Who is Anini, anyway?

Posted on June 19, 2008 by admin

His friends call him Idi. Young and health, he was bubbling with life “ as there was every indication that eh would make it in life “ and perhaps, cross over from poverty line into a life worth living. As with his contemporaries, he wouldnt want to loose the life battle to death. That evening, he had, with his young wife, visited a friend where they were treated to a sumptuous dinner. Then they raced in their Peugeot 505 back home to watch the World Cup. Argentine was playing that fateful evening. The wife wanted to watch a horror film on the newly acquired VHS video machine which Idi preferred being like most Nigerian football fans. In a male dominated society, he had his way “ and the angry lady slept on the carpet, perhaps, dreaming horrors. At about one oclock in the morning, the match ended. Satisfied, Idi work up his wife and asked her to watch her desired horror film. She objected having been humiliated. They then bolted at doors and went to sleep. Idis school leaver brothers were sleeping in one of the rooms while his brothers wife who was then on a visit preferred the parlour to the store-turned bedroom carefully arranged to her taste.

The lights in the parlour as well as those of the bedrooms were on. The brothers, who were sleeping comfortably in a music filled room slept off “ and the cassette played itself out, with no one to switch it off. The closest neighbours were a policeman and fire fighter who lived in the boys quarters. The fire fighter was out on that day “ he was off to a funeral in another town. The police officer was on night duty. Only their wives and children were at home.

At about 3.00 hours in the morning, nine masked men entered the house, after having successfully opened the doors of the gate and that of the house. One stood guard at the door. One of the men carefully turned his knife on the neck of the lady who slept in the parlour. Another entered the room where the boys slept and woke them up. With fright, they opened their eyes only to find a hefty blue faced masked man warning them to be careful or their throats would be slit off. Frightfully, they gasped, counting their lifespan then by seconds, praying that the long knife would not be used on them.

Five others went into the master bedroom. First, they slapped Idi on the face, dazed by exhaustion of work and the late hour wake keeping to watch the World Cup, Idi only shifted his position and continued sleeping. Then a long stick was used to hit him. In the dreamy state, he angrily work up, wondering who would have had the audacity to enter his room while he was with his wife and a one-and-half year old kid. He sat up and cleared his eyes. What he saw was indescribable. Five torch lights flashed on his face from different directions. Then he realized the danger.

˜Wait, wait, wait, please, in the name of God, wait, he said and put his hands on the wooden cabinet bed. Like lightning, a knife was thrust into his palm. It went through. He screamed. His wife woke up. One of the five masked men went over to her and put his shiny knife over her neck “ if you dont lie quietly, I will slit your throat, he sneered. Idi stood up and a matchet landed on his head. He dived on the men. One fell down. He rushed out amidst cuts from all sides. Meanwhile, blood gushed out, dazing and blinding him. He rushed couldnt go out of the gate, when eh saw the men on top of their female visitor, who seeing blood, started screaming Idi ya mutu! Idi ya mutu! (Idi has been killed).

He, however, found his way out “ eh could not go into the boys quarters, because of the dividing wall. The door had been closed. He made for the wall. As he climbed, one of the night marauders rushed after him, pulling his leg. He summoned all the strength left in him and with the other leg, he kicked the marauder who crashed into the ground, then idi jumped over the wall. To his dismay, his neighbours were absent. He banged at the door for several minutes but nobody listened. Once one of the doors was opened, but when the woman occupants saw the blood gushing out of him, they mistook him for one of the robbers and closed the door on him. He went to the back of the house and bumped into a woman then in the toilet easing herself. Too frightened, she collapsed into a comma. Luckily, he was able to climb to the roof of the boys quarters from where he saw his goods, the properties and little money he had from his work with a state government owned parastatals being carted away. Two times, he screamed for help, but only more blood gushed out of his body. They, his night visitors, came out debating as to whether he should be gunned down or not. The consensus was that he was after going to die “ from the deep cut inflicted on his head “ a deep cut which almost dovished the brain but for a flimsy layer.

His 504 could not start. The robbers were unable to notice the security neutralizer, whose key they had picked. The motor did not move, they thought fuled had finished. Neighbours who came out were asked to steer clear or be shot. As this drama was going on, Idis led slipped and he rolled down the zinc roof, which inflicted more deep cuts on him. He reached the ground, blank. And only woke up in the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.

Lucky Idi, after the operations, he still lives to tell us the story today. Others, like our road signs keep telling us, have gone before being able to even remember what happened to them. They wake up perhaps, in the other side of life wondering what has happened. Fear is now the closest friend of most Nigerians “ distrust, fears twin brother seems to rule supreme. The law and order agencies are unable to comprehend what is happening as the country is held siege. Sometimes, even the law enforcement agencies seem to be as frightful to the citizens as armed robbers connections of robbers, reportedly has permeated the law and other agencies so thoroughly, that citizens prefer to keep their predicament to themselves than report them.

The fear is always compounded by several political factors “ which include sadly too political repression which sometimes can hardly be differentiated from common criminal acts. The whole danger stems from the fact that the country is under siege.

This siege has brought to force one name which now sells newspapers, whose escapades people want to read or hear.

Security is a far dream. Insecurity is the reality for most Nigerians “ poor or rich, who do not know whether they will reach any place they intend going or even survive the night “ nights have become times of nightmares and not times of rest and pleasure. Now, everybody who wakes thanks his stars. Bank workers who hitherto were well-protected have been reduced to mere victims of robbery “ with violence. As the confusion rages, over the invasion of the county by Anini and company, all of a sudden everybody has become expert on armed robbery and banditry. Almost any person you meet on the street pontificates on how to quest the increasing wave of armed robbery.

The most saddening aspect of this expertise is the confidence with which government and its security agencies think they can solve the problem of this siege “ and the undeclared martial law on the country. Interestingly, all sorts of laws are enacted with little or no knowledge of what constitutes armed robbery or what creates it. Even if such relevant sociological knowledge exists, it is obvious that the present laws on crime and crime control have neglected such. Thus, we are faced with a ˜no-go situation, in which every day, the callousness with which people are massacred increases. Before, you would be told to lift up your life. Today, it is different “ with most people losing their lives, properties and relatives, while scores are maimed for life.

For the first time in the history of Nigeria, before going into operations, fore warnings are sent. Police are in some cases informed “ and victims told not to bother about their ˜gods or the police. Rudely, in f act, the serenity and awareness of the law enforcement agencies was butchered. Today, even police barracks are not immune. The protectors themselves need protection “ leaving the nation without security, gasping in fright. Lives are daily lost as the underworld men increase in strength. As some people said some years back “ armed robbers perfect their craft years ahead of police “ so cunning they must be or so crude our security system “ as these men everyday escape the police and even threaten the police institution. At the rate things are going, it might not be too wild to speculate that one day armed robbers in the conventional sense may storm the seat of the powerful, to take over power.

