Charting a common and beneficial environment of brotherhood is a task that must be initiated and sustained to keep Nigeria united and prosperous. 'Franklin D. RooseveltThe idea to inaugurate the Northern States Committee on Reconciliation, Healing and Security [NSCRHS] by the Northern States Governors' Forum [NSGF] is to combat the monster tearing apart the very core of the region socially, politically and economically. The region, with meagre allocation of revenue from the centre is suffering as security challenges is also frustrating commercial activities, exposing the people to stark realities of economic despondency. The continuous salvos of destruction in the North will in no distant time take the people back to the stone age- but the NSGF, after due consultation, is set to plunge deep to resolve the challenges in the region.Security is a cardinal value in human existence that helps in giving other aspects of human social, political and economic activities the strength to function properly. The wave of insecurity in northern Nigeria is a gory but imperial example of what the definition of insecurity is when national security is under threat. The only way forward is to revert to Roosevelt's prescription by finding ways for mutual understanding, anchored on trust so that Nigeria can start all over again in peace and harmony. It is therefore important to Look at the major grains in the orgy of killings in northern Nigeria, taking into cognisance basic factors like; leadership failure, corruption and mass looting of national treasury, marginalisation and regional rivalry, political groupings and escalating rivalry among elite. All these factors have sadly dominated the way Nigeria operates for decades, and like an age- long ailment, the problem has turned for the worse. We must examine all these elements, weighing them critically to evolve understanding and cooperation towards stitching back a shredded unity and peaceful coexistence.While we are fashioning out ways for a peaceful Nigeria, we must realise that violence don't just happen, but is triggered off by people and people don't react unless they are aggrieved and no matter how hard the grievances of the people are, they are often moved by opinion leaders to start a fight. This possible chain of reaction therefore brings the NSGF to a reference point where they must unravel the mystery behind those fuelling the orgy of violence in the North.The NSCRHS is no doubt an assembly of credible leaders in the North, painstakingly picked to help fashion a roadmap to lasting peace in the region. These personalities have been chosen based on their contributions to the progress of the region and Nigeria, and views which they have not allowed ethno-religious sentiments to cloud. All that is required is that Nigerians must support these people to actualise the operational objective of their mission.The northern governors must also be accorded support. They are no doubt saddled with the most agonising challenges of leadership, having their own very people and elite to contend with and forces from other parts of the country to deal with. While marshalling the best way out of the burgeoning security challenges in the region, barrages of wrong insinuations, growing level of hatred is kindled against the NSGF to satisfy self-centred political interests.Obvious political power play is exacerbating the political tuff in Nigeria. Some politicians care less about what becomes of the entire country provided their self-seeking interests are satisfied. Obviously, the build up to 2015 and the fallout of 2011 is responsible for where the North finds itself today but that shouldn't be enough reason for Nigerians to add more coal to the already burning political fire.Inflammatory comments, counter accusations have become the order among political elite. Even the noble contributions by the duo of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Gen Ibrahim Babangida have received condemnation from elite who are supposed to know better. Their silence would have been condemned too. All these inconsistencies should make right thinking Nigerians wonder about the possibility of certain elements of the society actually working hard to frustrate efforts targeted at bringing peace to Nigeria. The recent trend adopted by some elite is systematically splitting the nation into two monolithic North on the one hand, and South on the other hand. The painful part of it all is that the divide categorisation sets the country on a path of war. For now, the fight starts with verbal/written attacks and threats, but in no distant time, it will degenerate into full scale military action and then we would have helped forces interested in destroying Nigeria raise their hands in triumph.As the NSGF is about to launch its committee, this is the time for every Nigerian irrespective of religious, political or ethnic affiliation to help the NSGF resolve the spiralling security challenge in the northern states. Let it not be dismissed by Nigerians from other regional cleavages as an exclusive problem of the North because when one eye is in pain the other will not sleep, the challenges in the North could be contagious and the resultant implication is nothing to contemplate.If we must contemplate on what becomes of Nigeria if the quest by some Nigerians to tear the country apart succeeds, then we must have authorised the creation of so many countries coming out of Nigeria with restive socio-political environment. We must also ruminate over the type of leadership to expect which will in no way favour anyone except those in charge of the complicated system. Among at least a dozen splinter nations to emerge if Nigeria should disintegrate, none will have a democracy as it will be a revolving chair of warlords- a resultant implication of battle for resources.One Nigeria certainly is our best bet! It is cheaper therefore to support efforts at managing the fragile peace, pushing in to make it better for our corporate existence. Nigerians must not be carried away by resources to split on account of other parts not having or contributing enough. The negative implication of a disintegrated Nigeria is not worth contemplating. We must support the NSGF initiative for reconciling aggrieved persons in the region for a better Nigeria.Ebije is the Senior Special Assistant, Media Analysis to the Governor of Niger state.
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