…A National Culture of Brutishness and Irresponsibility will Ultimately Destroy the Nigerian Society
By Frank Tietie
Every region in Nigeria, undoubtedly is troubled but it doesn’t have to be so, especially when much of the trouble is self-inflicted.
The gestapo invasion of a church service in Imo State by the Nigerian police on Boxing Day, to effect the arrest of Uche Nwosu is not only barbaric, unprofessional, irresponsible, sacrilegious and retrogressive but calculated to inflict and sustain the atmosphere of terror which should be attributed to bandits and terrorists. Therefore, the question is: Why should state actors operate as agents and instruments of terror?
Clearly, the Nigerian police especially, and other law enforcement agencies in Nigeria, many a times don’t know how to manage the force of state. They see the application of force as a licence for lawlessness and disregard for social values and, known modern standards of police-civic relations. They usually operate like that for short-term, political gains and pecuniary benefits, leaving the Nigerian society, debased, debauched, degraded, terrorised and unconsciously instilling a psyche of violence among the people. This has serious consequences considering the recent emergence of terrorism and the continued weakening of the Nigerian state, being nearly overtaken by insecurity and widespread violence. Violence begets violence, hence its minimal and controlled use by state actors, especially the police.
Uche Nwosu, a popular Imo politician, former gubernatorial aspirant and well known son-in-law of Senator Rochas Okorocha, by all standards, didn’t need the police to invade a church service to arrest him. Nwosu, a fine gentleman shouldn’t be harassed because some people don’t like Senator Okorocha. Imagine such extent of brutishness out of political spite.
The courts of law and places of worship are considered sacrosanct because of the value they hold for social cohesion and politicospiritual order, yet these places have often times been carelessly desecrated by Nigerian law enforcement agents without thinking of the long term adverse effects. Law enforcement challenges and the horrible perception of state security agents are increased to the ultimate loss of public order, when the people perceive the police as violators of peace and instruments of humiliation of dissenters. A society that operates like that becomes a breeding ground for boko haram, charismatics and secessionist movements. The costs are too high for such incipient and stupid actions which are plainly irresponsible.
Still on Boxing day, one of Nigeria’s pride in the retail and department stores business, Next Cash ‘n’ Carry caught fire and was completely burnt down. It is a huge national economic loss but it is hardly considered so because it is a private business which belongs to the Igbo stock, a people with a cultural knack for building thriving and successful businesses out of next to nothing.
Earlier in the year 2021, residents of Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital were horrified by social media visuals of the inferno at Ebeano Supermarket, which belongs to another Igbo man with an economic midas touch. The shock was to be too much to take when it was revealed that some female teenagers actually ignited the fire that completely burnt down Ebeano Supermarket.
Both Next Cash ‘n’ Carry and Ebeano Supermarket are in the heart of the Federal Capital City of Abuja which has a Federal Fire Service that consumes its own share of the Federal Government budget every year, yet it couldn’t save the two superstores from being completely taken down by fire. Losses for Igbo businesses? So wrong!
Again, there is no record (subject to correction) that the Honourable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory visited the site of the Ebeano inferno, thereafter and promised some form of government support to rebuild the business. And one may only wonder what the owner may be going through, at the moment, trying to obtain loans either from commercial banks or the Bank of Industry to rebuild a successful modern supermarket that he lost to a broken system, at no fault of his. Is he really the loser? No!
Ebeano Supermarket and Next Cash ‘n’ Carry are Nigerian businesses which not only employ thousands of Nigerians as workers and suppliers but they are a pride of any city that hosts them. The twonstores, including my favourite, Sarah Stores have revolutionised modern retailing, harnessing supplies from every region of Nigeria and putting them under one roof. No! The owners are not the losers. Nigerians are collectively at a loss over the fire incidents at Ebeano and Next Cash ‘n’ Carry.
There is also no record that the government (subject to correction), set up any form of inquiry to look into the Ebeano Inferno with a view to preventing it from happening to other superstores. So how many questions were asked as to rapid response level of the Federal Fire Service to such incidents with a view to saving the buildings and not just quenching smouldering goods? By the way, the Federal Service has strategic locations all around Abuja city
When the usual Nigerian refrain goes that: “It doesn’t concern me. Na their own!” It is usually not too long before it gets to all of us. And like Isodore Okpebho described the Nigerian-Biafran Civil War, ‘ We are all Victims’.
Therefore, if anyone thinks the rising state of terror in the South East is an Igbo problem, let that one think again. And if the huge losses of Ebeano Supermarket and Next Cash ‘n’ Carry superstores are considered to be Igbo losses, let it be considered again.
We can only build an enduring society if those who are in authority and operate the force of state do so with a sense of responsibility aimed at preserving a peaceful and progressive society.
Frank Tietie
Human Rights Lawyer & News Analyst,
writes from Abuja, Nigeria.