An important aspect of the present drama itself is that the credibility of both rulership and its security paraphernalia are called into question and scrutiny. Who is Anini, anyway, that he can hold the whole country to ransom, despite the millions and billions of Naira expended on security organs in the nation? Why has armed robbery persisted despite the draconian laws, and capital punishment itself which awaits ˜convicted armed robbers? These, you will, no doubt, agree are not mere academic questions. The answers provided will show the dimension and the root cause of armed robbery. They might prove or disprove assertions by Police Public Relations Officer, Alozie Ogugbuaja that armed robbery is a class war.


By Rima Shawulu

The Standard, Thursday, November 20, 1986, page 4

Posted in News Update, Nigeriana | Leave a comment

Whither Market Forces

Posted on June 19, 2008 by admin

Before the advent of SFEM, it was the vogue for economic experts to eulogise and lecture us on the beauty of a free market and how markets forces, if allowed to work without undue interference from the state, can salvage our economy.

Those of us who thought otherwise were insulted and called unpatriotic. Our protestations that there is nothing free about market forces went unheeded. So too, were our feeble voices of protest. Instead of public opinion, government was advised to listen to experts and their opinions have been around for sometimes “ and you can not talk about the mismanagement of Nigerian economy or the transition from oil boom to oil doom without mentioning the roles they have played.

Thus, as part of efforts to invoke the gods of market forces, privatization was resorted to, the Structural Adjustment Programme was predicated on free market forces and the withdrawal of undue government interference from economic affairs. The Naira was to find its value in a market dominated by big transnational corporations with headquarters overseas.

Interestingly, not long after, soon after the SFEM took off, some ˜financial gurus began to complain that the Naira could be undervalued, while others said that there was need fro some central mechanism. So now, market forces, which are free, under which realistic values are determined can bring about under-valuation. Whoever heard about such a thing before SFEM. Naira, we were told, could never be undervalued or overvalued, it could only certainly find its true and realistic value in the market.

Now, true to speculations of skeptics, spiraling inflation is here with us. Even those who do not want to believe have to concede to this reality. The simple mathematics of SFEM (Dont mind my bolekaja understanding0 teaches us, that prices are not very high because, before our Naira was unrealistically overvalued. Now that it has been brought down to its true value “ we have to readjust our belts. The reality of the situation is that, we cannot afford to ignore the fact that the value of the Naira today cannot be equated with what it was before. So, we have to pay higher for whatever we need. This should go on even if peoples pockets are torn into shreds till the Naira finds its value, production is boosted and the economy finds itself readjusted.

Thus, if this is the philosophy of the SFEM market forces, the launching of the campaign against inflation is in bad taste and very deceptive “ similarly, to tell motorists not to hike the cost of their services would be denying them what by the grace of SFEM they should have. Firstly, it must be pointed out that market forces, and not government, should determine the value and state of everything. By virtue of the guiding principles of SFEM, government declaration of any price increase is illegal cannot be in the interest of SFEM and should not be.

My humble argument is that you cannot set a chain of action in motion and expect people to be indifferent “ or blame them for reacting to what you have done. In this case, newspaper houses, transporters, who want to adjust their belts should not be told to stop. And we should not be deceived into believing that the current inflationary trend was unexpected. If indeed it is unexpected then it means that, as several Nigerians charged during the SFEM ˜enlightenment period, the gurus of SFEM did not fully understand what it stood for. If, on the other hand, they knew and advised government about inflation, then there is no reason for giving the impression that it is an unexpected side effect.

The other alternative question would be whether we are now afraid of the monster called ˜Market Forces which we ill-understood after opening the Pandoras box. If this is the situation, then as a human rights regime, we should be told the truth however bitter.

There is no two-way about it. SFEM and indeed, all economic policies border on survival, very few people, if any, joke with their survival. Fewer still would want to die.

By Rima Shawulu

The Standard, Thursday, December 18, 1986, page 4

Posted in Economy | 421 Comments

When Tribesmen and Women Met

Posted on June 19, 2008 by admin

Acting President Tess Onweme who set the tone of the conference described them as tribesmen. Of course, those who had doubled the description changed their minds no sooner than the conference began. From Tinda Hotel where the registration took place, a bus, courtesy of the Benue State Government transported delegates to their various places of abode. The driver of the bus at one point so much pressed the brakes of the vehicle that those who did not hold onto anything crashed against themselves and empty seats. A young probably an unpublished author whose problems the conference was billed to discuss complained bitterly that eh was yet to write his great book.

The first evening could have been a great bore had the Compere Bongos Ikwue not come to the rescue by cancelling halfway the performance put up by the students of the College of Education, Katsina-Ala Dramatist Tar Ahura. In fact, the melodious voice of Ikwue (retired artiste?) woke up several delegates who had begun to snore. The Kwaghhir which followed attracted so much interest despite the paucity of artists and time relieved and soothed the terrible injuries inflicted by the bore that was the drama presentation.

The opening ceremony on the second day was pleasant “ Governor Fidelis Makka of Benue had urged the tribesmen to establish a publishing house to meet the ever growing demands for books. He also urged that the long standing issue of a Pan African Association of writers be pursued with vigour. Such an association, he said, will not only enhance the propagation of the cultures of the people, but also forge a greater bond of unity. The Governor further broached on the controversial debate of writing in African languages. Said he: the current situation whereby four out of five books published in Nigeria today are written in foreign languages, does not augur well for effective communication of ideas. The governor failed, in our review, however, to reason that the ability to read in whatever language is a matter of literacy. So the issue is really not that of languages but education.

Philosophical Minister of Information and Culture Prince Tony Momoh held the audience spell-bound as he espoused his mystical philosophy. But it was not all mystic “ which was only a path that led him to the conclusion that the illusion of non-partisanship in literature ought to be ¦ Literature, he said, had a home and base from which it be launched.

Said he: In our communities, if you have no obligations, you have ¦ The young artists should find out as individuals, what they are supposed to do¦ Young writers should show hat human beings are equal and should strive to bring down apartheid.

The presidential address by Dr. Tess Onweme did attract no small attention. It was a basket full of praises for the Benue branch and of course of a statement profound hope. Hope that ANAs dream first given life to by late Major-General Mamman Vatsa, to the effect that a writers village will spring up on the beautiful hills of Abuja would soon be a reality. The donations that followed vindicated the hopes “ N25,000 was donated by the Benue State government and N30,000 by the Federal Government. Controversial Minister of Education, Professor Jibril Aminu sent in N2,500, University Press Limited “ N2,000 and Chief Madako N5,000. The dream may sooner than later become a reality.

Then came the solidarity messages. The Union of Writers of Angola in their message said for them, the scared hope had become a reality. Gloria Housea USA based Black American artist said in her message that the efforts to recreate a society was a source of tremendous inspiration and pride. According to her, in the USA, arts was given respectability and recognition. To young writers, she admonished that the study of history is important in writing. So too, she argued is the involvement in the struggle of the people for human dignity. Writing and Struggle are dialectical, she said, adding that we claimed the motherland we claimed Africa.

