[Opinion] Could Boko Haram possibly be right ? –By Segun Ayobolu

Make no mistake about it. I totally disagree with their methods. I
abhor their violence. I loathe the taking of innocent lives. I detest
their bestial, savage, barbaric killing of innocent school children.
But then, could there possibly be something right about Boko Haram's
claim that western education is sin? The majority of Nigeria's western
educated elite so much vindicate Boko Haram's position that the sect
certainly does not needthe current shedding of blood and wasting of
lives to make its point. In any case, what is sin? In my viewit is a
violation of God's laws such as lying, stealing, murder, adultery etc.
It is a breaching of moral codes. It is a negation of ethical
standards.
Most of Nigeria's western educated elite particularly in public office
exhibit thesevices on an industrial scale. They steal. They lie. They
cheat. Their wanton corruption has stunted a remarkably endowed
country's development resulting in the continuing avoidable deaths of
millionsof valuable lives. Yes, western education nurtures the
intellect. It liberates the mind. It has led to the astonishing
accomplishments of humanity in diverse spheresof endeavour. But it
does not necessarily endow the individual with the moral values
imperative for maintaining a decent, sane, humane and healthy society.
Most of Nigeria's western educated elite simply utilisetheir acquired
knowledge and skills to commit the most heinous sins against their
country and fellow country men and women. A good example are those
bankers whose venality and moral depravity resulted in the collapse of
several banks with severe, damaging implications for millions of
depositors and shareholders and with consequences that continueto
haunt the fragile Nigerianeconomy. But let us move toanother set of
Nigeria's western educated elite whose actions amply validate Boko
Haram's position that western education is sin.
The country has 36 governors. These eminent citizens represent the
creamof the country's western educated elite. Among themare medical
doctors, lawyers, soldiers, engineers,architects, academics and so on.
These respected citizenscame together and voluntarily formed an
association, the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF). 35 ofthese highly
enlightened citizens gathered in a room to elect their chairman. No
one was coerced there. We assume that they knew the meaning of
elections and the implications of democracy before participating in
the election.They voted. The votes were counted. The process was
electronically recorded. A winner emerged. He had 19 votes. His
opponent had 16 votes. Yet, the minority claims to be the majority.
Tothese eminent western educated Nigerians, 16 is greater than 19. The
loser not only parades himself as Chairman of the NGF, his faction has
opened a secretariat in Abuja! This is islying. This is cheating. This
isdeceit. This is a form of robbery. This is brazen fraud.This is
original sin. Boko Haram members must be having a good laugh. They are
surely vindicated. Western education, at least in this case, is
grievous sin.
But let us go to a more tragic scenario. In 2011, we trooped to the
polls and elected as President a man called Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. As
a child he had no shoes. We identified withhim. He went to the
redemption camp and publicly knelt down before the revered Pastor
Enoch Adeboye. We admired his humility. Many also voted for him
because he is the first Nigerian President to have a university
degree, a Ph. D for that matter. The Ph.D is the highest attainment in
western education. The holder is a Doctor of Philosophy. He is assumed
to be sound not only in knowledge but in character. He should be a
beacon of integrity. But what are we seeing? This Ph.D holder is
proving to be even more coarse, brutish and utterly disdainful of the
rule of law, constitutionalism and the values of democracy than his
rustic predecessor and benefactor who has now been publicly and
irreparably deconstructed by General Alabi Isama as a blundering,
cowardly and utterly incompetent General. But that is a matter for
another day.
This Ph.D holder, despite denials by his aides, is clearly the one
behind the crisis in the NGF. He openly expressed his opposition to
Governor Rotimi Amaechi's re-election as NGF Chairman.The presidency
actively sought to coerce and intimidate governors against re-electing
Amaechi.The election held. Amaechi won. The Ph.D holder lost face. As
an academic and supposed intellectual, would he accept the verdict?
Not on your life. He publicly recognised the loser as the winner. He
lent the weight of his prestigious office to falsehood. He encouraged
deceit. He embraced lies. I hope the respected Pastor Adeboye is
reading this in case somebody wants to play the kneeling game at the
redemption camp sometime in future!Somebody has suggested that
elementary arithmetic may not necessarily be a precondition for
obtaining a most distinguished Ph. D. I disagree. For, it is not
impossible that in the animal kingdom of Zoology, 16 is greater than
19. All hail!But then the tragedy got even messier.
This admirable product of western education has doneeverything to
undermine the legitimate government of Rotimi Amaechi in Rivers State.
He has divided the PDP in the state. He has caused mayhem in the state
House of Assembly. He sanctioned, again according to the mysterious
arithmeticof Zoology, the attempted impeachment of the Speaker by 5
members of a 32-member House. He has looked on indifferently as the
Rivers State Commissioner of Police, MbuJohn Mbu, continues to
jeopardise the security of the state and compromise the personal
safety of the Governor. To make matters worse, this Ph. D holder has
allowed another Ph. D holder, Dr. Reuben Abati, to brazenly lie that
the presidency has no hand in the Abuja instigated descentto anarchy
in Rivers State. Luckily, the most amiable and adorable First Lady and
co-President of Nigeria, Dame Patience Jonathan, has exposed the
highly cerebral Dr.Abati's lies.
She told a group of 16 Bishops from the South-South who visited her on
Wednesday of her grouse with Governor Rotimi Amaechi. We now know
whythere is such a desperate attempt by Abuja to pull down Amaechi at
all costs even if it means destabilizing the country and endangering
our democracy. I once describedthe Jonathan Presidency as adistracted
one obsessed with his ambition for a second term in 2015. Many ofmy
readers from the Niger Delta were unhappy with me. But the unfolding
scenario in Rivers State proves this beyond doubt. For, Amaechi's only
crime is that he is suspected to have higher political aspirations in
2015 that may jeopardise Jonathan's political interests.
Let us, therefore, apologise to Boko Haram. They have a point. In many
ways westerneducation is a grievous sin ifa Ph.D holder can
perpetrate, directly and indirectly, the kind of atrocities being
witnessed in Rivers state. Is the Boko Haram leader, Imam Abubakar
Shekau, reading this? Or can anybody reach him? Please drop your guns.
Your point has been effectively made.