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Each time there is crisis or breakdown of law and order in any part of Nigeria, I often hold the strong view that we should blame ourselves for it. Any society that refuses to learn from history or reflect deeply and sincerely about happenings around it would continue to experience calamity, this goes for individual(s).
Before going further, I will like to make myself clear that, like most Nigerians I do not support police brutality under any guise neither would I be part of lawlessness in any ramification. As to whether government over the years has been sincere with the governed is a hard nut for me to crack.
In this part of the world, we always claim to be intelligent and aggressive, we know our rights, we can analyse issues and sometimes try to play God! But how often do we think deeply on consequences of our actions and in-actions? When the #ENDSARS protests began in some parts of the country, the organizers had their aims and objectives and these were well spelt out for government to take action before the protest can be called off. The government on its part said certain steps have been taken to appease the protesters and one of the steps include disbanding FSARS and other police tactical units and setting up of Special Weapons and Tactics(SWAT).
However, in a swift response the protesters said that they do not have confidence in the action of the Inspector General of Police and government. While the protests continued to gather momentum across most parts of the country, it became more coordinated as funds were raised by individuals and Non-Governmental organisations including foreign donors. As for residents of the Northern part of Nigeria, there was no need to proscribe FSARS because according to them, they had been helpful in containing insurgents, bandits and kidnappers. In the middle of this, the government sought to meet with “leaders ” of the protesters but the protesters maintained that there is no leader among them. They said it is a movement of concerned citizens who are tired of extra judicial killings and human rights abuse by the Police.
Having a leader or leaders according to them would give the protest another meaning and might be an attempt by government to nail some people. From no where, the protests were hijacked by hoodlums and miscreants.
Some people have been questioning why the organized #ENDSARS protesters refused to identify their leaders, I mentioned something at the beginning of this piece that one of the ways of getting out of any challenge is to carefully reflect on the past, examine the present and think of how such would not rear its ugly head in the future. One thing that is synonymous with leadership in Nigeria is the consistent abuse of office and when the individual refuses to be compromised, the purported powers that be, could nail such person.
Nigeria is such a complicated country, and that is why we have this popular Maxim that 1+1 is not always equal to 2.
At a point in time during the ENDSARS, there were insinuations that they were being sponsored by opposition politicians and foreign allies. Along the line when hoodlums hijacked the process nationwide, including the Federal Capital Territory which also occurred simultaneously, we saw footage of thugs being conveyed in exotic vehicles alleged to belong to some elements in corridor of power.
If you like tag the scenario to “More you look;the less you understand “. Some have even accused the protesters of attempting to topple the government! You can see how issues are arm twisted in this part of the world.
At a point in time in my life, I often disagree with the school of thought that the politicians and elites are the problem of Nigeria, alas; I am no longer contesting that fact, based on what I have witnessed over the years. As a small boy, I witnessed the 1983 election that gave Alhaji Sheu Shagari the second tenure before his administration was overthrown by Buhari/Idiagbon military junta.
Why did I digress a little? I remember how National Party of Nigeria, NPN, Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN, Peoples Redemption Party, PRP and Great Nigerian Peoples Party, GNPP and others ran their campaigns. The most painful aspect of this is that all what these political parties promised to do thirty seven years ago, it would not be an exaggeration to say that they have not been substantially achieved and will form the 2023 manifestos.
As a student of Government in secondary school, we were thought many terminologies which include “Bourgeoisie” and “Proletariat”.The bourgeois are the rich and influential while proletariat are the masses. It is in forecast that the proletariat would at a point in time launch a revolution against the bourgeois. Every right thinking person would know that such an action is not going to be a tea party. It is on record that this is not the first time rich people’s houses are looted, however what the country is experiencing at the moment is somehow a reflection of that theory by scholars of political science.
A careful examination of what could be described as “coordinated “looting of COVID-19 warehouses across the country which later snowballed into an unimaginable manner of stealing calls for concern. I am still trying to meditate on how we actually got to the mess we found ourselves in this country, because it seems the people have been pushed to the wall due to long years of disconnect between the leaders and the led including loss of trust. Like a contagious situation, warehouses for COVID-19 Palliatives were looted in many parts of the country such as Lagos, Abuja, Ilorin, Adamawa, Calabar, Kaduna, Plateau and Osun states. The major concern is that, in all these places and other areas such as Oyo, Edo, Delta, Ekiti and Ondo to mention a few, property of individuals, business premises including politicians were looted and in some instances looters carted away things that are not basic needs.
In Ilorin the Kwara State capital for instance, the mob stormed the Cargo shed at the Ilorin International airport and took away all the COVID-19 relief materials and from there moved to another location in Ilorin; the warehouse of the National Emergency Management Agency situated at the former premises of the State Agricultural Development Project popularly called agric area Ilorin and made away with all the items.
Let me put it on record that combined team of security personnel were on ground at these locations but did not harm or stop the mob from taking whatever they wanted to take. The unbelievable however happened after the COVID-19 relief materials have been emptied, private business outlets were stormed where looting spree occurred. One of the areas where the unfortunate incident occurred was the Kwara Mall where Shoprite and a host of other numerous businesses were situated, the scene of Kwara Shopping mall was an unexpected case as far as am concerned; otherwise how do you explain that people who claimed to be hungry are now breaking banks ATMs, textile stores, pharmacies and electronics stores? Some even went to government offices and removed tables and chairs, some stole plastic chairs and mattresses. We are also aware of how Psychiatric hospital was invaded and the story is the same in many parts of the country.
Let’s take a look at the COVID-19 palliative issue, the items were said to have been donated by a number of private individuals to government for onward distribution to victims of the pandemic. One of the questions that pundits are asking is why is it that most state governments kept mute about these relief materials all this while? The affected state governments responded in different ways: some claimed that they had commenced distribution but were hindered by the ENDSARS protests while others said that they were waiting for a press conference to be held in Abuja to signify the flag off before distributing it to the beneficiaries.
There is no doubt about it that the Nigeria Police requires a sincere reform, but we must bear it at the back of our minds that no society can sleep with their two eyes closed without adequate security. Am strongly in support that the police and other sister security agencies should clampdown on looters especially those who carted away wares and other valuables from private business premises.It is sure that karma will catch up with them no matter how long! The government must take it upon itself to earn trust and confidence of the people because this is one of the ways we can move forward as a nation. For many years, Nigerians have called for cutting down the cost of governance, but the hand writing is clear on the wall that it is not yet “uhuru “.The type of attacks, arson and lootings experienced in some parts of the country in the last few days are heavy burden for the government and private sector to bear, especially at a time when the world is still battling with the effects of COVID-19 pandemic.
The drift of this opinion, no doubt, points to the depth of decay in government. How come the solutions to challenges in the system keep running away from the people, but on the other hands, keep enriching those in government? This has been happening for the past fifty something years.
To earn the citizens trust, people in government need to put their money where their mouth is. The people are getting angrily impatient.