FULANI/NOMADIC RADIO: Threat to National Security or Not ?

Recently, the media has been buzzing with issues bothering on the establishment of Fulani Radio, despite proposed amplitude modulation  to checkmate its broadcasting activities. 

Radio

Mixed feelings and personality maiming have trailed the polity, necessitated on the growing escalation of previous and resumed hostilities that have launched the nation mourning over multiple losses, thus giving religious, political and ethnic undertone /interpretations to the menace. This scenario brings  to the fore the Islamization and Fulanisation concept as further amplified by some elder statesmen. How realistic can this acclaimed insinuations spreading like wild fire be?.

The concept is no doubt being blown out of proportion, as interpretations given cannot be distanced from aggression over the blood bath measured in banditry, kidnapping , terrorism  (Boko Haram and Herdsmen killings) and other lineaments of security decrepitude.

However, the Fulani Radio and the disdain it has received so far is a clear act of misconstrued intent. 

First and foremost, the Islamisation /Fulani concept should be discarded as it cannot be rationally established . it could have been justified if the herdsmen killings and Boko Haram activities are   targeted at a particular tribe  (ethnic cleansing /genocide )or religion. Mosques are targets, Fulani's are not spared as victims. Islamization cannot be the case here, in the sense that these set of unpatriotic elements are indiscriminate about their operations  as Muslims also get a share   of the menace and if it were to be an Islamic agenda, such unscrupulous elements would have spread their tentacles to the southern and Eastern part of the country where the chunk of Christians are domiciled.  How then can one affiliate the killings to mean a Fulani/Islamization conquest agenda ?.. 

The misconception by the populace and politicians is further deepened by misguided utterances and humanitarian rubbishing of Mr president .

It is an established fact that the media has its plus and minuses when it comes to matters of national concern and that is why is believed to have important influences.  Emphasis is most times hinged on the negative consequences of the media ,capturing basically the use of media propaganda to spread hate that cut across ethnic, religious and political lines. This explains better why this Fulani radio drive is dreaded to mean an alignment with the promotion of the heinous activities of the herdsmen believed to be associated  with the Fulani race in Northern Nigeria, with many sighting the role of the media in the Rwanda crisis and even the Biafra Radio of the proscribed IPOB. How can the establishment of a radio house generate so much dust when there are other synonymous radio stations that are tribally linked such as Radio Biafra, WAZOBIA FM?.

It is axiomatic that the Fulani's are not enlightened in terms of western education as majority of this class of people find it difficult to comprehend the nation's official lingua franca   (English ).

If Radio Biafra, Wazobia have not gone into extinction, then the Radio Fulani should be allowed to function to allow the effective dissemination of information. It will guarantee effective medium of communication, reportage , political participation , enlightenment,  balanced perception of issues and the shaping of public opinion and bullet pointing sentiments, required for policy formulation and implementation. Radio Fulani should be welcomed provided activities are modulated by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to conform with international best practices. This is to avoid the politicisation and ethnicisation of the media.

Communication in local dialect helps to convey messages effectively and guarantee the comprehension by the receiver. 

The level of insecurity no doubts accounts for the breeding of mistrust among entities. In the midst of all the security challenges, Nigerians should stop reasoning sectionally but rather as Nigerians, by segregating sentiments from reality in order to give peace a chance and see to the survival of policies and programmes that can get Nigeria working again and take her to the Next Level.

By:Uwode Eseoghene Josephine.

29/05/2019

jojoamaniarea@gmail.com

HAPPY SWEARING IN DAY AND DEMOCRACY DAY IN ADVANCE!!!