The pandemic of the ‘protected lootings’

The recent looting of shops and arson on banks and public buildings during the EndSARS protest is criminal. It is condemnable, and its effects on the economy of Lagos, investors’ confidence and the perceived risk of investing in Nigeria are enormous. However, more pathetic than the horrible destruction of public and private economic assets is the looting of warehouses where COVID-19 palliative-foodstuff and other materials were kept. To me, the massive looting of goods held in the custody of the government is a parable. A parable that depicts the decadence of Nigeria since the amalgamation of 1914. An allegory that portrays the value of our past and present leaders established for the future leaders of a united Nigeria.

I have restrained myself from reacting to the event and the subsequent reactions from the government. But the voice of my pen is crying for an expression. Anytime, I drive through the Ojodu-Berger Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) Park; I pity the future of this country. We have burnt the busses during the protest, and the masses are now on the roads scrabbling for the few available commercial vehicles owned by the private operators. What a pity! The visible effects of the activities of the hoodlums that hijacked the protest reminded me of a famous quote by an unknown author. It is a pity that pity cannot pity itself in a pity situation where pity is most needed. Nigeria’s case is indeed a pathetic situation going by the events of the last month.

The government was quick to blame the destruction on the hoodlums who were said to have hijacked a peaceful protest as if the hoodlums were foreigners who for no reasons, invaded a sovereign state. Who are the hoodlums? Are they not the impoverished Nigerians who have been neglected by the selfish drive and ambition of the political class to amass the wealth of the state for their family and siblings? I am not justifying the activities of the Nigerians who preach violence or the so-called hoodlums who are also political tools when required. The defense of blaming an “unknown soldier” in the Lekki tollgate attacks on the peaceful protesters and for the unfathomable destruction of properties, looting and killings is a show of irresponsibility on the path of the state and her leadership. Are we not in a country with a sovereign power and institutions to protect people, enforce civility and ensure sanity?

Where are the beautiful ones in Nigeria? A set of hungry citizens discovered warehouses where palliative materials were stored and decided to loot them for survival. Who says manna cannot fall from heaven these days? Who says the miracle of abundance given to the lepers in Babylon cannot be repeated in Nigeria?

Nigeria’s most significant problem is not her diversity. The amalgamation of 1914 was a marriage of convenience of the Colonial Government to achieve Her Majesty’s objectives. The diversity of the destinies of the Igbos, Yorubas, Hausas, Ijaws, Kanuris, Igalas and other ethnic groups is an opportunity save for the problem. Our problem is our leaders. Not just the leaders, the leadership selection process and the institutions created to protect the looters and impoverish others. A prominent politician or a pen thief steals a billion and gets bailed from the EFCC’s custody. A hoodlum steals food items and appears on crime fighters, spends years in prison awaiting trials and eventually gets killed with no mercy. We are indeed in an animal farm where all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than the others.

I have not in my past articles shy from my ideology. I see no reason we sing-praised the founding fathers of Nigeria if what we are witnessing are the products of their leadership intelligence and efforts. It is not enough to fight for independence when most of the citizens are not better off than being under colonial rule. It is not enough to have a democracy where the craziness of poverty and oppression is on the rise day and day. Check it out, most of the third world countries that metamorphosed into progressive and first-world nations were changed under visionary leadership which were not necessarily democratic. Democracy without visionary leadership and value-oriented institutions as typical in Africa is a platform for human degradation, ethnical oppression and genocide. Democracy is good if it is not devoid of the unity of purpose. Our government is a business with personal wealth accumulation, religion and ethnic sentiments as the stock in trade.

I was driven by a 70years old taxi man recently. We got into the discussion on the ENDSARS protest, police brutality and the retaliation again the police. Baba was candid in his expression. Most of the policemen and women are working for themselves and not for the people nor the state that employed them. An average police officer has a personal target of the amount of extortion and bride money he wants as he or she sets out in the morning. It does not matter if you drive through one way or not, be ready to part with your cash for the officer to meet his daily target.

The selfish enrichment and entrepreneurism cut across all the nooks and corners of our public life. From the civil looters who must take a bride to issue a land document, to the “legislooters”, “stealnators”, “judicilooters”, “execulootors” and the recently discovered “pallialooters” -all have one thing in mind. To serve in a position is to take advantage and steal enough public resources to last a generation. This assertion has been justified time without numbers. A Nigerian President once said, stealing is not corruption. What did we do? We sacked him. We elected another one on the platform of fighting corruption. What do we have? We have two good senators justifying their jumbo pay with claims that the ministers are spending more resources than the “stealnators”. They wonder why we are questioning their underserved payment and positioned that as an unnecessary focus on the senate as an organ of government. In truth and fairness, we have not shown equity in our dealings with the political criminals in society. We have seen ex-governors appearing in the culprit boxes only to be transformed into powerful kingmakers after that.

Where are the beautiful ones in Nigeria? A set of hungry citizens discovered warehouses where palliative materials were stored and decided to loot them for survival. Who says manna cannot fall from heaven these days? Who says the miracle of abundance given to the lepers in Babylon cannot be repeated in Nigeria?

The parable of the lootings of the palliative warehouses across Nigeria reflects what has been missionized by our leaders, including the so-called founding fathers. The state police and military officers that have been protecting the political looters did their job by asking the palliative looters not to destroy properties but to take what they want from the national resources peacefully. That is precisely how our leaders have been taking from the national resources. If you are thinking too far, think of the Abacha or Ibori loots and those under the unending trials of the ICPC and EFCC.

Who is to be blamed for the pandemic of the protective lootings? The police or the politicians or the people who copied the behaviour of their leaders?

To be continued.