A BLEEDING NATION - CHAPTER 11: DIVIDED WE STAND

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Chapter 11: Divided We Stand

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«African Proverb: "When brothers fight over inheritance, strangers inherit the land."»

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«Igbo Proverb: "A broom is strong because many sticks stand together; remove one stick at a time, and the broom loses its strength."»

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«Another Proverb: "The river does not ask the tribe of the thirsty man before offering water."»

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The nation was rich.

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Rich in culture.

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Rich in languages.

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Rich in traditions.

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Rich in people.

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Yet the very diversity that should have been its strength had become one of its greatest weaknesses.

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Not because the people were different.

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But because some powerful men had learned how to use those differences as weapons.

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Daniel first noticed it at the university.

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Students from different regions studied together.

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They laughed together.

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They played football together.

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They shared meals together.

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For years, their differences hardly mattered.

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But during election seasons, everything changed.

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Politicians appeared on television reminding people of their tribe.

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Social media became filled with hateful messages.

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Old wounds were reopened.

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Historical grievances were repeated.

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People who once saw themselves as citizens began seeing themselves as members of competing groups.

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The divisions deepened.

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And while citizens argued among themselves, the nation's problems remained unsolved.

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One afternoon, Daniel traveled to a neighboring state to attend a youth conference.

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The event brought together young people from different ethnic backgrounds.

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The purpose was simple.

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To discuss the future of the nation.

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Inside the hall, hundreds of young men and women sat together.

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Some spoke different languages.

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Some came from different religions.

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Some had entirely different cultures.

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Yet they all shared the same struggles.

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Unemployment.

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Poverty.

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Insecurity.

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Corruption.

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As discussions began, a young woman named Zainab stood up.

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She came from the northern region.

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Her voice was calm but firm.

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"My village has suffered attacks for years," she said.

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"We have buried too many innocent people."

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The room fell silent.

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Moments later, another young man named Chinedu rose from his seat.

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He came from the eastern region.

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"Our businesses are struggling."

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"Our roads are terrible."

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"Our youths are leaving the country."

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Again, the audience listened.

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Then a young woman from the western region stood.

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"Our graduates cannot find jobs."

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"Our hospitals are failing."

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"Our future feels uncertain."

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Daniel noticed something important.

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Though they came from different places, their pain was almost identical.

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Different languages.

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Different traditions.

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Same suffering.

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The realization stayed with him.

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---

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Meanwhile, politicians continued their usual games.

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At campaign rallies, they spoke of unity.

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Behind closed doors, many promoted division.

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One governor blamed another region for the country's problems.

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One senator accused another ethnic group of domination.

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One political party encouraged suspicion.

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Another encouraged resentment.

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The strategy was simple.

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Divide the people.

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Then rule them.

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A divided population rarely demands accountability.

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A divided population spends more time fighting itself than challenging corruption.

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And that suited many leaders perfectly.

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A few weeks later, violence erupted in a market town after a minor disagreement between two traders from different ethnic groups.

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What should have been a simple argument quickly escalated.

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Rumors spread.

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Social media added fuel to the fire.

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Within hours, communities that had lived peacefully together for decades were in conflict.

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Shops were burned.

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Homes were destroyed.

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Families fled.

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By the time security forces restored order, several lives had been lost.

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Daniel visited the town days later.

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The destruction was heartbreaking.

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A market that once brought people together now stood partially in ruins.

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Burned stalls lined the streets.

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Business owners sat quietly beside the remains of their livelihoods.

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An elderly trader named Baba Sule spoke to Daniel.

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For over thirty years, he had sold grains in the market.

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"I have traded with people from every tribe," he said.

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"They are not my enemies."

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He pointed toward the burned shops.

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"My enemy is hunger."

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He pointed toward abandoned businesses.

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"My enemy is poverty."

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Then he looked directly at Daniel.

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"My enemy is any leader who uses division to distract us from the real problems."

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Daniel nodded.

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The old man had spoken more truth in a few sentences than many politicians did in entire speeches.

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---

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Later that evening, Daniel met Hassan.

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The journalist had been investigating political campaigns across the country.

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"What have you discovered?" Daniel asked.

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Hassan sighed.

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"The same pattern everywhere."

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"What pattern?"

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"Whenever citizens begin asking serious questions about corruption, someone starts talking about tribe."

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Daniel frowned.

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"And when people begin demanding accountability?"

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"Someone starts creating division."

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The answer frustrated him.

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Yet it made perfect sense.

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Division was useful.

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Unity was dangerous.

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A united population could demand better governance.

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A united population could fight corruption.

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A united population could challenge bad leadership.

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That was why some people feared unity.

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---

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Months later, Daniel attended a funeral.

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The deceased was a respected teacher who had spent his life promoting peace.

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People from different tribes traveled long distances to attend.

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The gathering was remarkable.

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Different languages filled the air.

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Different cultures stood side by side.

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Different traditions shared the same grief.

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As the ceremony ended, the teacher's oldest friend delivered a speech.

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His words left a lasting impression.

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"The soil does not ask your tribe before accepting your body."

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The crowd became silent.

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"The sun does not ask your ethnicity before giving light."

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Stillness filled the gathering.

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"The rain does not ask where you come from before falling."

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Many lowered their heads.

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"Why then do we allow ourselves to be divided?"

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No one answered.

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Because everyone knew the truth.

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The things that united them were greater than the things that separated them.

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Yet too often, they forgot.

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---

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That night, Daniel sat alone outside his home.

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The city lights stretched across the horizon.

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He thought about the conference.

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The market violence.

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The funeral.

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The countless stories he had encountered.

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And gradually, a realization formed in his mind.

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The nation was like a house.

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Its people were the bricks.

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Each tribe.

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Each region.

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Each culture.

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A different brick.

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Strong on its own.

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But strongest together.

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If the bricks fought one another, the house would collapse.

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If the bricks remained united, the house could withstand any storm.

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Perhaps that was the lesson the nation needed to learn.

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Its diversity was not a curse.

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It was a gift.

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A strength.

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A treasure.

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But only if people chose unity over division.

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Only if they refused to be manipulated.

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Only if they remembered that they shared the same future.

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The wind blew softly through the night.

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For the first time in a long while, Daniel felt a small sense of hope.

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The nation was still bleeding.

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Its wounds were deep.

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Its challenges were many.

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But healing was possible.

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If the people stood together.

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If they saw one another as partners rather than enemies.

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If they remembered that a divided nation remains weak, but a united people can change history.

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And perhaps, just perhaps, that change was beginning.67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC2OiB71NxK

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