As the ripples caused by the violence, bombings and massacres resonate there is the imminent threat that Nigeria could be inching towards civil war. Protests against price hikes coupled with a violent insurgency — which saw 21 Christians massacred while in church on Sunday — now sees Africa's top oil producer and second largest economy teetering on the brink of economic and social chaos. It is not the first time that this religious faultline which separates north from the south has claimed lives.
The onus is on Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan to show more vision in his decision making. So far he has miscalculated public sentiment on economic and social issues and has been lethargic in containing the Boko Haram insurgency. Failure to do so could also result in the splintering of the country's armed forces.
The answers lie in economic and social upliftment and reaching immediate settlements. The method of buying time, so that problems are brushed aside, has run its course.
