Date Published: 09/07/09
Nigeria is burning with wars raging on all fronts (4)
By Temple Chima Ubochi ubochit@yahoo.com ubochit@yahoo.com
All that is necessary for evil to succeed is that good men do nothing. (Edmund Burke)
You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today. (Abraham Lincoln)
Government is like a baby. An alimentary canal with a loud voice at one end and no responsibility at the other. (Ronald Reagan)
Science may have found a cure for most evils; but it has found no remedy for the worst of them all -- the apathy of human beings. (Helen Keller)
To be a great leader and so always master of the situation, one must of necessity have been a great thinker in action. An eagle was never yet hatched from a goose's egg. (James Thomas)
In our daily life, we encounter people who are angry, deceitful, intent only on satisfying their own needs. There is so much anger, distrust, greed, and pettiness that we are losing our capacity to work well together. (Margaret J. Wheatley)
The horrors which we have seen, and the still greater horrors we shall presently see, are not signs that rebels, insubordinate, untameable people are increasing in number throughout the world, but rather that there is a constant increase in the number of obedient, docile people. (George Bernanos)
It may well be that our means are fairly limited and our possibilities restricted when it comes to applying pressure on our government. But is this a reason to do nothing? Despair is nor an answer. Neither is resignation. Resignation only leads to indifference, which is not merely a sin but a punishment (Elie Wiesel)
The police alone would be powerless to stop crime, therefore the citizens of the country must play a critical role in the enforcement of laws and order.
Mr. Mike Okiro, few weeks before retiring as the Inspector General, said that most governors of the South East, were not interested in assisting the police, rather they preferred funding the vigilance groups they set up, stressing that the police had the constitutional role to protect life and property. In addition to blaming the governors, the then IGP also blamed the people of being responsible for the escalation in armed robberies and kidnappings, which get more bizarre by the day. Okiro cited statistics which show that Abia, Enugu, and Imo States jointly recorded the highest rate of violent crimes, as well as kidnappings, with most perpetrators escaping the dragnet of the law because of their high level of sophistication. He said vigilante groups in the South East, which enjoy the support of the state governments, worsen the situation, as most of them perpetrate crimes or are used by powerful individuals to carry out criminal activities.
Okiro, in blaming the governors for not doing enough to enhance the performance of policemen in their states, stated "The Nigeria Police is a federal organisation but the Federal Government has a lot to cater for. This is why all stakeholders should come to the aid of the police. Governors as chief security officers should perform their own role so that we can have a safe society. Policemen are not magicians”.
In a meeting Okiro had with the AIG (Assistant Inspector General) for the South-Eastern zone, before his retirement, the AIG disclosed that their operation was being hampered by dearth of men and materials to work with, especially arms and ammunition. He disclosed that the criminals used guns and other weapons, which are superior to the ones used by the police and called for urgent need to address the situation.
Some state governors are equipping the police by donating to their respective state police commands in order to boost their operations, but, what are the South-Eastern Governors doing about this?
Lagos State government donated 10 APCs, 1,000 AK 47 riffles, one million rounds of ammunition and several communication gadgets to the State Police Command. Benue State Governor, Suswam, stated recently that his administration was doing all within its power to step up security, disclosing that he bought Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), to help security operatives in the state to perform their duties better.
Plateau State has been of tremendous assistance to its state police command by providing them with equipment to aid their operations. That state government purchased quite a number of communication gadgets and Hilux vans which it distributed to the Police, Army, Air Force and Civil Defense there. So far, a total of 50 of such vehicles had been distributed. In addition, that state government recently purchased 70 motorcycles equipped with communications gadgets for the law enforcement agencies in the state.
Kwara State installed Close Circuit Camera Television (CCTV) system to monitor crimes. In addition, the state also provided patrol vehicles, bullet- proof vests, communication gadgets to the police amongst others.
Only the Governor of Anambra State, out of the five in the south-eastern zone, has really invested in security and still, his best is not yet good enough, but, he has been trying. The Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council in their resolution of 9th June, 2009, commended the huge security supports which include two brand new Armored Personnel Carriers (APC), over a hundred (100) security patrol vehicles and various equipment which Mr. Peter Obi has given to the security agencies in the State. Despite all Governor Obi has done, the crime rate in the state is still very high. On August 26, 2009, banks in Awka, the Anambra State capital, closed shop indefinitely in protest against incessant attacks by armed robbers. The closure was an aftermath of Monday’s (Aug 24, 2009) robbery attack on four banks in the city, which left no fewer than three persons dead with many others injured. The 18-member robbery gang riddled the branches of five banks in Awka with bullets, before carting away huge sums of money.
