WHO IS BEATING THE DRUMS OF WAR IN NIGERIA?

Almost every topic, everywhere in Nigeria is a potential crisis theme. There is tension everywhere and the government is unarguably confused on what to do on most of these issues, it can indeed not hide its confusion, it would rather treat these issues like the proverbial 800-pound gorilla in the room – everyone knows it's there, but nobody wants to talk about it. In fact, the government now monitors your social media account for being so hard or for daring to talk.

Wars, like accidents don’t just happen, they are created. Wars are effects to causes. There is no invasion of a country just for the sake of it without economic benefits targeted. No.

Britain did not fight the Revolutionary war in the 1760s just because it wanted to protect its American subjects. No. it needed to strengthen and create wealth for the empire. Britain did not fight the Opium wars in the mid-1800s if it were not for the trade reasons, of course, Hong Kong was ceded to British control, and Shanghai, Canton, Fuchow, etc. opened up as ports. In fact, Britain wanted all of China and not just five ports, so it brought allies like France, US, and Russia who also had an economic interest in China to invade and fight another war. America did not invade the Gulf because it was less busy at home. Why didn’t they continue to occupy Iraq or Afghanistan? The answer is not far to fetch: bad business.

Jan Pieterszoon (Governor –General, Dutch East Company in the Indies) captures it succinctly: “We cannot make war without trade, nor trade without war.” Perfectly captured.

Why was the uprising in the middle-east? Who created it? Why is there relative calm in most of the countries concerned at the time except Syria and Lybia in Africa? Why is Russia in support of Basheer Al Asaad in a contest with America and Britain’s stand? Why must there be war? Ask Jan Pieterszoon, he knows better. All I know is that war is a big business, weapons won’t sell without it, weapon manufacturers won’t make money, natural resources won’t be controlled by the more powerful people, possibly the invaders, and there will hardly be economic benefits to them if there is no war. At least war gives them a legitimate reason to invade.

Like war, like slavery. If there was no economic benefit to slavery, it wouldn’t have happened in the first place, and wherever the strongest people were, there slavery was loudest. While not only Africans were enslaved, for example, the majority of slaves were Africans because of the physical might they exuded, they were even called ‘bucks’. They brought more economic gains, so they were the better business options.

With the cache of arms militants used in the Niger-Delta region in their hay days, with what could they have paid? They had crude oil, arms dealers had arms, so, barter. Who would fund Boko Haram so much, if they had nothing to gain from their investment? Beyond religion, if the sponsors expected no economic or political benefits in the long term, they would not be interested.

Beyond cattle rustling giving birth to hard-hearted Fulani boys (who kidnap and maim in return) who operate in the jungle, beyond herdsmen destroying farmlands resulting in attacks and reprisals, the proliferation of arms and connivance by powers that be, all point to one angle – there are forces beating the drums of war and tension in Nigeria, and that Nigeria is not dancing to that beat yet hurts them. Some people are beating the drums, who could they be?