The Cadbury, through its representative, informed the delighted audience that the company had established an endowment fund and opened an account in the Bank to that effect for a prize to be known as ANA Cadbury prize for literature. Already, N20,000 is in the bank and cheque for the first prize of N2,500 already issued. Then came the Nigerian Newsprint Manufacturing Company (NNMC), through its representative, Ken Saro Wiwa (of basil and Company fame) which announced the setting aside of N30,000 for the award of prizes of 5,000 each with runners-up going home with N5,000 in the following categories: children literature, poetry and novels.

The happiest person, perhaps during the opening session was Dr. Taneru Ojaide, who clinched the Okigbo prize of poetry. A lecturer at the University of Maiduguri, a rather effusive Ojaide who was mobbed by delegates charged young authors to pay more attention to their crafts. The time dissipitated in decades should be used in perfecting arts.

It was disappointing that Chief Abiola who donated N60,000 to a new publishing house to help young authors did not turn up to introduce the poetry anthology of new writings sponsored by ANA Chief Arthur Nwankwo of the Fourth Dimension Publishers, Enugu who was billed to deliver a paper on The Writer and Nigerias Political Education, also took the cue in disappointing delegates.

But the boredom and disappointments occasioned by the failure of invited guests to appear did not stop the conference from discussing even if in tits and gasps, the problems of the unpublished writers and the crisis of traditions in our literature. Moderator Chukwu Emeka, like former WAEC Registrar and author of Toads for Supper set the ball rolling when he listed several problems facing the publishing industry. Besides the lack of literary agencies and the fact that the book trade is undergoing stress, Ike, whose son was at the conference in his right was an author, disclosed that 80 per cent of the manuscripts turned out to publishers were unsolicited.

The young authors made their more dispassionate ¦ This time, they blamed themselves for the rejecting letters they keep getting from publishers. Olu Oguibe, a young poet lamented that young unpublished writers too easily jump to conclusions. He said emphatically the biggest problem of the young writer is that he cannot write well. The issue is why cant they write well? Another problem, according to him, is the fact that the publishing industry was tied up with the need for surplus value and capital returns. Another young writer Afam took the discussion further by insisting that the struggle should be to produce great literature and not to get published.

But, perhaps, no other person put the situation in a more correct perspective than the fashionable, former president of the association, Dr. Tess Onweme. She asked two important questions, who determined the quality of a book and what tradition does the publishers use in assessing a book? She went on to say, publishers are concerned with the viability of their books and other problems she listed as confronting the unpublished writer include the poor reading habits of Nigerians, and the low literacy level. Dr. Onweme also had a word fro the unpublished writers. They should read other writers “ but should not ape. They should be themselves.

Femi Osofisan, the playwright who at the end of the conference was elected President of the association, lamented the discouragement from the media. He said good literary works are hardly recognized, while only the launching of useless books are given encouragement. The banks also came in for a bashing. They are not prepared to assist publishing. The government was not spared either. The government itself is not serious. It has put a lot of barriers on the path to good publishing.

The following day, Saturday, was devoted to a tour of Benue State. The trip was to kick off at 7.30a.m. And so, those who desired to go round Benue State, got themselves ready and were gathered at the Tinda Hotel, it was however not until 9.00am, one and half hours behind schedule that the tour began. Firstly, because of the haste, several people missed their breakfast, for a tour that was disorganized and uncoordinated. The essence of the tour, and in fact, the core of the conference was lost, the chief guide, Benue State Information Commissioner Ada Ugah decided to disallow free movement. For instance, the older group of writers travelled in a separate bus. So too did the young poets whose works thanks to the efforts of ANA, saw the light of the day.

Journalists were also given a bus. As a result, several booked interviews couldnt take off “ and the idea of cross-fertilization of ideas was thrown to the dogs. Then, the unnecessary stops along the way to issue equally unnecessary directives to drivers. As a result of the poor organization and implementation, the tour which was to end at 2.00pm, ended three hours late “ and left too many people exhausted fro proper discussion.

But the richness of Benue State did not make the tour as lifeless. Within the Makurdi metropolis, the market and Agro millers did not arrest the needed attention. Then the shrien at Yandev near Gboko. Tor Tivs palace “ and so battle-red by hunger several delegates rushed out of their vehicles and devoured any hawked food they saw. Apparently, happy to receive such guests, the Tor Tiv, evidently one of the most learned traditional rulers, urged the writers to write in understandable straightforward English. Then, to Otukpo where Colonel Odeh, himself a published and unpublished author treated delegates to a sumptuous lunch. Of course, there was beer for those who cared. Colonel Odeh who owns El-Duniya Hotel cracked jokes and at the end, donated N3,000. He urged authors to show the light and people will follow. A visit to the OchIdoma palace and weary journey back to Makurdi commenced. Only one interruption from the chief guide. Makurdi 88. 1989 where? And will such a place measure up to the standard of Makurdi?

By Rima Shawulu and Maaver Chen

The Standard, Wednesday, November 23, 1988

Posted in Social | 13 Comments

When Evil Falls Like Rain

Posted on June 19, 2008 by admin

For some time now, Nigeria has been under siege. Deadly diseases are ravaging the country. And like evil rain, they fall on helpless Nigerians, who already weakened by hunger and diseases, fall like dead leaves.

First, it was at Oju in Benue State, where yellow fever reportedly wiped out years ago struck as an unknown disease, taking in its wake precious young lives, and leaving in its trails tears stained faces of bereaved families. Then it spread, and efforts of government, likened to fire brigade and fire extinguishers came minutes late.

From Oju, it became the vogue in the whole country. All of a sudden, we seem to have woken up to the reality that we were living with deadly diseases. From yellow fever to measles, and then to the deadly cebro-spiral meningitis “ everybody seemed to be at a loss as to what was actually happening. These diseases, which came at a time AIDS was said to have penetrated Nigeria, no doubt call for serious attention. However, in the midst of these outbreaks we seem to have forgotten that the whole country has been living in the midst of diseases. That we have been cultivating them and cannot seriously assume that we were taken unawares.

Walking Zoos

A physician and an academic, once described Nigerians as walking zoos. He coined this phrase because, according to him, most Nigerians are sick and are undoubtedly carriers of deadly parasites. Whatever the merits, or otherwise of the assertion, the recent plague by these deadly diseases reveal the following: Firstly, that we cannot claim to be free from some diseases which have been wiped out from other parts of the world because they are still here with us. This reminds us of yellow fever said to have been wiped out in Nigeria but has suddenly re-emerged to cause considerable havoc. Beyond this claim is the fact that to date, there has been no systematic research to support the assertion of yellow fever having been wiped out. Furthermore, and following from the above is the fact that the rural populace have always been neglected “ and so because they are unreached, we could not have said, we have wiped out any diseases afflicting them. So, year in, year out, hundreds of people die of common diseases, which are not epidemic because the press has not noticed them “ and they have not been publicized.

