A one-time editor of the defunct National Concord, Lagos, Nsikak Essien has announced suspension of Facebook ‘friendship’ due to the spread of vile ethnic messages after the concluded general elections in the country.
Writing under the topic: Notice of suspension of Facebook “friendship,” Essien announced ‘‘This is to inform my Yoruba and Igbo friends on Facebook that I have temporarily suspended our friendship until sanity returns.
The engineer-turned journalist said ‘‘I am referring to those tribalists in both ethnic groups who have taken the election to be an intertribal war. They abuse each other without restraint in spite of their so called education and exposure. They now endanger many of our inter-tribal marriages.
‘‘Some of them on both sides have tried to recruit me into that useless venture. I can never be part of a hate campaign because I witnessed the civil war which was a product of tribal and religious extremism.
According to him, ‘‘I was one of the collateral damage for a cause I knew nothing about.
‘‘I know what our nation needs. Ethnic and religious inclusiveness.
‘‘No thanks to General Buhari for fanning ethnic and religious sentiments which have eroded all that General Gowon and General Obasanjo did since 1970 to bring us together after the 30 months civil war.’’
I stand with Peter Obi- Essien
The editor admitted ‘‘Peter Obi was my candidate in the February 25 Presidential election. INEC declaration doesn’t satisfy me and my principal has headed to the Election tribunal. I support that course of action.
‘‘If you want to use the misguided action of some Obedients to demonize Peter Obi and all of us there’s nothing I can do about that. You’ve my sympathy.’’
He explained ‘‘Peter Obi was not and isn’t an Igbo candidate. I subscribe wholly to his plan for a new Nigeria.’’
Essien recalled ‘‘Fulani extremists yesterday in Benue state murdered about 200 people. Atiku Abubakar is Fulani. He definitely has nothing to do with the demented murderers. So why associate Peter Obi with the action of Igbo extremists but carefully distance Tinubu from the action of Yoruba extremists? Double standard?
Demonize Peter Obi and win a prize?
Have the “wars” ended?
In another Facebook post, he enquired ‘‘Wanted to return fully to Facebook but don’t know if the religious and ethnic wars have ended.
‘‘You support a candidate because he’s from your ethnic group and go on to abuse and threaten other people of different ethnic and religious affiliation.’’
He lamented ‘‘Nigeria’s three major ethnic groups are having “fun” abusing and threatening each other. The three ethnic groups put together are only 40% of Nigeria’s total population but they give us the minorities [60%] more than 70% of our challenges.
‘‘Extremists on both sides are equally having “fun” abusing each other, doing exactly what their religion forbids them to do.
‘‘Unfortunately the collateral damage is too high.
‘‘Happily or sadly the coming census will not help them because there will be no columns for religious and ethnic affiliations,’’ he added.
