Bayo Omolola, Baltimore City Community College

Religion practice in Nigeria, like in many parts of the world,  harbors deceivers, and innocent people are always gullible when people who have ulterior motives use religious strategies to achieve their selfish end. The horrible situation in Nigeria has been made possible by Muslim and Christian leaders, and what have we had since independence, when they have been struggling against each other for control of power? Corruption, looting, ethnic intolerance, and other unspeakable negative things! All Nigerian presidents - living or dead - have had contact with either of the leading religions - Islam and Christianity. Yet, horrible things that are not religious keep happening. Then,what point will any Christian or Muslim organization advance now to convince any reasonable Nigerians to take the so-called "marginalization" of Muslims or Christians in Nigeria as an important issue? Of what use is having Muslims and Christian in power when they have ruled and made the situation in Nigeria worse from year to year. People  were more comfortable in 1960's than in 1970's. Life was more convenient in 1970's than it was in 1980's, and 1980-1990 years were more favorable to people than 1990-2000. The situation keeps deteriorating even though those in power keep increasing in status and personal financial capacity at the expense of the masses.

It is only in Nigeria where people will openly chorus the name of a thief, appoint a thief as IGP to chase thieves and criminals, elect 419 or dubious people to be in the parliament, allow a person who has put the nation in chaos to feel as a king, and work strongly against the common interest of the nation when they feel they are not in control. For God sake, it is "marginalization" on religious basis that people are taking about; not on standard qualification in terms of moral righteousness and academic attainment.

Sincerely speaking, Muslims and Christians will continue to make Nigeria fail as long as they continue ignoring competence, first, as a yardstick for appointing or electing people into offices. Using religions as a means of gaining a political power is exactly like using tribal sentiment to get support for positions in government. Nigeria has suffered too much in the hands of Muslims and Christians. Any  complaint about "marginalization" based on religions should be regarded as noise and given no attention in Nigeria. Rather than religion, Nigerians should look at their leaders, probe their past and current activities in a manner that will suggest they really want the progress of their country. It is high time people stopped using religions and religious organizations to accomplish their political end.