Now, we are just learning that Awka, the Anambra State capital, is in panic because robbers have given notice of attack. The story is that commercial bank workers in Awka on Wednesday (September 2, 2009) fled their offices following alleged circulation of a letter by armed robbers announcing their plan to attack again this week. The story had it that for over 10 days now, banks in the city, have been shut to customers in protest against attacks by armed robbers. Is that how to live in a state capital?
Because of the high crime wave in Anambra State, the police authorities have decided to deploy 600 mobile policemen in the state to beef up security. The Police Commissioner, Mr Uzor Amakulor, said that the deployment was part of measures taken by the Inspector General of Police, Mr Ogbonna Onovo, to curb the high crime rate in the state.
While other states in other zones are using their resources to develop their respective areas, the Igbo politicians are stealing their states dry, leaving them underdeveloped and decades backwards while the people get pauperised. Tomorrow, the Igbo politicians will blame the federal government of marginalisation. Before the south-eastern politicians start blaming their backwardness on marginalisation, they should first of all use the resources at their disposal judiciously in developing their states and making life meaningful for the Igbo people; they should use what they have to get what they need and not stealing everything. After utilising the scarce resources they have judiciously for the well being of their states and people, they can then blame the federal government of marginalising the zone. Afterall, one of their own, Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State, who is the best Igbo governor, is not waiting for the federal government before doing wonders in his Anambra State despite the tribulations and problems the PDP, the Ubas, the Ukachukwus, the Emeordis, the Ngiges, the Etiabas etc are giving to him. Obi has never been distracted, they have failed to derail him from the good job he is doing for his people. What his detractors have resorted to doing now is to level unfounded and baseless accusations after accusations against him, but, these are not sticking because the people of Anambra State, who matter most, are seeing his good work. If his factionalised party (APGA) likes, let it expel Obi as being reported now, he (Obi) will join may be, the Labour Party and would still win the forth coming election in the state. It was reported that APGA, rising from their National convention in Abuja, expelled their only state ‘Governor’ from the party.
Governor Fashola of Lagos State, who’s the wonder kid of Nigerian politics and infact one of the best who have risen since independence, is not blaming the federal government of marginalisation, before doing the wonders he is performing in Lagos. Fashola would have my vote and support any day he comes out to contest for the presidency; he is the best so far. What he has achieved for Lagos State in two years, is more than what anybody has achieved for his state since independence till now. Fashola has shown all of us that everything is possible, if the leaders could put their mind and energy to it. Fashola has taught all of us that any politician who is under-performing is mischievous and wicked, because, an Igbo saying has it that “he who claims not to know how to dig a hole on the ground, is mischievous (onye siri na ya amaghi ala egwü, bu onye aruruala)”. If Fashola can do it big time, why can’t other governors do it also?
What is the Governor of Abia State doing despite leading the number one crime state in Nigeria? He only wants to invite the Joint Task Force (JTF) to come and do every thing for him, but, it seems he has no sense of history. The JTF sent in to flush out the Niger Delta militants, has been killing innocent people instead, while meeting their waterloo at the hands of the militants. Instead of the effort of the JTF stopping the militants in their tracks, it has escalated everything; the Niger Delta militants are blowing more oil pipelines up than the JTF could stop or acknowledge. The JTF personnel sent to guard against oil theft, are themselves engaging in it and are aiding the militants in illegal oil bunkering as they profit from it also.
The JTF sent to “finish” the Niger Delta militants, instead of going after the so called “culprits”, are killing innocent people, raping their women and stealing their properties including oil (just as the Nigerian military did against the Igbos during the Biafran war). So, is it the same JTF (part of Nigerian military) that Governor T.A. Orji wants to invite to Abia State to flush out the kidnappers? I hope he knows that only innocent people would be killed by the JTF, Abia State women would be raped and people’s properties would be heading northward soon. Abia State needs no JTF, but, good leadership and government, creation of jobs, provision of infrastructure and basic amenities, and the equipping of the state police command with sophisticated and rugged weapons which could match those of the kidnappers and armed robbers.
A state government that negates on its responsibility would give no damn if the whole people are wiped away by the JTF, which is an instrument in the hands of the Hausa/Fulani oligarchy to decimate the people of the former Eastern Region (today’s Niger Delta was part of the Eastern Region). The JTF is being used now to continue the genocidal tendencies, from where the north stopped, during the civil war. The JTF is only a segment of a force that regretted not wiping all the Igbos out during the civil war; for T.A.Orji to invite it to come and help fight a crime in a part of Igbo land would be giving the north the opportunity it has been craving for to complete what it started in 1967 on a platter, and it would be tantamount to inviting one’s enemy with a knife to come and sleep with the person in the same room. I do not need to remind anybody what the consequence would be. It beats my imagination how T.A. Orji would want to invite a marauding (plundering) and raping force to Abia State? This was what the Kaduna radio and television was beaming out as song throughout the civil war (in Hausa):
“Mu je mu kashe nyamiri/Mu kashe maza su da yan maza su/Mu chi mata su da yan mata su/Mu kwashe kaya su (translation: Let’s go kill the damned Igbo/Kill off their men and boys/Rape their wives and daughters/Cart off their property)” .