Furthermore, unquite unlike the falsehood being dished out to unwary Nigerians, most people are sick. This is because, it is generally agreed that most diseases are social, in the sense that the regularity or frequency with which one falls sick or easily infected, is informed by whether one is living well or not. For instance, a rich man or well to do person who eats well-balanced nutritious food will be less prone to an attack. Conversely too, a poor who hardly gets food to eat or when eh eats them, they are hardly balance, will always be sick or fall easy prey to diseases or infections. The surroundings, level of cleanliness, good airy accommodation are always functions of ones social status in a stratified society.

It was in Zaria, last year when health policy makers, academicians, etc. gathered at a public lecture, during which it was agreed that cerebro-spiral meningitis (CSM) was a social disease. The logic which informed this assertion was this: If we look at conditions which give rise to the spread of CSM, such as poor accommodation, overcrowded housing, etc., rich people dont face such. Only the poor, wretched of the earth, face them. Therefore, in truth, they said CSM was a disease of the poor whose solution lies in changing their conditions of abject poverty.

What was said of CSM in Zaria last year, can be said for most other diseases which are affecting the people of this country. Thus, if a survey is carried out, it would be discovered that 90 percent of those dying daily from these diseases are the poor, who have been chawed for poverty and ignorance. Further, the nature of disease spread in Nigeria is a function of the disorganized state of things in Nigeria. For the health system, apart from the financial strangulation that it is being subjected to, it is not organized in such a way as to respond to any outbreak. Money for drugs are always siphoned elsewhere, and the health workers are unmotivated. The health sector, we should say, has become, like education, a conduit for the theft of public resources. So disorganized was the health sector that, vaccines aimed at combating the spread of CSM only arrived in the country from abroad, when the disease was subsiding. This was in spite of an advance warning given to the affected states by intellectuals and academicians.

So, we can see that, the diseases which are falling on us like rains, have a more fundamental solution, than the haphazard fire brigade approach. For to buy all the drugs in the world or build hospitals in every household in the country cannot solve the problems of epidemics. You do not deal with evil that falls like rain, by purchasing more umbrellas. In fact, the purchase of drugs or erection of hospitals, implies the acceptance of the fact that diseases will continue to disturb. Instead of creating more hospitals and purchasing more drugs, it is important to deal first of all with what gives rise to illness.

The social conditions which are created by the social system in Nigeria needs to be changed. When this is done, then health can be organized and the deliberating conditions of existence would then be removed. Until then, the evil of epidemics will continue to fall on us like rain.

By Rima Shawulu

The Standard, Thursday, February 5, 1985, page 4

Posted in Politics | 16 Comments

What to do with the OAU

Posted on June 19, 2008 by admin

As a bastard of an otherwise genuine attempts to solve the problems wrought on peoples of African descent and the African continent, the OAU has been deep neck in a crisis of identity and mission. Pan Africanist thought were essentially not dialectical when they first emerged; even though the basis for the rise of Pan Africanist thoughts which later gave birth to the Organization of African Unity (OAU) are rooted in the slave trade, development of capitalism and its later developments such as colonialism and neo-colonialism. As already acknowledged, despite the weaknesses associated with thoughts such as unity of all Africans, they were progressive as at the time they emerged. If anything, they were more profound and sincere than what later emerged as the OAU.

The creation of the OAU therefore was a complete bastardization of Pan Africanist thoughts which were themselves not strong enough to explain the situation in which peoples of African descent both within the continent and in Diaspora found themselves. It can now be argued with the benefit of hindsight that had the ˜reactionary elements within the Pan African movement backed by imperialism not sabotaged the ˜struggle, the continent and peoples of Africa would not have been as bad.

Just as Nigeria, the Zikist Movement nationalists were stopped in their tracks by the Tafawa Balewas, Obafemi Awolowos and Nnamdi Azikiwes backed fully British colonialism, so too did the ˜conglomerate of colonial powers ensure that the Nkrumahs and those who even remotely seemed to be threatening their interest were stopped from making any impact and the OAU that came out, as shown in its charter was a complete negation of what African people needed. Worse of all, it did not emerge Pan-African.

But the greatest undoing of the OAU is the system bequeath on most African states by colonialism. Because it is essentially capitalist, it has subsisted on lacerating the will and determination of the people for progress and democracy. There is today virtually no African state (except for the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), Angola and Mozambique) where human rights are respected. Apart from the squalid poverty, prevalence of easily preventable and curable diseases, peoples of African, especially the working people namely peasants and workers are starving. High cost of food, social services and in fact high cost of surviving. What more in this sea of mass poverty are islands of scandalous affluence often stolen from the people. Government borrowings which have saddled the continent in an unpayable debt burden only enriched a few. Even in terms of nominally asserting the independence of Africa, it would be seen that the OAU is nothing but one “ through the activities of its members “ that has mortgaged even the nominal independence acquired a few years back. What with the huge debts and the fact that IMF, World Bank officials and a number of private financial institutions in the West are determining from African states what economic programmes they should implement.

Essentially, because the interest of the rulers of Africa are intertwined with, and can not fundamentally be excised from imperialism, the OAU has been itself not only an organization of the ruling class but one whose interest, at least so its members think, rhyme so sweetly with imperialism. After all, it is possible today to talk of imperialism being an outside force to Africa? All the washy washy hopes that the OAU could if given the resources and commitment of membership help the lot of Africa forget “ or choose to ignore the fact there cannot be an OAU without member states whose interest essentially contradict those of the larger African workers and peasants, who have no common destiny with their rulers. True, the OAU may have contributed to giving moral support to African states in their struggles for independence, and had during the Nigerian civil war attempted to mediate. Such mediations have taken place in several areas of conflicts. These and other saga of the OAU such as the Chad and SADR fiasco are necessarily systematic problems of the often contradictory allegiances which African states have. They show OAUs failures, not success.

What then do we do with the OAU? This is the burning question of the day. What actually is the OAU celebrating? Some say jubilee without silver. But for most Africans, the 25 years of the OAU “ as reflected in the dismal failure of the organisation in achieving its stated objectives and the hardship experienced in member states tell stories of woe and sorrow and certainly not anything worth celebrating. What are we celebrating? Failure? Rather the present situation in Africa calls for sober reflection and indeed question the need for the existence of the OAU, and calling into need the necessity for the working people to intensify the struggle against imperialism. As it is, though the OAU has shown its potentials of arresting peoples struggle, it is yet to be seen that it can stop the people from triumphing. The Chadian farce as sponsored by CIA, blessed and executed by the OAU will definitely not stop the day of judgment. The success of the SADR speaks eloquently for itself.

There is no lamenting the situation for the people. Lamentation does not stop any suffering. The people should study their situation well and know for themselves why things have continued to be so bad since the so called independence. This done, they should intensify their struggles at the home fronts fro liberation. In doing this, there is need to join up with other groups in fellow African countries who are similarly struggling for liberation to share experiences, resources and practice true patriotic and working people pan Africanism.

This is an effective anti-thesis of the OAU which has only shown itself to be an enemy of the working people “ in other words, an organization, and a weapon in the hands of the Mobutus, the Sgt Does and all who go by whatever name negates progress in Africa.

