•Government must probe the incidents with a view to averting a recurrence
The recent bloody-clash between our security agencies and those celebrating the 50th anniversary of the declaration of the ill-fated Biafra Republic does not portray our country in good light as a democratic country. Indeed, the clash portrays us as having a shallow temperament for democracy, with all its restrictions and exuberances. Of course, we acknowledge that peaceful protest is a fundamental element in any egalitarian democracy; but also, the organisers of any such protest must exercise the needed restraints, to avoid putting the participants in harm’s way.
So, what was responsible for turning an ordinary democratic culture into a harvest of deaths, for policemen and the protesters?
We condemn unequivocally the killing of policemen involved in their legitimate duty of maintaining peace and order, on behalf of the state; particularly the report that two policemen were thrown over-board the Niger Bridge by the protesters. If that report is true, then those involved must be apprehended and swiftly brought to justice, to serve as a deterrent for such future misadventure. But we also condemn any willful mauling down of citizens exercising their legitimate right to ventilate an alternative opinion in a pluralistic society like ours. Indeed, if the report that the security agencies attacked and killed some of the celebrators while worshipping in the church is also true, then we demand for justice for those killed.
Between the agitators and those responsible for maintaining peace and order, the state owes the rest of Nigerians a national ambience for the legitimate pursuit of citizens’ happiness and means of livelihood. The organised protests spanning the major cities of the south east, on the anniversary of the declaration of Biafra 50 years ago, can easily be interpreted as a political protest against the present government at the centre, and that may have explained the forceful putdown. If the motives for the protests are mixed with politics, then the organisers must take the blame for exposing the ordinary people to harm.
For us, it will be unfair to compare the present time with the unfortunate events of 1966, when one wave of mass murder after another, eventually led the young country into a civil war. So, except to ventilate political frustration, on what basis would any group vehemently push to balkanize Nigeria, without any serious provocations? In many quarters, it is believed that those prodding the protesters on are those who lost out in the last elections, and are hoping to use the protests to gain some attention. The organisers of these protests owe their followers an explanation as to the ultimate aim for the protests; otherwise they act unfairly against them and the country.
Agreed, that our practice of democracy has its severe imperfections, it doesn’t bode well for us to always resort to violence as the answer for the imperfections. We have no doubt that any participant-activist in the unfortunate era of the 1966 bloody events would condemn any attempt to re-enact that painful era of our history. However, for a country laying claim to democracy, the right reaction should be to engage the protesters, to understand their grievances. Before the recourse to the use of force leading to the alleged death of tens of protesters across the country, what steps did the security agencies take to dialogue with the protesters, or are they merely trained to forcefully quell protests?
In our view, the President has taken the right step by setting up a meeting with the south east leaders. He must also ask for a probe of what happened, last week. After all, the commander-in-chief is also the national chief mediator and conciliator. Those are the qualities of a statesman.
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