Cogito Ergo Non Serviam
Nigerian Protests on Pause, Not Over
Youth protested against another police killing of a black man. This time, it was not in the US, but rather in Nigeria. The Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigerian police was, until it was disbanded a few days ago, a crime family that plundered mostly young people to make up for lousy police pay. Sometimes, the victim resists, and in those cases, sometimes, the citizen winds up dead. The streets of Nigeria's southern cities have been filled with protesters, but the government has threatened a crackdown. For now, it appears the kids will stay home. However, the problems in Nigeria mean that the day of reckoning has only been postponed.
The demands of the protesters have not been unreasonable. The release of all protesters in police custody seems acceptable as there is no evidence they have harmed anyone. Justice for those killed by the police and compensation for their families is only right. Creation of an independent body to oversee the investigation and prosecution of police misconduct would be a good idea in many countries. Psychological evaluation of former Sars members before they are redeployed, which should probably be extended to all police officers on an annual or semi-annual basis. And finally, better pay for the police so they don't feel the need to rob fellow citizens. Unfortunately, this isn't going anywhere.
Part of the problem is the current president Muhammadu Buhari. He is a rather imperious, monarchical man of limited imagination. He doesn't like the idea of anyone questioning how things work, let alone suggesting that things could get better. The army is quite happy to back him. A week and a half ago, the army issued a statement that in part read that it "is ready to fully support the civil authority in whatever capacity to maintain law and order and deal with any situation decisively." In other words, there are no limits.
In response, many of the protest groups are stepping back. The Feminist Coalition, a leading protest organization, spoke for many when it stated, "The past two weeks have been tough for many Nigerians, most especially the last two days. Many lives have been lost and properties destroyed at the height of what started as peaceful marches for the end to police brutality. Following the President's address, we hereby encourage all young Nigerians to stay safe, stay home, and observe the mandated curfew in your state."
However, the basic problems are still there. Africa's most populous nation and one of the world's biggest oil-producing countries has too many poor people and not enough jobs for its youth. And young people make up a huge portion of the population. Those kids are going to need opportunities, and with the current quality of governance in Nigeria, there are far too few of those.
© Copyright 2020 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Ubuntu Linux.
Kensington Review Home
|
|
|