By Rima Shawulu

The Standard, Wednesday, May 25, 1988

Posted in International | 15 Comments

What to do with Coups

Posted on June 19, 2008 by admin

Recently, there have been many suggestions on how coups detats can be prevented. Among the earlier suggestions was the one by our own Zik of Africa “ now Zik of Owerri “ who floated the idea of diarchy. According to the venerable leader, whose nationalistic credentials have lately been battered by members of the Zikist movement, political power should be shared by both military and civilian politicians to curb coup plotting.

The idea, though not essentially novel, was easily punctured by the fact that no military regime has been purely military. Further, even a cursory look at the history of coup detats will easily show that there have been more known coups against military governments, than civilians. What more, most coups are not executed by those in government. For most times, they are affairs of those who not possessing the political power, feel cheated “ or think there have been omissions or commissions that are not palatable. Like a pack of cards, the diarchy theory fell.

The argument that coups be legislated against has been bandied around without meaning. Even those who bandy the idea admit the illegality of coups, of the disruption of a political process. In the present Constitution of the Federal Republic (1979), coups are illegal “ which is why unsuccessful coup plotters are executed. And so, the only thing that makes a coup illegal is its failure. Any successful group of plotters can easily, as our history has amply demonstrated, simply legalise it, by enacting laws which only the succeeding government can review.

From the plethora of suggestions, it is obvious that coups are no longer wanted, that there is need to urgently ensure that the new democratic practice to be manned, thanks to IBBs great ban, by the new breed visionary leaders ought not to be disrupted.

Ordinarily, this is heart-warming. But from the debate, it is also obvious that though undesirable we at loss as to what to do with coups. There is yet to be, and we are yet to arrive at what step to take to stop coups from taking place.

The idea of good government as an insurance against coup plotting, though beautiful on paper, does not seem to be a solution. When does good government end and when does a bad government begin? If the military has necessarily been corrective, why have military regimes wrought more headaches than other ones? Also, why should Nigeria still be in the doldrums of economic quagmire when the corrective soldiers have held power for longer periods than civilians? Have military government office holders been tried by civilian or even military courts and found to have held office with unquestionable transparent honesty?

There is even no need going too far searching for an answer. General Olusegun Obasanjo, a millionaire farmer and former Head of State, provided the answer in Washington recently when he said that the lure and trappings of office were the motivating factors in several coup detats in Africa. Since the political arrangement does not seem to have a solution to the continuing pilfering of the property and since not everyone can be religiously transformed to abhor such theft, it would seem the coup syndrome will not end. This, indeed, is tragic.

Obviously, the biggest subversive force to democratic system, there ought to be a lasting solution to coup plotting. No solution to a crisis of such monuments has ever come without serious struggle. The people ought to fight against coups. In other words, if the people abhor it, they should ensure that no coup succeeds; they should chase coup plotters back to the barracks anytime they stage a coup.

Some people may think that it is impossible to face soldiers, gun trotting people who may have not had the chance to practicalise their professional training. Solace may be found in the position of Nnamdi Azikiwes dictum that only foolish people argue with those with guns. It may further be unreasonably argued the process of resisting coups could result into the killing, and mass murder of innocent people. These are no doubt truths and facts. But they are only half truths.

Those who argue this way forget two fundamental historical truths. Firstly, as has amply been suggested by senior military officers both retired and active, there has been no military coup without encouragement from a segment of the civil population. Often, coups are said to be the culmination of certain political power struggle. Besides, coups cannot succeed without encouragement from the civil public. This perhaps explained why the Dimka putsch collapsed. No support and no encouragement from the public, did the magic.

Historically, a people create its history and conditions under which its affairs are conducted “ even though these conditions often times influence the people. There is today no country which has advanced without the people taking actions, which sages like Azikiwe would describe as foolish and untenable. Take Britain, for instance. An undemocratic monarch was beheaded during an uprising by the people to ensure that a democratic culture was established. In the USA, Gods so-called own land, the people fought a protracted war of independence, drew up a constitution and fought a grueling civil war before acceptable constitutional and democratic practices could be established. What of France? Similar seemingly self-destructive actions were taken by its people. All these actions were aimed at creating for the people and by the people how their affairs should be conducted.

In the Soviet Union, the people rose. Millions were killed and many more millions were maimed. But resolute in the determination to chart for themselves a future they wanted, they brought down the so-called all powerful and all knowing tsars and created on the rubbles of the destroyed inhuman system, a society whose successes in science are perhaps unsurpassable. What of little Cuba, which the United States has been unable to destabilize? The people led by Fidel Castro and venerable Che Guevara simply decided not to let the Batista regime continue to hold them down. They rose up and today, there is little Cuba whose march to respectability could not ebb looked by the USA, and indeed the whole of the Western world.

And so do we really abhor coups? If we do, next time we hear martial music we troop out to the streets and face the guns of the putschists with our stones, sticks, placards and industrial actions. Many may die, but that is the price fro democracy. Beside, how many thousands/millions of people have died because of the economic crisis which our putschists have only compounded?

By Rima Shawulu

The Standard, Thursday, November 10, 1988, page 4

Posted in Politics | 15 Comments

Waiting for the Saints

Posted on June 19, 2008 by admin

The other Sunday, I heard a preacher tell a story which succinctly reflects the problems of this nation. According to the preacher, once upon a time, a big-time roving preacher had an evangelical mission to a certain town. When he got there, he had preached to convert souls as well as performed miracles. But while there, even eh preached the words of God, his eyes set on a daughter of Eve, a sister nurse. He was conquered by her dazzling beauty. She too, was conquered by this preacher.

At the end of the preaching session, the faithful gathered, collected money and took the preacher to the motor park. They paid his fare and waited till the taxi took off. They then dispersed.

On the way out of the town, the preacher had stopped the taxi, alighted and found his way back to the town. He searched and found the house of the female nurse “ who camped him for several days. There, inside the house, they must have been doing what men and women do in secret. As the story went, it came to be that the lady was converted “ or rather, became born again, while she was still camping our preacher who had healed and helped to convert other souls to Christ.

She went back to the fellowship of Christian faithful to confess. Astonished faithful followed her to her house to find our preacher-man who was, in the Christian parlance, living in sin. Poor him, his fault was that he was caught. Many more could be doing worse and still be receiving the best of accolades from well-meaning people. Their secret being that they were not caught.

There are, in post primary schools, student groups and gangs. These are often led by bullies who never get caught, not because people or the authorities do not know what they do, but because whoever dared to bring their cases up might have himself to blame. Anyone who dared to lift up his fingers against such people is taught lessons eh hardly forgets.

By this crude terror, they impose the Sicilian law of silence on people. Seeing is extremely dangerous. Saying it out makes the situation even uglier. Over the years, through this means, people have effectively been prevented from saying what has come to be an open secret. Known by all, but no one is prepared to say it, even to those who know. Whatever is the case, the truth is that they are not caught. The thief is he who is caught. The one who is not exposed can therefore not be caught.

