The Bumpy Road to Peace

While we feel relieved that the Jos blood baths have ceased, it would be illusory for the Plateau State government and security agents to go to sleep. The bumpy road to permanent peace looks more bumpy.  As your report indicate,  there is still mutual fear and distrust between christians and muslims.

The state of security described in the story as deceptive is irrefutable. The government should respond to the appeals calling on it to study the reports on various Plateau State communal crises, punish all those who aided and abetted the crisis and implement the recommendations for peace. The people need intensive orientation on harmonious coexistence with fellow brothers and sisters, religious and ethnic differences notwithstanding.

Stephen Asuquo Udoh,

Shomolu, Lagos State.

The Zoning Palaver

I refer to Dan Agbese’s article published in your July 4 edition. It is not only wise and timely but equally unassailable. Zoning, he said, is a pragmatic recognition of certain uncomfortable peculiarities of our country arising from the facts of our political history.  He went further to advance the argument that zoning is unconstitutional and ignores the simple fact that this country has a moral duty to adopt measures that attend to its peculiarities in order to build a stable polity’ I see Agbase’s position on this matter as transparent and unbiased, quite unlike many on the different sides of the divide whose positions are dictated not entirely by nationalistic feelings. Nigeria is fragile and hanging on delicate political balance. Those who insist on constitutionalism and the right of Mr. President to contest may be right but we are all witnesses to the fact that when constitutionalism hits the brick wall and leads to national “constipation” we seek for political solution. The off- shore/onshore impasse was a case in point. Again, since Nigerians are passionately clamouring for free and fair election in 2011, President Goodluck Jonathan should steer clear of the contest and at the end take credit for a job well done. He should defer his ambition to 2015.

E.I.Ndekwu,

Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

In a civilised democratic setting, the fear of the masses (electorate) is the beginning of political wisdom, but the reverse is the case in  Nigeria.

The inner circus of parties or the political godfathers decide who becomes what. Otherwise, I am yet to understand why PDP has begun to heat up the polity of a country gripped with a dwindling economic fortune.

Who told PDP members that the masses would vote for their party come 2011, when every top member of the party has corruption file kept and waiting to be dusted on a future date.

For goodness sake, this is time to play politics of service to the people and not politics of self-interest or preservation.

Ndubuisi Onyenandu,

Enugu State.

Leaders Without Conscience

Mike Akpan’s “Leaders Without Conscience” touched me deeply. I totally agree with him. Why should Nigerian leaders continue to dig the nation’s grave and bury it? Nothing less than mass revolution against the leaders can save Nigeria.

Jonas Egem

Owerri, Imo State.