The irony of terrorism

Who wants to be called a terrorist? Hey! Mind including that in your resume next time you’re looking for a job? Yet, everyday, at least in Nigeria we are confronted with news and aftermath of terrorist activities. I wonder what child wants to be called the offspring of Boko Haram. Oh! Well depending on his socialization and I dare add indoctrination.

Terrorism is an ill-smelling wind that blows no one any good. I don’t quite understand the logic behind use of violence to settle conflict. However, there are some people who do some nasty things that you just want to slap them around. We are a very diverse group of people, I mean this country group called Nigeria. We eat differently, pray in different ways and even urinate in different ways. I recall wondering as a child why some Hausa men squatted to urinate. Haba! Only women do that nah. But yeah. I had to live with that reality and never found out why that was the case.

Imagine me then in the university eating in a different way and somebody, unfortunately from the same tribe didn’t like how I ate. I asked what the problem was, but the busybody preferred not to reply. Till date, it was a lesson left unlearned, partly from the disappointment of the teacher and on my own part, I was too insulted to care. Anyway, whatever gossip that that would replace didn’t reach me. Some people would rather gossip than teach. Ehe! You know that sort of thing.

So, with terrorism, it’s I’m going to teach you a lesson rather than gossip. Ehe! But the two scenarios are bereft of mutual respect. When you would rather go all out to do something rather than teach, you are looking for trouble be it interpersonal, organizational, national or international. Eh! What is Putin all about in the news? Russia this, Boko Haram that. We are in the midst of trouble. At the end of the day, do we consider our job well do, when the death toll is high? This is evil. Teach with respect.