And this theory seems to have been adopted by those in government positions. Those that are caught are exposed to be stealing public property, depending on their strength, are vilified. Like the bully school boys, however, the bigger ones never get caught because they are armed. Remember the dictum of our elder statesman, Nnamdi Azikiwe. That it is only the foolish man who argues with the gun? Largely, because the populace has yet to get to know its rights and power as well as fight for them, the soldier thinks that with the gun, he do and undo. Of course, the gun is indeed very powerful. But its power is limited to the areas the people allow it. It is armed, flothed, fed and sheltered by the people “ and the people can, if they are sufficiently aware, withdraw these privileges.

The bully cannot last forever. But when he lasts, it should not be mistaken for righteousness, for if soldiers were as neat and immaculate as their uniform, Nigeria would not have been in the mess it is today. The long years of service of the military, much much more longer than the few years of the civilians, combined with the enormous resources the military governments have had under their control, show that all has not been well.

And so, this is why the sacking of a local government chairman in Kano State along with his councilors, over allegations of impropriety is, indeed, troublesome. More disturbing because a Kano High Court reaffirmed the decision. The argument which the honourable judge marshalled when dismissing the suit brought before him by the dismissed elected local government chieftains was that the government had a right to dismiss those who have had allegations of impropriety leveled against them.

This is, indeed, a very important development. Important, because, really, the government, as our history has shown, still have people who have had serious allegations of impropriety leveled against them. Had this dictum of the Kano High Court been followed, a new season of saints would have opened for the nation. Those in government would have been only those who are thought by all to be clean. There would have been more confidence in public officers.

Sadly though, this had not been the case. Only the weak who have allegations leveled against them, like our Kano local government chieftains, are thrown out. But there is a beginning to everything. This is hoping that other courts will follow “ and hopefully for the nation, only clean hands will be in government. Hands, which no one has complaints against. This, indeed, could be the era of the saints.

By Rima Shawulu

The Standard, Friday, September 8, 1989, page 9

Posted in Politics | 6 Comments

Vendatta or Arts?

Posted on June 19, 2008 by admin

Arts is perhaps one of the strongest known lasting weapons yet available to man. Conversely, it is multi-purpose. Firstly, apart from the message which cartons, sculptures, fiction, poems, etc. give, they relax and satisfy he who produces them. Thus, a very important aspect of arts is the satisfaction to the artist of having expressed, certain strong feelings which he might have.

Secondly, the artist, because he lives in society, tries to reflect the feelings and mood of the society. He/she stands out to talk when no one else will. He, of course, cannot or should not be expected to rise over and above the subjective position which he finds himself.

In the case of cartoons particularly, most often they are light hearted commentaries on contemporary issues. They are light hearted because at least they allow you laugh off some rather strong messages. During the administration of the Buhari/Idiagbon duo, when human rights were not respected “ and the Decree No. 4 dangled over heads, swinging round lime the Sword of Damocles, cartoonists spoke our minds, they said what many itched to say. They became, in a word, our spokesmen.

Though every artist of whatever brand has, his or her bias and often expressing same very strongly, it is not out of place to state without fears of contradictions that the 1984/85 cartoonists boldly spoke the minds of most Nigerians. A look then at The Punch, Concord, West Africa, Guardian and Daily Sketch would give one the message. Newspapers which did not have artists or poor ones endeavour to have one or better hands. In fact, it is this love for art that tabloids such as ˜Ikebe Super sell. Newspapers, like Vanguard today sell, to my mind, because of Lawrence Akapas critical and humorous mind “ whose criticism seems to be based on love for Nigeria, and his perception of what Nigeria should be. Little wonder then, that he expresses sentiments of Nigerians.

Take a look at Bisi Ogunbadejo from the piercing pieces in West Africa to the Guardian, and African Guardian, you will notice a streak of patriotism, ˜objectivity, sense of humour and courage. Yes, courage “ to say without fear. These are artists, these are cartoonists who one will ready any day and will have their place in the annals of our history.

These are artists because they chose to be and not those who went into arts (cartoons) because they had nowhere else to go. Like Dele Giwa, Odia Ofeimum and other courageous men, they prefer to say it and frankly too. They saw that arts was different from vendetta and could not be equated with mediocrity. This is perhaps, why some people buy some newspapers/magazines, because of the cartoons “ cartoons of principles.

There are others though “ who praise-sing, insult and, indeed even commit pencil to paper because it will serve some ego “ or bring in some expected rewards from pay masters. Though they masquerade as cartoonists “ and might have been in the ˜profession for long, it is always easy to discern that they have no readership apart from a motley of friends, relatives.

They are very unknown and cannot have the self-confidence or courage to say when they should. Unlike other cartoonists who draw thousands of readers to their newspapers, these set of ˜cartoonists rarely have their cartoons read. To make up for this, they become unreasonably arrogant, and self-conscious. They are concerned with nothing apart from self. They prefer holding their newspapers to ransom because if the papers progress some new energetic, brilliant and courageous hands might be employed hence diminishing their ˜empires. Because they are not read and their bylines are mere waste of energy, ink and newsprint, they engage in intrigues, and dirty gossips in beer parlour “ waiting for opportunities to demolish anyone who is courageous, bold, frank and credible. Their game is simply to go opposite all that is good and correct “ they are adverse to light and good “ and would prefer darkness and obscurity, because in obscurity they are hardly scrutinized “ save for perhaps the savoury remarks from a coterie of selfsame evil doers and obscure colleagues with whom bottles and cartons of beer are sunk in beer parlours.

Largely because they are unrecognized, they create means of calling for publicity. They seek by all means to call attention to themselves. They ensure that their profiles are put in pages of their papers “ and they go about scouting for sponsors to print their collection of nonsense.

However hard they try, they never get recognition “ because they are incompetent and could be thrown out any time, they see enemies in anything radical, anything which challenges the status quo, quite understandably too, because the status quo is incompetent and uninspiring. They fear that they will be swept to the dustbins “ which they will one day “ if and when there is a change, thus they oppose anything new and innovative, preferring to continue with rubbish from which they get their unearned daily bread. By the nature of their precarious living, they have to become praise-singers “ (see Engineer Y. Z. Yaus reply to the Bauchi Praise Singers serialized by THE STANDARD).

These people do a great disservice to their sponsors because of this incompetence brought about by arrogance, little learning and unabashed ignorance which they will have you believe that they are geniuses.

You are extremely lucky if you have never come across such people “ because they irritate, stink and spoil things for you. If you are the superstitious type, seeing them first thing in the morning spoils the day. It makes you regret the whole day. Perhaps, the best description for them is that they are a bad omen.

Because they are persistently incompetent “ and are unable to divest themselves of this weakness you notice that they are touchy, highly sensitive and always blaming everybody especially the ˜radicals for their shortcomings. Since they cannot see beyond the contours of their noses “ they are simply thinking the world and its realities star and end with the warped images which they have created in their crooked minds. Regrettably, they think that these warped images, so strongly influenced and shaped by their ignorance, arrogance and petty-mindedness whose stork-in-trade is evil and anti-radicalism, which they ill-understand, are the correct and only proper things.