These are people Governor Orji wants to invite to Abia State. Isn’t it wonderful?
The same JTF soldiers recently locked out Niger Delta villagers. It was reported (ThisDay July 1, 2009) that the Joint Task Force (JTF), the military body responsible for security in the oil-producing region, stopped attempts by displaced persons to return to their villages after the bombing it (JTF) carried out to flush out the militants. Also, as an aftermath of the crisis, Niger Delta communities slammed N100bn suit on federal government. Some of the Niger Delta communities instituted the legal action against the Federal Government over the military action in the region and are asking for N100 billion as damages. According to the communities in their statement of claim, the Joint Task Force (JTF) destroyed their land, water and environment under the pretext of attacking Camp 5, belonging to Tompolo. Defendants in the suit are President Umaru Yar’Adua, the Attorney General of the Federation and Major-General Sarkin Yarkin Bello (for himself and on behalf of the Joint Task Force in Delta State).
The communities, comprising of 52 indigenes of the region, in suit no: FHC/ASB/CS/139/2009, filed on June 23, 2009 at the Federal High Court in Asaba by their solicitor, Mr. Femi Falana, are asking the court for:
*A declaration that the deployment of the Nigerian Army, Navy and Air Force to Delta State by the first defendant (the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria) on May 13, 2009, is illegal and unconstitutional, as it violates Section 217 of the 1999 Constitution
*A declaration that the wanton destruction of lives, property and mass displacement of innocent persons, including women and children by the military bombardments of the communities in Delta State is illegal, and in gross violation of the fundamental rights and humanitarian protection conferred on them by the constitution, and the Geneva Conventions Act Cap G3 Laws of the Federation, 2004;
*An order directing the defendants to pay N100 billion damages to the plaintiffs for the lives and properties wantonly destroyed by the military operations and to rebuild all the houses demolished during the bombardments.
*An order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants, either by themselves, their privies, agents and servants or howsoever called from deploying the armed forces to the Gbaramatu community without complying with a law enacted by the National Assembly.
As contained in a statement signed by their counsel, the plaintiffs also claimed that: “The indiscriminate shelling came without warning, and the innocent and non-combatant civilians were not allowed any opportunity to evacuate themselves. The displaced community dwellers are now residing in the forest and other makeshift shelters with no adequate food, clothing or medical supplies. The defendants refused humanitarian aid groups and human rights groups’ access to the area, having declared the place a no-go area and occupied same with armed soldiers.” (Tribune July 2, 2009).
For those who witnessed the genocide called Nigerian civil war, please tell me what was different then from what is contained in the preceding paragraph? That was the Nigerian military tactic then and is still its tactic now. Although Biafran case was worse and more devastating!
All that the rubber stamp Abia State House of Assembly could do was to write Yar’Adua calling on him (Yar'Adua) to declare the state a "security disaster" area because of the state of insecurity in the state. The legislators said that "the scourge of kidnapping for ransom, has brought untold suffering and indignity to the good and law-abiding citizens of Abia State." And that in about two months, not less than ten policemen have lost their lives as a result of kidnapping. Part of their resolution reads: "Abia residents, indigenes and strangers alike, have been kidnapped. The privileged ones pay their ransom in millions of naira while the more unfortunate ones pay with their lives. All over Abia State the activities of these criminals have created fear even within government. The Abia House of Assembly is worried because of this impending state of anarchy. The Police and all other security agencies are helpless. It appears as if the Police is now in comatose and cannot defend itself and the society at large."
But instead of the House to get serious, it started asking for a total overhaul of the Police hierarchy in the state. In their resolution, the House said: ""The State Commissioner of Police, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, assistant commissioners of police, the area commanders and the DPOs; and indeed, the State Director of SSS should be posted out of Abia State and other officers willing to provide security to the people of the state should be posted to the State. Other security outfits, including the military should be deployed to the state as a matter of urgency to stem further loss of lives and property, while the amnesty granted to militants in the core Niger Delta states by Mr. President, be extended to Abia State as a panacea to help curb the menace." (Ref: ThisDay July 4, 2009)
These people want others to do their job for them while they concentrate on looting the state dry. That’s all they can do right. Other states such as Lagos, Kwara, and Plateau etc are not waiting for Yar’Adua to enforce security to lives and properties there.
Suffice it to say that I still cannot understand why the indigenes of Abia State, despite their education and exposure, allowed riff-raff to be lording it over them all the while and messing up the state for them, without anybody putting a stop to all those “madness” going on in the state. The behaviour of those overseas is worse.
