Reaping the tsunami in Nasarawa
- Details
- Category: Comments
- Written by Danjuma Akwati
- Hits: 3369
Predictably, the party’s campaign in the state was always a scary spectacle of brigandage and brandishing of dangerous weapons. Recall the attack on the entourage of President Goodluck Jonathan around the palace of the Emir of Lafia which was the worst incident involving the presidential campaign train anywhere in Nigeria. It was also a rude awakening to the historically peaceful and tolerant people of Nasarawa State.
The declaration of victory for the CPC in the 2011 governorship elections confirmed the worst fears of the people with the unspeakable harassment of our revered traditional rulers in the presence of Tanko Almakura who was being sworn-in as CPC Governor.
Ever since, the political landscape in the state was transformed into a veritable battle ground beyond the campaign period and despite the proclaimed success of the CPC at the polls. Among the other tsunamis unleashed were the sporadic outings of the CPC Vanguards now adopted into the governor’s security detail and convoy, the attack and disruption of the sittings of the state legislature and violent protests at the venue of the Elections Tribunal.
The foregoing recollection of events vividly captures the nihilistic tendencies of the CPC in Nasarawa State and the apparent adoption of the unruly and menacing thugs of the party as part and parcel of the state’s official security apparatus. It is now generally believed that the climate of fear and intimidation foisted on the people of the state by the unrestrained activities of lawless groups of individuals in the guise of political vanguards is responsible for the upsurge in criminality in the state. From the vandalization of Lafia street lights and electricity transformers which was unheard of in the past we now witness armed robbery incidents almost daily.
The unfolding scenario must be a matter of serious concern to all peace-loving people of our dear state especially because of the tacit encouragement of these acts of brigandage by government and party officials. A more responsible government should by now have exited the campaign mode and faced the arduous task of continuing with the development of the state. Indulgence in persistent campaigns of calumny against the former governor and fanning the embers of political intolerance amount to willful self-distraction from the basic duty of delivering dividends of democracy. These activities lend credence to popular belief that the promotion of public disorder and violent crimes could in fact be a prelude to a more chaotic and tragic spontaneous response to imminent judgment of the election tribunal.
It is worth reminding our CPC people that their sponsorship of brigandage and intolerance against PDP in Nasarawa State runs contrary to the conduct of a genuine election winner in a democratic setting defined by plurality of opinions and political platforms. Governor Almakura would do himself, his party and indeed the entire people of Nasarawa State a favour if he works towards leaving a legacy of peaceful co-existence and development as his predecessor did, rather than trying to disunite the people and destabilize the state for political expediency. Just as those who ride the tiger to power end up in its belly, those who sponsor hooliganism and criminality will soon fall victims directly or indirectly and sooner or later. Thugs are not loyalists, they are just mercenaries!
Akwati wrote from Akwanga
Articles
Reaping the tsunami in Nasarawa
Category: Comments Written by Danjuma Akwati Hits: 3369
The chilling reality that an ill-wind is blowing within Nasarawa State is today beyond denial. The latest manifestation of this predicament is the sudden outbreak of violent robbery incidents where none occurred in the past. For me it is particularly embarrassing that my native Akwanga has become the hub of this deadly undertaking by heartless criminals, thereby adding a hideous dimension to the terrifying topography that has turned especially the Akwanga-Lafia, Akwanga-Wamba and Akwanga-Keffi roads into notorious death traps. Ominously one of the first victims of the robbers was a cleric on a religious mission whose killing has signaled the devilish excesses of the marauders even into the hallowed ranks of men of God. This deadly development is however not a matter for soothsayers to unravel if truth must be told. The average citizen of Nasarawa State cannot deny the unprecedented ascendance of a wave of brazen lawlessness coinciding curiously with the emergence of a new political dispensation in the state. The fact that the CPC promoters in Nasarawa State chose “tsunami”, a destructive phenomenon of Japanese origin, to herald the arrival of their party must be regarded as a calculated resolve to sow and reap a whirlwind as their vehicle for “change”.Predictably, the party’s campaign in the state was always a scary spectacle of brigandage and brandishing of dangerous weapons. Recall the attack on the entourage of President Goodluck Jonathan around the palace of the Emir of Lafia which was the worst incident involving the presidential campaign train anywhere in Nigeria. It was also a rude awakening to the historically peaceful and tolerant people of Nasarawa State.
The declaration of victory for the CPC in the 2011 governorship elections confirmed the worst fears of the people with the unspeakable harassment of our revered traditional rulers in the presence of Tanko Almakura who was being sworn-in as CPC Governor.
Ever since, the political landscape in the state was transformed into a veritable battle ground beyond the campaign period and despite the proclaimed success of the CPC at the polls. Among the other tsunamis unleashed were the sporadic outings of the CPC Vanguards now adopted into the governor’s security detail and convoy, the attack and disruption of the sittings of the state legislature and violent protests at the venue of the Elections Tribunal.
The foregoing recollection of events vividly captures the nihilistic tendencies of the CPC in Nasarawa State and the apparent adoption of the unruly and menacing thugs of the party as part and parcel of the state’s official security apparatus. It is now generally believed that the climate of fear and intimidation foisted on the people of the state by the unrestrained activities of lawless groups of individuals in the guise of political vanguards is responsible for the upsurge in criminality in the state. From the vandalization of Lafia street lights and electricity transformers which was unheard of in the past we now witness armed robbery incidents almost daily.
The unfolding scenario must be a matter of serious concern to all peace-loving people of our dear state especially because of the tacit encouragement of these acts of brigandage by government and party officials. A more responsible government should by now have exited the campaign mode and faced the arduous task of continuing with the development of the state. Indulgence in persistent campaigns of calumny against the former governor and fanning the embers of political intolerance amount to willful self-distraction from the basic duty of delivering dividends of democracy. These activities lend credence to popular belief that the promotion of public disorder and violent crimes could in fact be a prelude to a more chaotic and tragic spontaneous response to imminent judgment of the election tribunal.
It is worth reminding our CPC people that their sponsorship of brigandage and intolerance against PDP in Nasarawa State runs contrary to the conduct of a genuine election winner in a democratic setting defined by plurality of opinions and political platforms. Governor Almakura would do himself, his party and indeed the entire people of Nasarawa State a favour if he works towards leaving a legacy of peaceful co-existence and development as his predecessor did, rather than trying to disunite the people and destabilize the state for political expediency. Just as those who ride the tiger to power end up in its belly, those who sponsor hooliganism and criminality will soon fall victims directly or indirectly and sooner or later. Thugs are not loyalists, they are just mercenaries!
Akwati wrote from Akwanga