Never mind the fact that they criticize radicalism for they do not understand it and when asked why the opposition, they fumble and resort to outdated and discredited disinformation dished out by the C.I.A. As far as they are concerned, radicalism is objectionable, because uncle Yankee-sponsored childrens book once said so. Even their reasons for the rabid opposition to radicalism are suspect, opportunistic, and in fact embarrassing to his ˜admirers who have to be at pains in defending what decent people see clearly as indefensible. He may oppose communism “ but when asked what the communism is, he would have no answer “ or may at best resort to some incoherent recently crammed anti-communist propaganda manufactured by the C.I.A.

Thus, in a reality, he is always at par with a society that seeks to advance, a society “ like any normal society as Karl Marx and Frederick Engels postulated is always in motion “ in a constant state of growth and development.

This, everybody sees, except religious bigots and fake cartoonists, who prefer the status quo. He prefers a living society to behave as if is dead to benefit his sponsors, hoping that such benefits will water down to him. Unfortunately, he parades himself as an artist, but arts thrive on realism, on what people see daily? Because he misrepresents reality and the aspirations of the people he rarely gets the needed support. He is often a sight of scorn and disgust.

To save himself from the public disdain therefore, he behaves as an expert, whose services are highly needed. He refuses even at times to render his ridiculously embarrassing and cowardly services. Then with the glee of a successful man, he resumed sketching when begged, pretending to have that which he does not possess.

Arts which get popular acclaim and those which have remained long are those which thrive on aspirations of people and reflect “ even if in differing tones the situation of the societies. They told human stories. See Shakespeare, for instance, who because of realism captured the theatre of his time. Thomas Hardy, another novelist and poet, who is avidly read today despite the generation gap. Or names such as Lev Tolstoy, Maxim Gorky or even our African novelists, the Ousamane-Sembens, Denis Brutus and Ngugi Wa Thiongo whose works and memories are cherished by so many.

Or consider our Bisi Ogunbadejo who does not advertise himself, or scramble for unnecessary publicity “ his cartoons in the African Guardian are so aesthetically good, the realism near to truth.

This is the only insurance to good arts. And we pray that cartoonists whose sketches repulse rather than entice, no matter their resort to anti-radicalism have no place in our society and reading culture. They are on the wrong side of history and will continue to remain frustrated. An artist should be bold enough not to say it when it is not.

Yours sincerely,

Lover of good ¦

By Rima Shawulu

The Standard, Monday, November 3, 1986

Posted in Social | 3 Comments

The Press Versus the NLC

Posted on June 19, 2008 by admin

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has been under severe attacks. These, resulting from the 21-day ultimatum which it gave to the Federal Government to rescind its decision to cut the wages of workers in the public sector. This came barely a week after a similar measure was applied to the Armed Forces “ similar, in quotes because unlike the workers case, that of the armed forces is the first.

But the ultimatum that was given by the NLC has been drawing a lot of reaction from the Nigerian press and NOT from the workers or their allies. The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in a statement has already lent the support of Nigerian students to the workers.

No organized or even ˜disorganized group of peasants have decried the threat of the NLC. Rather, these groups see the ˜new posture of the NLC as a sign of good things to come, that the NLC has finally woken up to her responsibilities.

This section of the Nigerian press finds it very ridiculous that an organization which they considered as dead an irrelevant can dare raise its head at this time.

The ˜crisis ground their points on these issues: The Vanguard could not understand where the NLC President Ali Chiroma got his present militancy from; wondering what the NLC was doing during the twenty months of consistent deprivations of the working class by the Buhari regime.

The Nigerian Tribune, perhaps still hallucinating under the spell of Babangida, being the first head of state to grant it interview, took a vitriolic stance, contending that the ultimatum was ill-timed and ill-motivated.

It went on to say that the NLC look on, unconcerned and helpless having been battered, buffeted and cowed by the Buhari/Idiagbon oligarchy when thousands of workers were sent home abruptly, the sheds of their wives bull-dozed and spates of levies took whatever was left from the workers pockets; that the NLC has no moral justification to come up with a threat to a regime that upholds the fundamental rights of the citizens of the citizens to fee speech.

The New Nigerian, on its part, contended despite ample evidences to the contrary, which are daily published by it, that the majority of Nigerians are ready to make more sacrifices, but the workers are just kicking because they were not consulted.

All these reactions and criticisms, must be seen in the perspective of the continuing efforts by the oppressor classes “ owners of these media houses, powerfully backed by government, to ensure the further marginalization of workers, create more room for capital accumulation, and make workers pay for the damaged they have caused to the economy, while the rich and imperialist monopolies reap more profits.

This is only part of the war of attrition being waged against the working class by the bourgeoisie and their faceless writers. In fact, it is the press rather than the labour congress that is using blackmail and intimidation against the workers and their leaders, thereby trying, though unsuccessfully to blur the fundamental issues being raised by the workers.

This is clearly seen, by the reduction of the labour congress, and genuine apprehension of workers to the personality of Ali Chiroma. The equation really seems clumsy because the Nigerian Labour Congress is made up of component parts, and even some labour leaders who are criticizing the leadership of Ali Chiroma are members of the NLC, NEC, and none of them has come out to deny collective decision making process, and accused Chiroma of a one man show.

Moreover, it is axiomatic that unity is a fundamental pre-requisite for any meaningful, consistent and successful workers struggle, and is a well known fact that most of the labour leaders who make up the NLC are both apolitical, and reactionary to the core.

Not only have they been introducing divisive issues into the workers ranks but they use all sorts of weapons including the refusal to pay their check-off dues to frustrate any meaningful action by NLC.

Those accusing the NLC, that it no longer has a right to come out of the doldrums, are only looking for excuses to subvert the interests of Nigerian workers.

But the argument, on NLCs inaction during the last 20 months could be reconstructed the other way round. Let the enemies of Nigerian working people tell us why Major-General Ibrahim Babangida chose to get rid of Buhari/Idiagbon at the time he did, while he was there when Buhari was committing all sorts of atrocities against the people of this country or asking an oppressed people why they have chosen a particular time to throw off the yoke of oppression whiel they had been living with it fro a long time?

We know that when the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) was waging a struggle against the Buhari regime, the same critics ignored the substance of the issues at stake and instead concentrated on non-issues.

