Words by Ehimenim Agweh

Nothing has changed. Twenty four years later, the band-Aids that held the country are beginning to rip and K.U.S.H’s “Let Us Live Together” has never been more relevant.

Yesterday was June 12, the anniversary of M.K.O. Abiola’s election in 1993. An election which didn’t live to see the next day and the country was plunged into chaos. Rising from it, we promised ourselves ‘Never Again’ but with the recent North-South ethnic tensions, it seems like we need a reminder of how we got here in the first place.

In 2003, music group K.U.S.H released their hit song “Let’s Live Together” as part of their album, The Experience. A much loved song, the video was a blend of black, white, grey and sepia. Yet, that wasn’t the the main attraction.

In between shots of TY Bello and Lara George doing their thing, were short clips of wartime scenes. From a starving child to a woman swearing to kill another woman and a shot of a dead body on scorched land, the theme was devastation, death and destruction, and Kush played it to maximum effect.

War is not pretty no matter the reason it was waged and if anything, K.U.S.H only wanted to promote unity and neighbourliness. “Let us Live Together” was their cry but it seemed to only bounce off the public consciousness. We liked the song but did we really learn from it?

In a time where the ‘major’ ethnic groups are threatening to rip each other part, the deep chasms in our relationship with each other are getting more pronounced. Turning differences into weapons and using them against the others is only making it worse. What better time than now to echo K.U.S.H’s recommendation for how to become a nation of united people. ‘Our strength is in our diversity.’ It’s a message for the ages and one we’d do well to heed.

Watch K.U.S.H’s “Let’s Live Together” below:

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