It is
unpardonably hot in Lagos. There is hardly electricity. Fuel is scarce too.
This unholy triad of heatwave, lack of electricity and no fuel means that life,
at the moment, is unbearably difficult for most Nigerians. The queue at petrol
stations can be miles long making traffic impossible everywhere. Electricity
would have mitigated against heat, the same way availability of fuel would have
lessen the burden of lack of electricity. Sadly, we only get one or two
hours of electricity in a day if we are lucky.
Apart from
the above issues, economic activity is at a record low nationwide. Companies
are laying off staff left, right and centre. Many who still have their jobs
have not been paid for months, including some government employees and
pensioners. I know of two companies that have not paid their staff for more
than one year. The naira is in free-fall translating to expensive imports.
Given that we import most things, the effect on the average man on the street
is monumental.
You will
expect that with all these multifaceted problems, our government and its
agencies would be busy devising strategies to make life a little bit easier for
people. Not so in Nigeria. A responsible government should for example be
advising its citizens on how to handle the heatwave - what to wear, how to keep
hydrated, perhaps even sending out water tanks to assist in cooling people on
the streets. Not so in Nigeria.
It is at this
hard and uncertain time that the Nigerian Police Force suddenly realised that
tinted window permit issued to motorists needed updating. Although they
came out with the usual nonsensical security reasons behind this, everyone knew
that it's yet another extortion strategy for the police and its sister evil
agencies – the FRSC and VIO. To obtain this new permit, which is ostensibly
free, you need to have your biometrics taken. Guess what! This can only be done
in one centre in Lagos, a city of over 10 million people. If this sounds like a
joke to you, wake up! It isn't. The reality of Nigeria is that practically
every public agency including the police, the passport office, FRSC, the civil
service, conspires to daily frustrate Nigerians. And the government stands idly
by. Our government and its agencies appear to be crudely but determinedly
contemptuous of the people.
This is not
the first time Nigerians are witnessing this type of shadow chasing and
criminal injustice. A few years ago, I watched the then head of FRSC, Osita
Chidoka argued on television that migrating to a new number plate system for the
second time in three years will reduce road accidents by 5000 a year. I felt he
was having a laugh, but the suckers at the national assembly fell for it.
Everyone else knew the change was an outlet to enrich his pockets and those of
his powerful sponsors at the expense of hapless citizens. After all, this
is Nigeria.
There are so
many questions that begs for answers about the new tinted permit exercise:
· Why is there
any need for tinted window permits in the first place? The argument could be
made for totally blacked out vehicles (tinted windscreen and front windows),
but not for factory fitted tint on back seat windows.
· Why does the
permit have to be renewed once it has been issued? The only plausible answer is
that this is a money making exercise for some people at the top.
· Why is there
a need to capture biometrics for this type of permit? In any case,
the FRSC, INEC, passport office, banks, mobile phone companies have already
captured our biometrics. Is there no way all these agencies could talk to each
other? What about the security implications of having peoples data everywhere?
· Why is it
that we have to renew our driving licence every three years? By the time you go
through the FRSC process and eventually obtain the licence, it is usually only
valid for a maximum of two years.
· Similarly,
Why do we have to renew our passports every five years when it is 10 for most
countries? Again an opportunity for corruption at the detriment of poor
citizens.
· Why is our
government indifferent to all of these state-sanctioned extortions and
corruption?
· Why do our
so-called representatives at local, state and federal levels allow these
agencies of government to terrorise citizens?
· Why are our
churches, religious bodies, obas, emirs and igwes silent at the predicament of
poor Nigerians?
I have a
sneaky feeling that nothing will happen and that the police and the FRSC will
get away with this exercise. The story of Nigerian is one of disappointment and
betrayal. There is a conspiracy of silence from the media, politicians, the church
and civil society. It isn't an organised conspiracy but often that of
indifference and ignorance. Like every other Nigerian, I suspect that, in
grappling with the challenges of the country, it may not even cross the minds
of these groups that they have a duty of care. For some, it is a conspiracy of
survival. They do not want to be labeled so they close their eyes to the
suffering of the people. Others benefit from the chaos, so why change it. In
our inefficient system, some people get their fuel, driving licence and
passport delivered to them at home. Why bother about everyone else? I have
observed that Nigeria turns people into heartless creatures. It is hardly
surprising therefore that most Nigerians distrust and detest every agency of
government.
This is my
own attempt at shouting for an intervention from those in authority. Please
act! Not just regarding the permit, but also on the wider matters raised above.
These things do not make sense. Help us to build trust in our public agencies
and institutions. We are in such a difficult situation that people are losing
faith in Nigeria. I have never observed this widespread despair and
hopelessness in people. I was surprised today when the pastor of my church who
usually was an advocate for staying and building Nigeria changed tune. He said,
he is grateful he had no options. If he did, he would not hesitate to leave the
country immediately. I understood him.
Finally, I
do not believe that the president should have to resolve all problems, but in
this case, I have no alternative than to say, Mr President, can you please have
a look.
