By BASHIR ADEFAKA
…plus anonymous advice to police authorities in Nigeria
…still asking: Ige, Afolabi: who killed the two?
In this edition of my column, I decided to adopt submissions from two sources which bother on the reawakened avoidable controversy on Arabic inscriptions on Nigerian currency. One, straightforwardly, by Ambrose Benald Gowong, which tells about his interesting experience of colonial Nigeria currency and the other being shared on the social media, which reasonably tells why Arabic is language and not religion.
Gowong said, “I came across this colonial Nigeria currency today. Interestingly it carries the Arabic value written on it just way we have in present day Nigeria currency. The question now is why do we dissipate time and energy over nothing? Are we saying the colonial masters then who were all Christians didn’t know this was a means of Islam using the country?” He asked.
The second titled, ‘Arabic is a Language not a Religion’, will also make sense to be adopted and I quote:
“The Hidden Secrets about Arabic that most religious leaders Wouldn’t Tell You…
“There are more Christians in Palestine than in Israel. Their vernacular is Arabic.
“There are more Israelis who are Muslims than those who are Christians.
“The population of Palestine is 12 million, 7 percent [approximately 840,000 of them] are Christians.
“In contrast, Israel population is 8.5million. Only 2 percent of Israelis, [approximately 171,000] are Christians while 17.5 percent of Israelis, [approximately 1.5m], are Muslims.
“The religious affiliation of the Israeli population as of 2019 was 74.2% Jewish, 17.8% Muslim, 2.0% Christian, and 1.6% Druze, with the remaining 4.4% including faiths such as Samaritanism and Baha’iism, and irreligious people with no faith.
“Now let me further break it down.
Most of the 840,000 Palestinian Christians speak Arabic as their vernacular. Most don’t speak or understand English.
“Their Holy Bible is written in Arabic language.
“In the Arabic Bible, God is called Allah. Which is how God is called in Arabic language. Same way the Yoruba Bible calls God “Olorun” and Igbos Call God Chineke
“If they want to say “God is great”, they also say”Allah Akbar.”
“If they want to say “Glory to God” they say”Alhamdulilahi.”
“Their preachers preach to them every Sunday in their churches in their vernacular, which is Arabic. Just like the Catholic Pope preaches in Latin. Sunday services in many parts of Egypt too are conducted in Arabic because that is their native language.
“Don’t let the fear mongers continue to spread fear and sow discord among us.
“Those saddled with the task of uniting us have become instruments of division. Arabic is not Islam and Islam is not Arabic. One is a language, the other is a religion.
“Arabic is a language like English, like French, like German, like Spanish, like Hindi, like Yoruba, Hausa and Ibo. It is not a religion.
“So if you like another man’s English language and claim to hate another man’s Arabic language because most Muslims speak Arabic, my friend, you are simply a slave of accidental civilization..”
Now back to my own comment, I must at this point earn that elements in Nigeria, who sees the media and freedom of expression as opportunity to heat up the polity with their religious conflict incitements so the nation will not know peace, should be aware that Nigeria is not owned by them alone and that everything within the permissible of law will be done to cut them to size. This is because, there are many peace loving Nigerians, Muslims and Christians, who are so much committed to the constitutionally indivisible Nigeria and who are, always and patriotically, working for its security, peace and development and, who also have the rights not to be disturbed by activities of these fellow citizens. They will go to any length, constitutionally, watch my word, ‘constitutionaly’, to tell these agents of discordance that ‘Enough is Enough!’
AN ANONYMOUS ADVICE TO POLICE AUTHORITIES IN NIGERIA
One of my very highly respected fathers and patriots, who believes in the ability of The DEFENDER and my person to speak and stand by the truth as well as protect the speaks to power, sent me an inbox about how Nigeria, as a federal system of government and urged that police recruitment must reflect the principles in promotions, deployment and others.
“Bashir, the Nigeria police have a northern dominated interests in the performance of their duties. They must change their temper and treat people with balanced amounts of respect and engagement. Our country is running a federal system of government and police recruitment must reflect this principles in promotions, deployment etc.” He said.
I stand with this observation and advise authorities in charge to find out if there has been ant such discrepancy and put things in order. Thank you.
REMINISCENCES: Question for the day, who killed Bola Ige, Sunday Afolabi?
From Left: Obasanjo and late Bola Ige.
Ige, Governor of Oyo state and Afolabi his Deputy had serious quarrel.
Afolabi was OBJ’s senior in School, Ige was a friend of OBJ. So OBJ called the duo for settlement.
This angered Adelakun, then UPN Leader and Commissioner in Oyo State, he reported to AWOLOWO.
AWOLOWO summoned Ige and Afolabi to a meeting. He asked them why two brothers would be fighting and took their matter to the Family’s Enemy.
….”This is a man who hates your father (AWO) and hates UPN but now pretending to love the sons of the man he hates.”
…..Ige was sweating profusely, he was embarrassed, he knew Awolowo was disappointed.
Ige and Afolabi begged AWOLOWO and baba relaxed…..
As Ige and Afolabi were going out, Awolowo called them back and said “Politically, I’m your leader, I love you both.
“If I use my mouth to cut kolanut for you, don’t eat it but if I use my mouth to talk to you, hear and harken diligently. I know this life more than you, be careful. Whether I’m alive or dead, stay away from Olusegun Obasanjo. He hates people like you. And if you desist or reject my advice, OBASANJO will kill two of you just like what a wolf will do to antelopes…”
The rest is history.
Later the two were ministers under Obj and died there.
Question for the day, who killed them?
#Askology
*WAKE UP is opinion article column of Bashir Adefaka, an Akure, Ondo State born media practitioner and digital media publisher based in Lagos. Reach him via his email: omope72@gmail.com
