IGALA: ANOTHER MISSED CALL
The Sheikh Mikailu Turbaning Invitation and Matters Arising
By ONOJA J. OKPANACHI
This is another loud call to the entire Igala Nation, but it has been ignored again. This is very unfortunate, as we are yet to understand this ring tone. This call is remotely made to test the strength and/or the fragility of the leadership structure within the nation. These types of calls have been made in the past and may not stop anytime soon until we are truly destabilized to the roots if we continue to fail in picking up and responding appropriately.
For over a year now, I have been drawing our attention as a people to the menace of the mismanagement of social media by our people and, worse still, how it is seriously destroying our sense of reasoning and good judgment. Shockingly, each time this type of call is made, even those you expect to decode and respond correctly are always misled, just to be seen on the “side of the people,” and by so doing, we all end up in the wrong spot. With this ugly development, I want to assure us all that we are all “potential victims in waiting.” When it unfortunately gets to your turn, like a dream, the people will act against you as if you have never been anything to them at any point—they will focus on the negative of that moment to tear you down. If you survive, you will advise yourself to stay off the Igala cause. In this way, many are being chased out because we don’t give room for inquiry before rushing to the public with any information that gets to us. Painfully, even those who could effortlessly reach out for confirmation fail to get all sides of the story. It is an evil spirit being encouraged and empowered widely now by social media, which instead should be for our good.
Before I direct your attention to some key points from Sheikh Mikailu’s turbaning invitation that went viral on social media, quickly cast your mind back to how various pieces of information were thrown out during the last gubernatorial election. They deliberately tossed the Igala Nation up and down because it was obvious to those media strategists how negatively excited the people had become and how they could swallow anything they saw on social media in absolute agreement. They understood that we are losing our sense of rationalization, so they succeeded in setting the people against each other, resulting in serious internal cracks that eventually led to easy penetration into all parts of our structures.
Now, the letter from which the “controversial invitation” emanated was written as far back as November 25, 2024. The letter clearly stated that the honor was ambassadorial, but why the “turbaning”? Or is it because it is a cultural organization bestowing the honor on Sheikh Mikailu? Again, who later coined the “controversial invitation” that gave the color of kingship that’s generating this much heat? And, have you taken a critical look at the letterhead paper that was used? And did you notice the initial tone of debate on some platforms? It took a religious pattern and was becoming a Muslim versus Christian feud. With the religious angle, it sharply divided the people instantly, thereby deviating from the crux of the matter. You may think these things are coincidental. No, they are not. Some people have carefully studied us and realized the best and fastest ways to distract and divide us with issues that are either relevant or not.
This ugly trend is succeeding because of the leadership gap that is widening by the day in most facets of our system. In the real sense, leadership is almost absent in both traditional and political spheres. This leadership gap or absence is the bane of most of our challenges today. If there were a clear-cut leadership structure, there are issues that shouldn’t be handled by everybody, particularly in how we hurriedly take them to the public. If there were a defined leadership structure, well respected by individuals and organizations, issues like Sheikh Mikailu’s would have been channeled to the appropriate quarters first and not to the entire public. And even before doing so, they would have been well investigated in order to have all sides of the story and avoid misunderstandings that can lead to divisions in the land.
At this juncture, I will personally ask us to be deliberate in interfacing with each other when issues arise. We should be very slow to take sensitive matters to the public, where we may not be able to moderate the debates and opinions they may generate. We should be sure that once we hit the public with any information, we would be able to stand by it to the very end, knowing reasonably well all sides of the story.
The truth is, many more sensitive issues will be thrown up again, and the distractions may not stop unless we can put ourselves together quickly. This leadership call is clear and loud, even though it is done in the most unexpected way. We have to decode the call and respond appropriately now to secure our future.
Finally, I will appeal for an interface with Sheikh Mikailu on this matter. If possible, the turbaning can be put on hold, as the situation I foresee may go beyond what we have all been debating until now—just an advice. Before this piece, I called Sheikh but couldn’t speak with him—I understand why based on the information given to me by one of his lieutenants at the time of my calls. Also, I reached out to the leader in Kano who is in charge of the ceremony. We had a long talk, and I deduced my points already—there’s more.
ARISE!
