Before We Move to the Next Level

29^th December, 2018

By: Amir Abdulazeez

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s frightening and devastating as the current security situation in Nigeria, particularly in the North is, it may concern many of us that what we don’t know may far be more than what we know regarding the current spate of violence, atrocities and senselessness bedevilling the land. For example, about forty kidnapping, robbery and related incidences were locally reported in communities within five local government areas of Katsina State in the space of one month, but virtually none managed to make a story in our major national dailies or broadcast media houses within the first five days of occurrence; more than two third of these incidences were never even mentioned out of the localities they occurred at all.

Months before this plethora of lawlessness, a single kidnapping incident in which 20 million Naira ransom was reportedly paid in one of the five local governments in question occurred, with only few people outside the state being aware. Let’s keep in mind, this is the Commander-in-Chief’s home state; let us not even mistake how daring and reckless criminals can be in other states. In this country, we now have territories literally ruled by criminals.

If we should restrict ourselves to what we already know across different states, we can see that we are in far more serious trouble than we are imagining. Add this to the fact that so many communities are suffering from different forms of insecurities which are either under-reported or completely unreported. Take a break to also consider the fact that aside physical insecurity, a typical average Nigerian is not completely free from one form of basic social or economic insecurity or the other.

From persistent terrorism to banditry, violence to senseless killings, conflicts to brutal jungle justices; the insecurity situation is a highlight to where Nigeria is heading to if something urgent and decisive is not done. It is no longer a question of putting in the best efforts; it is of compellingly doing what is required. The truth is, citizens now fear criminals far more than they fear authority and many will not hesitate to pledge their allegiance to rogues, if that is what will make them safe.

May be, we have been used to so much abnormalities for quite long, hence we take so many things for granted. Just think of any one country that will under any circumstance allow all its universities to be closed for over 50 days without any resumption date in sight. It doesn’t matter what the excuse is or who the blame goes to, but just consider the social, economic and political price the whole nation will have to pay. A recent report revealed that incessant strikes have kept Nigerian universities closed for a cumulative period of three good years over the last twenty. Three years is roughly enough to raise and graduate a complete generation of Nigerians. How many nations on earth, irrespective of their status will allow that under any guise?

Let’s forget about the elites and ruling class and ask ourselves as ordinary Nigerians, how much are we concerned by these developments for which we are the direct victims? While our emotions and lamentations always appear to be high whenever there is an incident, we don’t appear to be seriously concerned afterwards, at least serious enough to unite in forcing stakeholders to solve the problem. Before the elections, we were divided more on regional and ethno-religious grounds, now that the elections are close, we are more divided between ‘moving to the next level’ and ‘getting Nigeria working again’. As sad as it may seem, many only see these insecurity issues from the prism of the 2019 elections.

Only few have consistently and unshakably stood for justice and righteousness all along. The destructive threat of politics to our collective well-being cannot be underrated. Politics is a deadly negative weapon in this country. You can deploy it to scuttle almost anything. The most tactical way to kill the substance of any serious issue in this country is to politicize it.

Politics is being played as if every year is an election year. The talk of 2019 began right in 2015 and some have even started talking of 2023. This is so, even if we are yet to truly reform the political process to make it all-inclusive as against the exclusive right of the rich and privileged. The political players aren’t collectively concerned with our current journey to nowhere. The few of them who do are apparently because they’ve lost out in the current political game or trying to get relevance in the next.

Let us not be fooled by Nigeria seemingly functioning as a nation despite not being one. The only reason why it looks so by the way is because the elites basically function as a nation through the government, but not the citizens, which are most critical. To put this into perspective, think of some basic things a citizen require from his nation or state. A citizen wants to assuredly feel his life and properties as generally safe and secured by the state or at least to feel satisfied by its efforts in doing so. A citizen wants unrestricted access to basic justice when he is directly or indirectly wronged even by the state itself. A citizen wants hope of a better future by the state, which gives him reason to unite and work comfortably with his fellow countrymen irrespective of their social, economic and political differences. No visible foundation for the provision of any of these three in Nigeria presently.

Any politicking or agenda that is not set to fix this is bound to fail. It is most unfortunate that after decades of military rule, we didn’t really get the fresh start to nationhood that we deserved from 1999. Rather, we got plunged into one destructive crisis after another. The only probable reason why Nigeria is still standing and appears to be working is because the elites are united by selfish interest which is well served.

There is something fundamentally wrong with how problems are approached in Nigeria both individually and collectively. The sweep-it-under-the-carpet approach, just-condemn-and-appear-to-be-doing-something style, God-will-intervene rhetoric and the ‘we-are-doing-our-best syndrome’ are yet to decisively solve any problem so far. Unless issues are resolved amicably and immediately as they arise, they compile and make future issues inevitable and worse. Whether we accept it or not, any attempt at prosperity will woefully fail without fixing the fundamentals.

For example if bandits exists but do not attack for the next one year doesn’t mean the problem has been solved, for they can choose to attack any time. If bombs do not go off in motor parks for months, but we still have people who can and are willing to make and detonate bombs at any given opportunity, the problem is alive and potentially active. When people are very much conscious of the inability of our justice system to timely and adequately prosecute criminals, they will never be discouraged from crime. If thugs are aware that no matter how much they are fought and neglected by authority, they will still be employed during elections by the same people, violence will never be defeated. How many security personnel would be willing to die or get incapacitated for a country in which he is not even sure of a befitting burial, not to talk of his retirement benefits?

In situations like this, it’s difficult for superficial solutions to work. Only far reaching steps that will address the problems from the root will suffice. To do this, a society with justice, equity and equality before the law must be put in place. Government may be sincere and determined to use all within its immediate powers to tackle some issues, but unless the ruling class all directly or indirectly agree to keep politics aside and agree on fixing the fundamentals once and for all; real and permanent solutions would continue to elude us. The earlier this is done, the better for everyone and once we do this, we can keep moving to many more levels. Otherwise, we will be periodically changing leaders and governments only to discover that we are revolving around one place. Not only that, same problems will keep surfacing and resurfacing in different forms and times.

We began this year with insecurity and vulnerability of Nigerians to senseless killings as the major topic of discussion. Sadly, we are not only closing it with same, we are opening another year on the same note. 2018 is yet another year to forget.

Twitter: @AmirAbdulazeez