Thank you, Kayode!
From my own little experience interacting with everyone in Nigeria - Yorubas, Igbos, Hausas, Ibibios, Idomas, and Nigerians form all other ethnic groups - it appears to me that this so-called animosity and "tensions" between Nigeria's different ethnicities are far more intense on the internet and in the various on-line forums. For sure, there are national issues and challenges here and there, but these developmental challenges have been more than magnified in our various online forums. Actually, it does appear now that the most significant threat to Nigeria's unity and real progress are the activities of the so-called educated elites in different internet forums.
At some point, it would be very useful for everyone who loves Nigeria and Nigerians to sit back and evaluate how his/her utterances or internet posts contribute to advancing or jeopardizing the peace and progress of Nigeria. It is quite true that the freedom speech guarantees everyone the right to air his/her views, but I do also know that this freedom has some limitations. The kinds of posts that have dominated several internet forums during the past few weeks can only lead to one direction - crises. But anyone who has interacted recently with ordinary Nigerians will observe one thing: every Nigerian irrespective of tribe or religion wants peace and the opportunity to live a decent life. That is all!
Perhaps the various online groups could devote more efforts and similar passion in advancing ways to promote peace, improve governance institutions, and create the right environments for the average Nigerian to find employment and live a decent life. This can be done without resort to name calling.
It is almost certain that the Moderators of most of the internet forums had noble intentions in setting up and moderating these forums. Unfortunately, these otherwise good platforms are sadly descending to mediums of spreading hate and potentially causing disaffection and strife between friends and colleagues.
I would submit that more than at any other time in Nigeria's recent history, this is a time for peace-loving Nigerians/Africans to speak up and confront the very few elements amongst us who seem determined to drag the country and Africa backwards.
Ken
On Saturday, 1 July 2017, 13:04, Kayode J. Fakinlede <jfakinlede@gmail.com> wrote:
How the Chinese did it: They went overseas, got educated, went back home, and in spite of their differences, built China to the biggest economy in the world.
How the Indians did it: They went overseas, got educated, went back home and in spite of their differences, built India to the largest drug manufacturer in the world
How the Nigerians did it: They went overseas, got educated, went back to the internet and because of their differences, tore Nigeria down to the largest laughing stock in the world
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