Re: Reaping the tsunami in Nasarawa
In the Friday 7th and Saturday 8th October, 2011 editions of Leadership and Weekly Trust newspapers, Akwati tried to analyze the situation of insecurity in Nasarawa State under the title “ Reaping the tsunami in Nasarawa” where he heaped the blame on Governor Al-Makura. While I do not quarrel with him expressing concern on the […]
In the Friday 7th and Saturday 8th October, 2011 editions of Leadership and Weekly Trust newspapers, Akwati tried to analyze the situation of insecurity in Nasarawa State under the title “ Reaping the tsunami in Nasarawa” where he heaped the blame on Governor Al-Makura. While I do not quarrel with him expressing concern on the insecurity in the state, I see it going beyond the present Governor’s tenure and most importantly demanding the collective efforts of everyone residing in the state. My position is premised from the perspective below.
The use of the word “tsunami” implies a grave situation that has unsettled the people, if the Japanese experience which he cited is anything to go by. I agree that insecurity looms with robberies and minor thefts, but this is not peculiar to Nasarawa State when viewed against the nationwide spate of such dastardly acts. Count and tell me which PDP state in the country has not witnessed such insecurity in the recent time.
Methinks that the “tsunami” Akwati is referring to is the democratic upset that occurred in the state where the former Governor, Aliyu Akwe Doma was sent packing from the Shendam Road Government House in Lafia by voters in the April 2011 elections. Losers never easily accept defeat without fingering some other persons for their predicament. In fact, they continue to fight the victor by making disparaging remarks with a view to pulling him down or making the people regret their choice.
The emergence of the CPC after twelve gruesome years of the PDP in the April polls will definitely not go down well and easily with the latter. It is pertinent to state that power comes from God and is held in trust by the people who exercised such at the polls. This is exactly what the people of Nasarawa State did in the April 2011 elections. The people did so after tasting the menu provided for them but by discarding the cook; it is wise that we allow them compare the pudding being churned out from the CPC pot instead of engaging in petty squabbles. The emergence of a credible opposition with constructive and patriotic suggestions on the development of the state is all we need now as a people.
My heart bled with fury when with reference was made about the lawlessness being exhibited during and after campaigns by politicians. It is a sad commentary in Nigerian politics, a development dating back to the immediate post independence era. From the famous Western crisis of the first republic to the middle belt crisis, the second republic and later trials to democratic practices in the country, one is easily reminded that Nigerians are slow to learning from history.
Nigerian politicians have over the years trained and used thugs on their hapless voters with impunity. Political thugs masquerading in different garbs and names have been freely used to harass and force voters in Nasarawa State into “voting” politicians to various offices. From the inception of the current democratic experience in the country twelve years on, political thugs in the names of “Tazarce”, “Change boys”, “Be Careful”, “ADOSA” among others have all thrived in the state unleashing mayhem for anyone perceived to be on the way of their masters. They assumed the official security outfits for their masters during campaigns and no one, including the Nigeria Police could raise an eyebrow. The CPC too may not extricate itself from this development but I hasten to point out that leaders of every party will deny having such “undesirables” in their fold. They easily disown the thugs and even call them miscreants when the chips are down.
It is true, as Akwati pointed out, that the Governor is the Chief Security Officer of the state. The display of lawlessness by youths during the campaign tour of President Goodluck Jonathan cannot be blamed on Governor Al-Makura who was not occupying the seat at that time. If anyone should be blamed, it is his predecessor, Doma. Even then doing so may not be apt as he cannot be blamed for dereliction of duty since he had no absolute control of the Nigeria Police which is a federal security agency. This may be why the agitation for state police is increasingly being clamoured for by some Nigerians.
The writer’s concern on the insecurity in his “native Akwanga” and the roads leading into it from Lafia, Jos and Abuja is germane and shared by well meaning citizens of the state but the blame should not be heaped on Governor Al-Makura. Al-Makura is only about four months old in office while this problem predates his assumption of office. For the records, there was a point in time in Nasarawa State when the convoy of the Benue State governor was attacked with some persons killed in the process in spite of all the security personnel accompanying. A fully loaded vehicle with police men set out on duty was similarly attacked along Lafia – Akwanga road in the past with occupants killed while robbery and other attacks along roads were a regular but repulsive occurrence. Many robberies were witnessed in Lafia before Al-Makura came into office. One can go on to enumerate so many more depending on experiences, occurrences and victims. The time calls for concerted efforts from all to check the growing insecurity in our neighborhoods where our children are becoming the vicious perpetrators. Fact is Nigeria is being confronted by a big enemy.
Akwati cannot be in his “native Akwanga” and claim to know the electricity supply situation of Lafia more than its residents. To say that transformers installed by the previous administration were vandalized is false and ill intentioned. If the preceding government installed so many transformers in the town, why are we still bitterly faced with shortage of power supply warranting the purchase and installation of the many being done by Al-Makura? As for street lights, here again the writer is not being fair to his master as he is only seeking to expose his shortcomings. Can he state when, and if at all the street lighting project in Lafia town meant for commissioning within the one hundred days of Doma were completed? For four years the project remained “on-going” and never got commissioned!
It is time we realized that Nasarawa State belongs to us all. We should busy ourselves seeking development for our state and charting a new course for the future generation instead of dissipating energies on this “war-war” battle on the pages of newspapers or sponsoring thugs against our perceived political enemies. Nobody will gain from this and we shall be judged by our acts of omission or commission.
Yakubu is of Kurikyo Road, Lafia, Nasarawa State.