Strength of Diversity

Social disharmony and distrust breeds conflict and crisis in societies. National cohesion as a vital process ensures that diverse entities that make up a society are brought into a unifying mix. This helps to blur the lines that polarise people, create distrust, and amplify the ones that act as unifying factor. This does not imply that groups should discard their distinct characteristics, rather it should be employed as a unifying force.  As it is said, there is unity in diversity, and variety as the spice of life.

Certain issues in Nigeria continue to undermine a desirous national cohesion required to bridge the yawning gap of nationwide ethnoreligious altercations and hatred. While such prevalence has impeded political and economic development in the country, efforts to curb it has also been met with similar unhealthy ethnoreligious interpretations. Controversies around the suspended ‘Ruga’ settlement plan of the federal government is a worthy case study. Ranches Over Colonies emphasizes the consultation and involvement of relevant stakeholders in the process. The idea is that, for policies to see the light of the day, it must involve a people-led approach that will ensure that such policies enjoy the support and buy-in of the people directly affected.

Sadly, with the widespread backlash against Ruga policy, its suggestive that, there was no stakeholders’ involvement and consultation before mapping out the policy. As a result, it fanned the embers of ethnoreligious suspicions as the policy has been analysed by some as a purported domination of one tribe over the other. Yesterday, the Northern Elders Forum called on Fulani herders in the Southern region of the country to return to the North, if they feel insecure in the region. The forum also gave governors an ultimatum to reconsider the Ruga initiative, arguing on the grounds of freedom of movement for people across the country. Earlier, the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNGs) has threatened to evict southerners from North in reaction to the perceived attacks on Fulanis operating in the southern region of the country.

It is crystal clear that there is a brewing of ethnic tension in the country capable of engendering violent conflicts. Government as a matter of national unity and cohesion should ensure wider consultation in mapping out policies on sensitive issues. Perceived exclusion from governance and social distribution are causative factors of conflicts. As one of the processes for ensuring national cohesion in Kenya, the National Cohesion and Integration Commission emphasizes structures and systems that provide platforms for reporting cohesion-threatening factors. In Hungary, national cohesion is an important issue.  The Hungarian parliament approved a proposal to declare 2020 a year of national cohesion to mark the 100th anniversary of Hungary’s efforts to strengthen cohesion in Hungarian communities.

After the suspension of Ruga by the federal government, it is a no brainer that it will come up with another plan to mitigate the spate of farmers-herders conflict. With national cohesion and sensitivity of the issues around the conflict in mind, proper stakeholders’ engagement should be carried out nationwide to ensure that policy initiatives have the backings of all Nigerians. Government should draw strength rather than weakness from the diversity of its people by accommodating interests that cuts across ethnoreligious lines.