I crave for your patience, I have few words for Nigerians living abroad:
Many of us are staying outside of Nigeria against our wish, we cannot relocate back home for good, because, of the fear of the unknown and the uncertainties of the future. We tend to let out our frustrations by becoming adult delinquents. No matter how much money we might be making overseas, the poorest person in Nigeria might as well be happier than many of us. The poorest Nigerians, despite not being sure of their next meal, have fewer worries. And still, some of them (poor Nigerians) who have relations abroad, take from them (those abroad) to live well while many of us are dying from the stress of maintaining families at home and abroad.
The frustration, feeling of worthlessness and despair Nigerians abroad are facing on daily basis, are making many of us to loose our rational sense of reasoning and judgment. Some of us abroad are old, but, are behaving like infantile, wearing jeans, shorts, canvas, pulling trousers to the stomach, behaving like “bomboy”, while our age mates in Nigeria are elders, village heads, taking active part in the goings in their community, taking up responsibilities for their community, bringing out ideas to develop their areas, adjudicating cases between warring parties who are members of their village/community. But the men (abroad) have refused to grow and have no good thing to teach the younger ones and cannot set a good example for them (younger ones) to follow.
Some of our women abroad have forgotten their age, behaving like sixteen years old girls when their age mates in Nigeria are already grand mothers, church women leaders and members of Christian Union, women leaders of villages or community. These women (abroad), instead of being shinning example for the younger Nigerian ladies to see and follow, are even helping to lead them (the younger ones) astray. These old women, instead of learning the good things from their host country, would only copy the bad aspect of life there.
Some of us (old men and women) have grey hairs, but, would continue to dye our hairs to conceal our real age, some of us are close to or above 50 years old, but, behave as if we are in our 20s. Our grey hairs are not sign of wisdom rather that of fatuity
Why bring up this point now?
I’m bringing up the point, because, of our attitude. When a politician visits our country of abode, we rush to welcome him, seeking one favour or the other from him, despite our knowledge that such a politician is very corrupt. Nigerians abroad instead of telling the visiting politicians to their face that they are very corrupt and admonish them to change for good, or avoid the reception for the politicians entirely, have turned themselves into beggars for favour. Those of us, who were opportune to be called to service in Nigeria, turned out to be worse than those in Nigeria, they became more corrupt and over-pompous than those Nigerians (who never stayed abroad) occupying similar posts. They became a failure despite their years abroad, they failed to bring the experience and knowledge they acquired in foreign land to bear on their position of responsibility in Nigeria.
Many of us instead of condemning corrupt politicians, praise them because they are from our area, despite knowing their level of corruption. We tend to allow our parochial tendencies to becloud our objectivity, just to “protect our own”; but we forgot that although the politician might be one of our own, he and his family only is enjoying while our (yours and mine) families are suffering. There is no need to justify evil because it comes from us. That’s what our sojourn abroad is supposed to teach us.
T.A. Orji was recently in Maryland, USA, where it was alleged that he bought a house. What the Abia State indigenes in USA did was to rush to the reception his (Orji) front men in America organised in his honour and these Abia State indigenes were falling over themselves to shake Orji’s hand, get his complimentary card and to be identified with him. We should avoid such looters (corrupt politicians) like plague; we are supposed to inundate him with questions and writings, to point out his crime to him and to demand that he work for the good of all the people of the state rather than engaging in frivolities with him. For me, dining with such low lifes (corrupt politicians) is a frivolous enterprise. I hereby admonish all Abia State indigenes, both at home and abroad, for their complacency and staying aloof to the stealing of the state resources by Orji Uzor kalu, his family and stooge in the person of T.A.Orji. For those abroad: If we like, let’s hide in our cozy environment in the developed world without pointing out the evils in our home state as if we would never go back to that country again; the table has started turning, the first is fast becoming the last, some Nigerians in America and Europe have started relocating back to Nigeria and some wealthy Nigerians are now sending money to their relatives abroad. We might not want to think of it, but, dead or alive, we would go back to that country and our state one day. If we so desire, let’s leave our country and state to the wild dogs to rape them front and back, one day we would regret our indolence, because, we had the opportunity to make a difference no matter how insignificant, we had the chance to point out the evils being perpetrated in our home society and to avoid the politicians whenever they visit our country of abode as that would had sent a message to them that we want them to work for the good of all. Any politician, who meets an empty hall during his reception abroad, would be forced to think twice.
We can fold our hands expecting God to send people from other planets to come and make Nigeria better for us. That would never happen, it is me and you who would change our country for good.
To be continued.
THE THANXS IS ALL YOURS!!!
Continued from Part 3
