By Jibrin Ibrahim, jibrinibrahim@dailytrust.com
The recent case of the arraignment of dozens of children in court for their alleged participation in the Endbadgovernance protests is a clear indication of the government in toxification with the fear of regime change. How else can one explain the case taken to court by the government’s team of lawyers led by DCP Simon Lough, SAN, alleging that the children and adults arraigned, alongside others that are currently at large, had between July 31 and August 4, at Abuja and Kano metropolis, while acting in concert and with intent to destabilise Nigeria and conspired together to commit felony.
The team was clear that the defendants committed treason, an offence contrary to Section 96 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 97 of the code. These were people who did not know one another, and yet they were supposed to be in a conspiracy.
As people watched video footage of the case and saw that the so-called dangerous people who allegedly committed the treason had amongst them many children who had been held in custody under terrible conditions for three months, had not been properly fed and were fainting in court. Even the judge could not stand the sight and withdrew to his chambers.
The entire country and the international community were shocked at the reckless action by the government, their lack of empathy and the sheer wickedness of kidnapping children in the streets, starving them for months and charging them with heinous crimes.
The most troubling element of the story is the widespread knowledge that the president in whose name these charges were filed was himself a repeat offender of organising protests against bad governance. Nonetheless, this government has repeatedly made the argument that those who do what they did are dangerous criminals seeking to organise regime change.
The government is blocking itself into a cul-de-sac as there has never been as much evidence in the public square as there is today that we are experiencing the worst episode of bad governance in the country’s history. The cost of living crises we are going through is the worst this country has seen. Food inflation is so severe that a significant section of the population has fallen into a regime of hunger.
The steady increase in transport costs due to incessant rises in the cost of petrol has produced a multiplier effect for inflationary pressures. This cocktail of higher costs is leading to an unprecedented rate of business collapse and rising unemployment. Meanwhile, the government has completely outsourced economic policy-making to the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), two institutions with a deep love for intensifying and broadening suffering and misery.
Nigeria’s only positive economic story has been the coming into operation of the Dangote refinery which has the capacity to fully supply our petrol demand. Nigerians are in consternation that the government appears to prefer the practice of importing petrol from abroad in dollars rather than patronise local industry. Meanwhile, long petrol queues remain all over the country and prices continue to mount. It is strange that the government stubbornly refuses to ride on the one positive story it could exploit and does not even have the decency to explain its strange antiNigerian attitude.
Some government actions are leading to the collapse of institutions. The judiciary appears to have been hijacked and turned into a tool to produce “jankara judgements” at the behest of power brokers. Nigerians are losing confidence in the judiciary. The danger of this situation is that Nigerians are reaching the conclusion that the court is not an arena where you can get justice. This is a dangerous situation.
Democratic local government guaranteed by the Constitution remains a mirage. The attempt by the federal government to force state governments to organise elections for councils has been subverted by many governors’ ability to organise completely fake elections and impose their surrogates as leaders of local government whose assigned tasks are to misappropriate local government funds and pass them on to the governors. They have succeeded in by-passing the recent judgement empowering local governments to expend their own funds for the good of the people.
The National Assembly has become totally subservient and obedient to the executive and has made it clear that it is not ready to hold the government accountable. In fact, all critical conversations about government actions is disallowed in parliament and the voices of constituents can no longer be heard.
On the security front, in spite of recent attempts by security agencies to smash activities by insurgents, terrorists and kidnappers, the situation remains dire.
The recent resurgence by a former jihadist terrorist organisation in Sokoto State, Lakurawa, is disturbing. They are operating with impunity in five local governments in the state. On the Lake Chad Front, the Chadian president has just announced that his country might soon withdraw from the Multinational Joint Task Force. This is happening at the same time that we have failed to sort out our problems with Niger Republic. This means that security challenges posed by B oko Haram might intensify.
As the country goes through these multiple crises, there are no signs that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is concerned. Corruption is at its peak and there are no significant efforts by those in control of government agencies to temper their high-flying lifestyles. There is an even deeper problem of manifest arrogance. Government has refused to show that it is willing to take criticism from well-meaning Nigerians seriously and outrightly rejects all policy suggestions aimed at ameliorating the situation.
At the same time, government backed political barons who are investing huge resources to destabilise and push opposition political parties into disintegration. It is a dangerous approach. When the government engages in massive repression of the people and seeks to smash opposition parties, it might well be opening the doors to the evil it is trying to keep out.
Some government actions are leading to the collapse of institutions. The judiciary appears to have been hijacked and turned into a tool to produce “jankara judgements” at the behest of power brokers. Nigerians are losing confidence in the judiciary. The danger of this situation is that Nigerians are reaching the conclusion that the court is not an arena where you can get justice. This is a dangerous situation.
Jibrin Ibrahim is a columnist with Daily Trust