The American sociologist ROBERT K MERTON who popularized the term unintended consequence, explained it as outcomes of a purposeful action that are not intended or foreseen.
It is however doubtful if the pronouncements of Federal Government are purposeful as their unintended consequences are often very disastrous. It does appear as if Fran Lebowitz, a prolific writer had the federal government of Nigeria in mind when he said “THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK”. In recent time there has been a preponderance of words and actions of the Federal Government that have exposed the nation to a catalogue of unintended consequences.
In the last edition of catalogue I observed that the words and actions of the Federal Government of Nigeria regarding the ban on Tweeter have resulted to an unbridled mesh of unintended consequence at home and abroad.
That edition opined the obvious fact that the reputation of Nigeria at home and abroad has gone from bad to worse, as a result of the ban.
The intention of Government to protect the sovereignty of Nigeria and defend its integrity has given rise to unintended consequences of a brutish reputation and further escalated the already worsening image in the international community, especially among the Human Rights circle.
Maybe, some of the policy pronouncements by government regarding the ban are simply reactionary. More proactive steps should have been taken to achieve a better result earlier. Asking tweeter to register in Nigeria as a corporate entity should have been an earlier policy trust to make them and all such communication enterprises responsible and responsive to their environment of operation.
In his last media parley the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Buhari described the South East secessionist agenda as a dot in a circle. May be what the president intended to say was that their agitation is an insignificant case that can be isolated and dealt with. One can see his intended imagery of an encircled helpless army that can easily be rounded off by a superior force.
The ambiguity in this pronouncement has further emboldened the people to have strong faith in themselves as a united people, “the pivotal hub of the whole”.
A dot in the circle has been explained as a symbol of consciousness, “circum punctum”.
So, here there is an unintended meaning which has led to a litany of unintended consequences.
Wikipedia explains a dot in the following lines, for a writer it is the symbol of being done.
For the developers it represents the symbol of exploration. Developers place a dot when they want to take advantage of relations between objects, when they want to explore something.
So the dot philosophy refers to a multitude of issues and ideas .When it is placed in a circle it generates more impressions and semantics.
The president who has a low impression of the Eastern secessionist agenda and sees them as insignificant has said more than he intended to say and the cascading impacts go beyond his intentions.
Now a new lingo has emerged, “DOTLAND”. Some people from the East now celebrate themselves as coming from the “DOTLAND”, so there is a new solidarity and oneness.
The Media Aids of the president have more work to do. However, President Mohammadu Buhari has a mind of his own.
He has a strong ideology that is rooted in his place of birth and faith. Sometimes these primordial sentiments escape from his mind unguarded.
So, he is like a dangerous masquerade that cuts his restraining rope from his guide in a dancing arena.
The president may have a good intention for Nigeria to remain a united indivisible nation but his approach is like calling a dog with a big stick in the hand.
The Herdsmen unrestrained onslaughts across the country is a matter that requires caution, action and tact. However, the president tends to forget that because he is Fulani his pronouncements on the matter will be viewed with serious scrutiny.
Unfortunately, his body language and pronouncements have shocked presidential watchers in Nigeria. Many unintended intentions and consequences have trailed his actions and inactions in this regard.
Recall that president Buhari had also made a pronouncement on reinstating old Gazette on cattle routes/reserves in the country.
Research evidence shows that there are about 140 gazetted Grazing reserves in Nigeria.
The gazette reveals that 138 are found in the North, especially core North, with Adamawa, Bauchi, Bornu and Gombe having most of the grazing reserves and routes. Only two reserves are Gazetted for Oyo State in the south west
The president made a strong pronouncement that Federal Government would reclaim these reserves.
He was responding to the position of the Governor of Benue State and other Southern Governors who have either put laws in place or are planning to do so, banning open grazing in their states .Sadly, he was oblivious of the fact that the gaztted statutes did not affect the south.
The activities of Fulani Herdsmen in the destruction of lives and property of farmers in these parts don’t seem to attract the empathy and sympathy of the president.
His attention appears to be focused on protecting the business of his tribe’s men with total disregard to constant loss of property and human lives as a result of farmers-herders clashes.
His legendary gazette does not cover the south. The implication is that the intentions of the southern Governors to ban open grazing of cattle stands.
It follows therefore that the president has goofed again as usual. His words have continued to be unpresidential. The intention of the president to assert and exert pressure on Nigerians to accept the moribund open grazing has only exposed his inadequacies in understanding the prevailing situation in the country.

By: Bon Woke