When people find themselves in situations that overwhelm them, it is not unusual for them to ask; “who did this to us”? Some express it in other forms as, “how did we come to this? Do we really deserve this?”
By Emeka Alex Duru
When people find themselves in situations that overwhelm them or acute leadership failure that Nigerians have been serially afflicted with, it is not unusual for them to ask; “who did this to us”? Some express it in other forms as, “how did we come to this? Do we really deserve this?” Many Nigerians are at this tipping point now. To some, life has literally lost meaning.
When you see some citizens these days, walking on the streets, talking to themselves, yes, soliloquizing, not as in drama or mental cases, they do not know when and where the next meal will come from. It is that bad! Three striking instances within the month speak to the helplessness in the land. We shall take them in order of occurrence, starting with the adamancy of Nigerians to remain in Lebanon in the face of the conflict between the country and Israel.
Since the unprovoked attack on Israeli citizens by elements of the extremist Hamas organisation on October 7, 2023, Israel has been up in arms against people and nations suspected of providing support to the terrorist group. Hezbollah, an organisation which shares anti-Semitic sentiments with Hamas, is domiciled in Lebanon and perceived to enjoy the cover of the government. For that, certain sections of the country have come under missile attacks by Israel’s defence forces.
In response, many countries have been evacuating their nationals from Lebanon. But in the case of Nigeria, out of the estimated 2000 citizens in Lebanon, only 500 had by last week, indicated willingness to be taken out of the war theatre, according to the Nigeria Diaspora Commission. The rest prefer living and perhaps dying in Lebanon, to returning to their fatherland. That speaks a lot.
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Back here in Lagos, a video of Nigerians filing out to collect Bible and loaves of bread from a Caucasian missionary in the Ajao Estate area of the state made the rounds on social media. The clip showed both men and women queuing to collect the items. A man who recorded the moment and shared the video online said the scene indicated how hungry people were. In a technology-driven era as we are that has shrunk the world to a global village, the sordid video will be telling our story in other parts of the earth.
Such sights are associated with countries at war, under pronounced natural disasters such as drought, earthquake, hurricane surge and other unforeseen occurrences. Nigeria is not afflicted with any of such acts of disequilibrium. But the lots of the people are not better.
As if the national shame of the Ajao Estate incident is not enough, another viral video showed some Nigerians blocking military trucks and calling on soldiers to take over the reins of power. The location of the incident was not stated but the protesters anchored their demands on the growing hardship in the country. Recall that a similar situation nearly played out during the August 1-10 nationwide protest against hunger, when some youths in the Northern part of the country, openly brandished Russian Flags on the streets and hoisted some at strategic points.
Now, these are disturbing instances that should give every Nigerian serious cause for concern. Open invitation for military takeover, rankles mostly. It can only take extreme despondency for a people to invite the soldiers to rule over them. Military rule is an aberration to start with and against the norms of standard practice. Soldiers are not trained for civil leadership. Theirs is a system fashioned on command and control. When informed analysts remark that the worst form of civilian administration is better than the best form of military regime, it is not for fun. The first move by a military government is to take away the constitutional and fundamental rights of the citizens. That, instantly makes them robots of sorts. For a people to ask for such abnormality as baiting the men on jackboots to rule over them is suicidal. But that is where they have found themselves.
I grew up with unpleasant experiences of the Generals Yakubu Gowon, Murtala Mohammed and Olusegun Obasanjo military administrations between 1970 and 1979. I can still recall how as a secondary school fresher in 1977, illiterate soldiers posted to the schools who permitted one to step out to make purchases, would deny you entry, even with your signed exeat card. Attempts to make explanations, infuriated them more and earned one more strokes of the cane. Only the intervention of a Prefect known to the soldiers, would make them budge. That sordid experience affected my impression of the military, until lately.
The interregnum of the Shehu Shagari civilian presidency of 1979-1983 made a lot of difference. Nigerians had the worst form of military rulership in the period of Generals Muhammadu Buhari (1984-1985), Ibrahim Babangida (1985-1993) and Sani Abacha (1993-1998). As a middle level officer in the newsroom, we were among the journalists that monitored the dictatorial tendencies of the Babangida and Abacha regimes. Attempts by the two Generals to remain in office by whatever guises, met with stiff resistance from the media and other activist groups.
Each time I reflect on the heroic battles to drive the soldiers back to the barracks, I have reasons to pray that the democracy we currently enjoy, does not slip off our fingers. I recall in particular, the epic encounter of the five million-man anti-Abacha protest in Yaba, Lagos, of March 3, 1998. I keep recalling, as if it was yesterday, how some of us, young Reporters, lay on the rail tracks to dodge bullets from trigger-happy soldiers and policemen detailed to disperse the protesters. I recall how news filtered in from the Ojuelegba axis of the front, that popular human rights activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Olisa Agbakoba had been arrested by the security goons. We actually saw him momentarily dumped at the back of a police van with bruised face. We were about being discouraged by that gory sight when from the Jibowu end, the peoples’ lawyer, Gani Fawehinmi (SAN), marched on, unbuttoned his suits and invited the soldiers to shoot at him. His appearance energized the struggle. Some of us that witnessed the actions, survived to tell our stories. But not the likes of Bagauda Kaltho and other colleagues. They were not lucky; they paid the supreme sacrifice.
This is not the route any Nigerian with his mind intact, should crave for in inviting the military. It is good that the Defence Headquarters has warned those making the call to desist from such. We don’t need any military intervention in any form. But the lesson of the invitation to the soldiers, is the extent of desperation that the people have been pushed to by the obvious leadership failure and harsh economic situation in the land. That also explains Nigerians queueing for loaves of bread from a foreigner or refusing to be evacuated from Lebanon. When an otherwise proud people succumb to such piteous beggarly action, something is wrong.
Things have really gone bad for the citizens. President Bola Tinubu and his administration must therefore act fast to remedy the situation. Eighteen months in the saddle should be enough for Nigerians to feel the promises of his election manifesto. The people have had enough of propaganda and outright falsehood by the foot soldiers of his administration. It is time for the real deal, as Americans would say. The earlier that is done, the better for all.