These same people, in May 1984, vitriolicly opposed the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) boycott of lectures and misrepresented students. It is also these same critics who aborted the general strike that was organized by the Niger State chapter of the NLC using all forms of

By Rima Shawulu & Festus Okoye

The Standard, Tuesday, December 3, 1985

Posted in Nigeriana | 5 Comments

That we may sin no more

Posted on June 15, 2008 by admin

By Rima Shawulu
Armed robbery is a crime. It is just one of the myriads of crimes which have devastated many lives and permanently maimed some. There is absolutely nothing new about the phenomenal rise in the wave of armed robbery. Viable solutions were proffered but often neglected.
An armed robbery suspect recently ridiculed the law and order attitude towards crime, when he said that even if all armed robbers are gathered in the same place and killed “ that in itself, will not end armed robbery, because (we all), the seeds of armed robbery and crime are generally embedded in our socio-economic formation. This, in fact, explains why armed robbery and violent crimes are not in every part of the world “ and cannot therefore be in peoples blood or skin.
Largely because the ruling class does not want solution to the problem of crime, which will threaten the status quo, it has thus found excuse in empty phrase mongering. It gives the impression that it is in some peoples blood to steal. That people steal because they want to or are happy to be called thieves. We are told that people freely choose the path of crime and NOT that crime is thrust on them by an unjust system.
The logic is simple: If armed robbery is in ones blood, there is nothing that can reform him. All you need do is to eliminate him, tie him to stake as kids and women watch with glee, and silence him. When you do that, you will no longer face any menace “ for you have done away with armed robbery. As our short history has amply demonstrated, this is a misconception that cannot explain why, rather than diminish armed robbery is increasing, despite the application fo capital punishment.
Another fallacy which has betroden the policy of government in dealing with crime is that of increasing law einforcement agencies as well as weaponry available. For instance, Mark IV is being substituted for sub-machine guns. And the ˜Adewusi rovers as well as other weaponry and fast moving vehicles and communication equipment have been bought. All seem to have no effect on armed robbery or even the incidences of crime. In spite of these sophisticated arsenals, crime seems to eb increasing. Indeed, the Lawrence Anini saga has shown that arsenals, no matter their sophistry, do not win any war. Wars are won by tactics and strategies. These, in themselves, are based on people and their aspirations. No force, however strong, which lacerates the aspirations of people for freedom, food and shelter, can win a war. It might be victorious in a battle “ but eventually fails. Our strategists in government circles need perhaps to be reminded that so long as government is distanced from people “ there cannot be any victory “ assuming, even that the mundane explanation that armed robbery is in peoples blood is true.
And the Anini factor has shown the elusiveness of a policy based on more arms and repression. If Governor Inienger should be taken seriously in his assertion that people are hiding Anini, then it is obvious that this is an explicit vote of no confidence on the government. Or perhaps government whose authority should come from the people is disturbed by them.
The point being made is that armed robbery and crime generally are social problems. They are not natural. They are created. For instance, recent researchers have shown that crime reacts very sharply to economic problems. In other words, that as the economy gets depressed more violent crimes are committed “ and more people than take to crime.
Another survey conducted by a British professor showed that deaths increase as more people get unemployed. Conversely, the more jobs you have the less people “ including those employed are sent to early graves. Perhaps, the Nigerian situation is more graphic. Armed robbery and violent crimes increased dramatically during the early 70s at the conclusion of the civil war. All analysts have identified that the end of the civil war marked an increased wave of unemployment. So unprecedented it was that the 1971/72 budget talked of creating a forum where youths could be given jobs. This notwithstanding, the billions of Naira committed to the rehabilitation of war ravaged areas only found refuge in the pockets of a few people. The Sahelian drought which came in the wake did not make matters better. Despite the oil boom, the poor had to battle with inflation, shortage of foods, medicines, shelter and drought. Jobs disappeared. Millions were unemployed. There was social discontent in every facet of our national life. The students were unhappy and they showed it. The workers by strikes, demonstrations and other means showed their disappointment with what was happening. Of course, people have to live. To live they need food. Where and when the sources of acquiring food is blocked, what do you expect people to do? Violent crimes are part and parcel of societies riddled with poverty in spite of abundance of wealth so created by the seat and labour of the working people. This we may hasten to add explains the violence in Britain and the United States. This also says a lot on why people wake up in the USA dreaming about killing their heads of state. Or even where crimes are counted by seconds and not minutes in the United States. Devoid of insanity therefore, there is absolutely no reason to hope that we have seen the end of crime in Nigeria.
The recent case of crime too, proves our point. Violent armed robbery came fully back to life with the unbridled indiscipline and corruption in its wake lacerated our resources “ resources produced by the working people. In the circumstances, several lives are lost in hunger, disease and misery. Unemployment is created and many get booted out of their jobs. Rather than bring to book those whose activities account for the woes we are going through, the ruling class, because of its interests, prefers to shadow-chase and witch-hunt and in the event, pretend to be unaware of its activities which give rise to crime.
For instance, it is easily forgotten that the Shagaris and Ekwumes who butchered our economy have been declared saints. The very imperialist monopolies which since slave trade have endangered the lives of Nigerians are given a freer vent to operate and suck the country dry. As poverty increases for majority who are engaged in active production, a few others relish in ill-gotten wealth. With mass retrenchment, and brutality ranging from the enforcement of ill-understood WAI tenets to the present SFEM, the poor have been at the receiving end. The effect of the downturn of the economy is saddled on the marginalized Nigerians. From Obasanjos low profile which has fattened the Otta Farms to the present Paris Club-foisted SFEM, the story is that the economy is meant to favour the rich. Indeed, the increase in theft and banditry seems to have taken the attention of the ruling class because its security paraphernalia, i.e. the police, is under siege and is incapable of solving the problem. With this extreme suffering, it is always common in most civilized societies to expect a rise in the crime rate. And crime because it has a social base, is not uprooted with ill-understood draconian measures, which in our case, have hardened criminals “ similarly because it is a social problem, it can only be combated socially and not by another means.
The social solution, for it is the dismantling of the present socio-economic formation which creates and recreates poverty, destitution, disease and misery on the one hand and extreme opulence for the lazy and parasitic ruling class whose stock in trade is to confuse the people and set them for exploitation by foreign capital. Take the case of the United States of America. A look at this data is revealing: One in every three American families falls a victim of a major crime each year. Every 4.6 seconds, a burglary is committed in the USA, every 18.5 seconds, an armed attack is committed. Every 27 seconds, a robbery, every 3 minutes a rape, every 8 minutes an act of car theft and every 28 minutes, a murder is committed. The crime of arson has considerably increased in recent years. It is estimated that USA ranks first among Western capitalist countries in the field of crime (New Nigerian, April 4, 1983).
This contrasts sharply with what obtains in socialist states. What do you expect in a society that doesnt care about the aged, one that creates unemployment? A society which dumps its people in rubbish heaps. It is estimated that 66.5% of urban unemployment are able-bodied Nigerians below 25 years, while 23.6% others are between the ages of 25 to 44. Interestingly, 61.1% of urban unemployment are school leavers. How do we justify the squandering of over 200 billion Naira gained during the last 26 years? What do the poor of this country have to show for this huge expenditure? Where will these able-bodied Nigerians get their food?
The only solution to armed robbery and crime is a revolutionary overthrow by the working class of the present bourgeois rule. Until this is done, no efforts, no platitudes and indeed no amount of rhetorics can salvage the situation for Nigeria. For the avoidance of doubt, there can be no solution to the menace of armed robbery until capitalism is overthrown. We want our children and generations yet unborn to be free of crime, that we may sin no more.
The Standard, Thursday, November 27, 1985, page 4

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