Muzzling the opposition, starving IDPs and other matters

SOJI OJEDIRAN

In every healthy and thriving democratic state, there are at least two or more contending political parties. This political evolution has served as a template among other things for check and balance between the ruling or leading party and the opposition parties.

Sadly, recent developments in the political atmosphere of Nigeria have proven otherwise, as the arrest of key voices of the onetime self-acclaimed largest political party in Africa and opposition party, the PDP, has intensified. The crises rattling the PDP as I write now are enough to annihilate it; let alone the onslaught on it by the leading party. This is what I call the muzzling of the opposition.

Before and after the 2015 general election, Chief Olisah Metuh of the PDP as its then National Publicity Secretary gave the APC the toughest time of its life each time he came up and spoke against activities of the APC. He made several press releases on the APC’s ambition to lead and its choice of candidate, namely Muhamadu Buhari. He took several swifts at the arrest and ‘unlawful’ detention of the former National Security adviser, Rt. Col. Sambo Dasuki. It was as if he knew that it would soon be his turn to be arrested.

Shortly after, he was arrested for allegedly obtaining 400million from the ‘arm deal’. Since then, he has remained in detention, having been on and off the court. However, while the allegation against him is becoming true, it suffices to say that a leading voice had been lost or silenced. The leading party is certainly having a mastery of the opposition.

FFK is perceived as the ‘stubborn child’ swerving between religious, party affiliation and tribal sentiments even before the APC‘s fantasy became a reality. He is one of my literary icons. When it comes to being prolific in writing, FFK is a guru, a German machine, a sophisticated writer etc. This is not just because he does that to denigrate or cast aspersion on a section of the Nigerian society, but because his writings are timely, current and sometimes require research in order to establish the certainty of his assertions.

He became apologetic moments after his party lost to the APC in that historic election. But FFK is never apologetic, neither am I, when it comes to matters that affect the geo-political zone where he comes from. He led the vanguard condemning the deadening silence of the presidency on the demonic attack of Fulani herdsmen on the South West. He never kept quiet on the lopsidedness of President Muhamadu Buhari’s appointments. Eventually, the Federal Government‘s EFCC went after him, having linked him to the arms deal. Since his arrest and ongoing trial, we all know he has gone into hibernation. I am missing you FFK. Another leading voice from opposition just got silenced. It looks like a plot by the leading APC party to get its ‘detractors’ out of the way for ‘smooth administration and good governance’.

Next to him is Governor Ayodele Fayose. He seems to be the only voice, the only lifeline left to the PDP since it lost the control of the central government. But with recent happenings around him similar to those of his cohorts, the opposition might have been left with no voice any more. This perhaps is due to the fact that anyone who tries to speak up has a skeleton in his cupboard.

Mr Ayo Fayose is currently having his fair share of the corruption charges surrounding the arms deal. The EFCC just traced some huge amount of money kept in Zenith bank to him. It is not clear whether Mr Fayose is guilty but as it is now, his Zenith bank account remains frozen by the EFCC. He must be having sleepless nights since this threatens his continuity as governor, provided he is convicted of the accusation.

Equally, The number of press conferences he normally holds has drastically reduced. The last time I checked, he was only holding to ‘a tyrannical immunity’ in which most political office holders hide themselves to commit ceaseless impunity. As everything stands now, only Mr Fayose has been speaking as he battles to unfreeze his account.

I strongly believe that the Federal Government and its controlled EFCC are giving these guys the fiercest trials of their lives because they belong to the opposition. If not, why not, for instance, probe all past governments or freeze the bank accounts of such individuals and investigate them if stolen moneys would not be found on them?

Starvation of IDPs in their temporary camps
The kind of starvation going on in our various IDPs camps in north eastern Nigeria is similar to what was experienced during the Somalian, Sudanese and Rwandan civil wars. Well then, to what do the various financial interventions by Federal Government, internal and external donor amount? A 2014 NEMA report, titled Displacement Tracking Matrix Report (DTM), reveals that 92.4 % of IDPs live with host families whereas 7.6% live in camps. Now, how come this percentage of the IDPs has become such a neglected species? How do we explain the epidemic of malnutrition and death in the IDPs camps right now? Is it possible that most of the funds meant for the provision of relief for the IDPs have ended in private pockets as it usually happens with officials saddled with such responsibilities? The outgoing US ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle, recently said more needed to be done on the humanitarian front particularly as Nigerians were dying of starvation in their own country. Is that not shameful?

The deadly Fulani herdsmen
Attacks by the Fulani herdsmen on southern and north central farmers have never been this despicable in recent times until the ascension of President Muhamadu Buhari to power. It appears to me that these Fulani herdsmen are on a certain mission. These murderers and marauders have sent hundreds of farmers, their wives and children to early graves. And the trend is still unabated. Messier enough, all Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State could do at his best was a lamentation and call for help.

I see the video of victims of this dastardly act often on television stations and wonder when there will be solutions to this menace. Are these herdsmen out to clear the legitimate occupants from those territories for the grazing of their cows? I heard Mr. President told traditional leaders to ask the farmers to go back to the farm. Please, how will this happen when Benue state, the Food Basket of the nation is for instance presently under herdsmen’s threat? As a result of this, many Benue residents have become IDPs. A lot of debates are ongoing on the possible ways of preventing this recurrent decimal. The solutions should be made quickly and they must be viable.

Quick attention also needs to be given to employment creation. Unemployment is still at its highest in the country. Yet the story we kept hearing is secret recruitment under APC government after it promised us change. All this injustice perhaps is responsible for the current agitations in the part of the south by namely the Independent people of Biafra (IPOB) and the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA).

There should be day-to-day progressiveness affecting every part of Nigeria’s life. Our collective efforts should move us from a country with so much injustice and division to that of an ideal society where everyone is equal and just.