National insecurity, youth frustration and exclusion
By Mohammed Bello Yunusa
IN Nigeria nothing is rational. Everything is instigated. That the cock did not crow this morning, the cock must have been told not to crow so that I don’t wake up early for my duties. Therefore, at all times, as much as you needed someone who knows another one that knows the water board manager to get your house connected to water supply line, you also need the same chain of relationship to react to government policies, errors or make demands on the government as a citizen.
The individual citizens have no reasoning capacity, so this type of social capital is required. It cannot be voluntary. The citizens must have been instigated by opponents or other persons that either hate or are not benefitting from the system. This is the fallacy of our collective reasoning that undermines our political and socioeconomic development and national unity. We must revive our collective capacity to see issues as the present themselves. Otherwise, we have chosen to remain in disarray without development.
In late January 2020, I was travelling to Kogi with my brothers, Nasir and Abdullahi, in my enviable Toyota Camry. But it was all my salary could buy for me and for that I take a good pride cruising it on the bumpy and pothole infested road. The density of road blocks by all manners of public funded uniformed men became high after the notorious or well-known road block at Abaji.
From there on, it became difficult to identify who is and who is not a security agent. They wore assorted dresses that range from T-shirts and bathroom slippers to anything. It is easy to develop cold sweat as you approach them because you cannot know who they really are: State security personnel or armed robbers?
Close to Gegu a team of poorly uniformed officers waved us down. Since they had a marked vehicle, we assumed they were genuine. The conversation started from where are you going and on to National Driver’s Licence and vehicle particulars. The ‘Oga’ held unto the papers and left the driver pleading. After a long wait for the driver’s return, Nasir had to intervene before we were let go! Other travellers may not be that lucky.
The density of number of state funded uniform personnel per road length is as worrisome as the lack of security provision for the country. The Police, SARS, Road Safety, Civil Defence Corps, Drug Enforcement and many more are on the road for special assignment. Other than the highways, many more uniformed security officers are devoted to political office holders than to communities.
Those that are to monitor and protect citizen Adamu and Hawau from all forms of insecurities are in the comfort zones of political office holders and their families. Forget that they are paid by tax payers to keep all of us safe. There is something frightening about where the uniformed men choose to block on the roads. The various manners of uniformed men and women that presume all of us criminals on the highways mount road blocks at extremely damaged road sections or dangerous blind spots. It leaves a lot of us to wonder as to the purposes of security agencies on the highways.
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Some months ago, Dr. A. Bello has reason to travel to Kano. Along his route, an armed police officer waved him down. The officer moved closed to him and said he needed assistance as fuel in the patrol vehicle had dried up. Bello was piqued. Why should a patrol officer beg to fuel a patrol van? Supposing there is need for a hot chase of a suspect, what happens?
What has happened to all the local government, state government and federal statutory allocations to the police and other agencies? Is it that in addition to taxes, citizens that are unfortunate to travel the roads must fuel highway patrol vans? As citizens, we are constantly embarrassed by this and there is need to halt this ugly practice.
In reacting to the initial youth #EndSars protest the government acted well but too fast. It was good the SARS was scrapped with fiat. The instant creation of SWAT was a bad move. The confidence of citizens has long been eroded to deliver services. The government should have tarried a little at the dissolution of SARS and allowed time to rethink a viable alternative. The speed made the youth to think that Miss Fola has become Mrs. Fola. And so, SWAT was instantly rejected and the protest was prolonged enough for others who desire a pound of flesh of Nigeria to infiltrate the youth and their genuine cause.
This leads to another nagging matter. Not letting go officers that ought to have retired is damaging to security agencies and the personnel. Political as the appointments to such commanding heights may be, every person from day one in service aspires to those exalted positions. When any is allowed to sit tight, first, the capacity and ability to deliver diminishes with time and secondly, the subordinates become disenchanted and followership becomes an issue.
Those positions that retirees are not appointed to are better declared vacant for appointment of new and possibly enthusiastic persons. It is better for Mr. President to let the Service Chiefs go. If the President so need them it might well be to retain them as security consultants. This will boost the morale of our security operatives at this point of pervading insecurities.
Recently I was at the kiosk of the faculty of Arts on the Ahmadu Bello University campus. I over-heard a young man, above 25 years old, discussing on phone. He was lamenting how the children of the rich are taken to institutions in Cotonou for a six month degree programme and are placed in choice employments on return. He has a good grade at graduation, but without a job, a dependent on the family and friends and no idea of when to start a home.
In another, I was standing with Dr. Haruna on a street in Maitama, Abuja. A young man in white shirt and tie greeted us, walked around and came back to us. He requested if we can take his CV for a possible job. We took it but I came to tears. This may as well be my son! With a second class upper division in economics, after four years of graduation, he has no job, no facilitator except himself roaming the streets. These young men have reasons to be angry with us and our country.
This is the situation of our youth. The weak ones resort to antisocial or criminal behaviour. The state must take responsibility for this. The guardians and parents have done their bit, but that education as a social mobility vehicle has been subverted. A privileged few are in employment, the under privileged majority are encouraged to become entrepreneurs in okada, tricyle and petty economic activities.
All tiers of government must return to the drawing board to tackle what went wrong with our long stated ideals of equality and egalitarianism in our development goals. To be employed, the youth need to know someone who knows another that knows an elected or appointed state official. Otherwise, the youth must have tonne load of cash to buy himself a job. The street is full of stories of job sales. Nobody has confirmed or denied.
Job requirements are stated, interviews are held and cancelled, yet employments are made. Employment has long ceased to be competitive. The victims are the children of nobody. The lack of competitiveness enthrones mediocrity and humiliates hard work. This is bad for our socioeconomic development and quality service delivery to citizens. Deliberate efforts are needed to establish and halt employment sales, reintegrate our youth into mainstream employment on competitive grounds.
The cock did not crow simply because it was sick. The youths in our homes and streets are overwhelmed by frustration and anger more out of extreme exclusion that challenges their individual dignity as human beings. The anger and frustration should not be allowed to erupt again. Instead of a blame game it is only pertinent that the federal government extensively builds level playing ground where youth can effectively compete among themselves regardless of socioeconomic, ethnic, religious, political and regional backgrounds. As citizens, the youth desire and deserve respect and dignity.
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