Good evening my brothers and sisters.
Today is a sad day in our lives in Oyo State and the South-West in general. Many villagers in Igangan were killed last night in their homes.

The land that our great grandfathers fought for and paid a supreme price to protect is now being attacked by the unbelievers, criminals and their sponsors.

The dogs the owners failed to trained are now moving from one village to another killing innocent people. Most of their naive, educated illiterate and religious bigots are always pretended to be dead whenever their untrained dogs mowed down innocent people outside their tribes.

None of their online writers or the so-called intelligent bloggers condemned this satanic and barbaric act.

Their warped sense of nepotism and tribalism did not allow them to see anything bad in people being slaughtered in their house.
It is only when they were fed with the same violence which they think they have a monopoly of that will attract mass condemnation among them.

Yorubas are none violent tribe due to the level of their religion and exposure to western education. They are accommodating and it is easy to live among them. That’s why they are always at the receiving end of every violence.
But the way things are going in Nigeria, I think it’s high time for Yorubas to go back to the drawing board and reposition themselves.

He who fears to fight because he’s not sure of winning is not worthy to live. Note that the fight will still be brought to him when his fears are fully revealed to his enemies.

While we do not subscribe to war as a way to avoid further intimidation, we must not be afraid to defend our territory if invaders bring the fight. If we can’t gain grounds, we must not lose grounds.

The fact that a warrior does not want war doesn’t mean he should avoid one because he is afraid of death. He is battle-ready and will not surrender to invaders.

Each time I read a post that ignites fear as a means to avoid war, it hurts me because such posts fail to address the real issues.

Knowing history is not a strategy to win a battle. It is having knowledge that should either motivate action or dissuade one from taking cogent steps to resolve an issue. History is important but one that does not motivate the corresponding action to solve a dilemma is subtraction.

ISLAM’S STRATEGY

Islam has ONE strategy that has worked for them for centuries. When they want something, they employ the only language they believe their enemies shy away from that language is violence. If they negotiate with you, and they get it, their dream is to expand it. In the event of such expansion if they meet any opposition they re-negotiate. And if the negotiation won’t work and they feel threatened, they employ a threat strategy, and if not taken seriously they involve violence.

ISRAEL’S STRATEGY

Israel will be nowhere today if it relied solely on the belief in peaceful negotiation. Read history.
Israel has come of age to understand the strategy of Islam. Israel will rather gain grounds than shift grounds. And it is working. Islamic nations know that Israel understands that if it must get what it wants it will take a fight. It’s either a peaceful negotiation which common sensically is a first step to resolving issues. But if threatened not to live in peace Israel will bring the offensive to their enemies. Sometimes it takes a confrontation to shut threats and violence where negotiation won’t yield. And the enemies must see this in the eyes of those at the negotiating table.

NIGERIA’S NORTHERNERS STRATEGY

The Northerners are bold. They are willing to negotiate. 90% of the time they have won. Years later when the South notices the North desires to expand their grounds, they get angry. Then they oppose them, the north pulls back a bit only to restrategize. Today, the North has successfully installed its people. They want to expand as usual but the south says “NO”. Not on our land.

As usual, the North employs its best strategy which is a threat. The South through its leaders hurries to the negotiating table. The North wins. But the North never wants to stop expanding until it gets TOTAL CONTROL. The South says ” NO”. The North now does not want to use threat strategy anymore, but violence: killing, maiming, banditry, kidnapping, terrorism. They know the South was and is not ready for a fight because they aren’t trained to. They fear going to war. They always want to negotiate their way out of a fight. And 90% of the time such negotiations favours more those who are willing to take it by force……the North.

NIGERIA’S SOUTHERNERS STRATEGY

Negotiate. And most often, this negotiation is born out of fear and prejudice. Fear that if we refuse, we will go to war. If we go to war am not guaranteed to win. A mediocre way of viewing a situation. The northerners don’t consider that when they want to take (expand) lands or hold grounds.

All the South especially its leaders and elites do is speak grammar, tell the people how terrible war could be, why they should rather give in to a threat than go to war even if their lands and rights will be taken from them. The South of Nigeria is yet to come to terms that it takes a sacrifice to conquer a sacrifice. While you negotiate peacefully, keep your weapons by your side and let the enemy know you have it, and you are ready to use it if that is the language they will understand since that’s the kind they speak.

MY QUESTIONS

Who is winning?

Where were Southerners when Islam was training their boys and girls to be ready and willing to defend their causes?

To the Southern supervisors, religious administrators, business persons and many parents I say, we have failed in many ways. We have failed our faith, we have failed in understanding the mysteries of existence, we have failed our children.

Those who seek peace because they are afraid of war will end up becoming the very slaves to those who threaten their peace. This, my brother, is what becomes of people with mediocre mentality.

Until Americans stood up to Britain, independence was never in sight.
Until dark-skinned fellows stood up to the whites in America, freedom from slavery was never in sight. Until David stood up to the giant Goliath in the presence of his fearful brothers who were militarily and academically qualified, victory was not in sight. Until Israel began to confront Islamic nations that brought threats and war with the same language they understood, expansion was not in view.

Our brethren in the South who are being killed because they wanted freedom did nothing wrong. And those who are asking for a referendum, secession, restructuring, etc are asking. If for asking they are being oppressed and ordered to be intimidated and killed by the military and other security agencies, as well as being attacked by bandits and terrorists, I will never blame them for fighting back. They are the brave hearts who refuse to fail their people.

Aare Wole Arisekola writes from Ibadan