By Christie Doyin
I was half way through this write up when human error sets in and I mistakenly wiped out all I had written but then, I just must braze on and put something up. I felt bad and sorry all at once when it happened. So it is with life and governance. Human errors are bound to occur once in a while but in consideration that there are people somewhere that the error could have affected, albeit negatively, you then need to show remorse, be apologetic and not just take people for granted or toy with their emotions.
The social media was washed with the flagrant abuse of power by the president and his immediate family, especially by one of his daughters, Hanan, who felt the President’s official jet is the family car that can be used with a snap of the fingers to ‘daddy’s driver’, this time, pilot, without giving a hoot about the effect on the citizens and the nation’s economy.
The most insulting of it all is the excuses by the President’s spokespersons to cover up the anomaly, rather than apologise. This is a story for another day.
Now, looking at the decision by the South West States to take a bold and decisive step to fight insecurity in their areas of jurisdiction, so to say, one cannot but give them kudos. It is however, sad that the president, who ought to feel sorry and apologetic to the citizens for failure on the part of the Federal Government to curb insecurity and clip the wings of insurgency, is now declaring the formation of ‘Amotekun’ security outfit illegal. How sad!
Declaring Amotekun outlawed is another way of giving nod to the insurgents, criminals and terrorists to thrive. That is not even all, the presidency also challenged the authority of governors of the concerned states for initiating a long over due move to secure their states and citizens against criminals and criminality.
The Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka has lend voice to condemn the federal government’s declaration of Amotekun as illegal. According to Soyinka, “a serious government who cares for its citizens would not object to such initiative.
“The initiative is quite legal and constitutional and in any case, the federal government should go to court.”
Abubakar Malami, the Minister of Justice, has aid setting up the organisation “runs contrary to the provisions of the Nigerian law.”
“No other authority at the state level, whether the executive or legislature has the legal authority over defence,” he said.
The most worrisome is the fact that the Federal Government had at no time banned or considered similar security outfits, Hisbah and the Civilian Joint Task Force among others in the north, especially in the north west and east states as illegal. This is why I aligned with former minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode’s reaction on his Facebook account wondering why the Hisbah Police in the North West and Civilian Joint Task Force in the North East can be seen as legal but Amotekun which is to protect indigenes of the South West is illegal.
For a responsive and well coordinated responsible government, there must be general concern for all the governed, irrespective of states, region or tribe. After all, what is good for the geese is also soup for the gander.
I still agree with Prof Soyinka’s stand that it was disappointing to see the reaction to a very simple operation taken by South-West governors, in which “some people in high places speaking perhaps for the government objected the initiative”. Soyinka said it is the fundamental right of the people to defend themselves from killers and other unscrupulous forces that threaten their existence. I believe no one would disagree with this.
“To say that the people do not have a right to defend their lives, secure a livelihood and flush out the evil elements and pick up the slack that existing securities are unable to fulfil is an enemy action and inhumane,” Soyinka added.
If a government is not proactive, it then should not feel threatened if some others rise up to take over its responsibilities.
In the erudite professor’s words, “some people who have been sleeping all this while, taking belated actions, who watched all the security threats that citizens suffer saying the initiative is illegal and unconstitutional is unacceptable.” yes, very unacceptable and it’s something every well meaning person should be concerned about.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Solomon Asemota, said the south-western states are not out of order and have the right to protect their people.
“The federal government itself can go to court, both parties put up arguments and thereafter decide what the majority of Nigerians want,” he said.
The question now is, why is the Federal Government against initiating a security outfit in the south west while same outfits in the north are receiving government’s backing?
FFK can never be more right than this when he wrote; ”Hisbah Police in North West is ok. Civilian Joint Task Force in North West is ok. Civilian Joint Task Force in North East is ok. Meanwhile, IPOB in South East are terrorists and Amotekun in South West is illegal! One day, Nigerians will get tired of this bullshit, get sense and free themselves from this insufferable bondage.
“The bitter truth is that what the Federal Government has done by claiming that Amotekun is illegal is to strengthen the hand and harden the resolve of the more radical and forceful elements and the more extreme nationalist forces in the South West who have always challenged the erroneous notion, flawed logic and questionable assumption that the unity of Nigeria is not only settled but also sacrosanct.
If you say that we cannot defend ourselves and our people from tribal and religious bigots, ethnic cleansers, genocidal maniacs, barbarous savages, bloodthirsty jihadists, blood-lusting terrorists, racial supremacists, and cold-blooded mass murderers simply because we are southerners then to hell with your Nigerian unity”.
This could be considered too hard a stance but nothing else could be this right.
I still want to believe, like Soyinka that the president is not against the formation of this outfit and that some persons somewhere “who have been sleeping all this while, taking belated actions, who watched all the security threats that citizens suffer” are the one talking, because if he is, then his integrity will be seriously questioned.
*Doyin writes via cdoyin@yahoo.com
