentrate on full-fledged healing.
John 8:32: And you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.
Professor Ofonime Emmanuel Bassey is a Security, Peace and Conflict Resolution coach with decades of experience in the practice and promotion of Law Enforcement, Peace and Security through the Nigeria Police and the United Nations.
He is a professor in Leadership, Peace and Conflict Resolution, a certified United Nation’s Trainer, and currently the Director of ICOF Institute of Leadership, Peace and Conflict Resolution in Africa.
Prof. Bassey has served and interacted at the top-level management of the Nigeria Police as well as internationally as a United Nation’s Monitor/Mentor in Kosovo, Europe.
With his marks well-established in Peace Leadership both in Nigeria and Africa, he is currently the President, NISSI Safety Management Institute: An Institute of Peace Leadership.
To his many humanitarian acts, he currently spearheads a campaign tagged “The Next Peace Leaders” billed to run from 2022-2023 with a target of training 37,000 young peace leaders.
For peace and security tips, consultations and trainings, reach him via:
Facebook: Dr. O.E Bassey
LinkedIn: Dr. O.E Bassey
Twitter: Dr. O.E Bassey
WhatsApp: +2347065828892
Mail: EmmanuelBassey@gmail.com
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