The devastation visited on the nation following protest by the youths over the excesses of personnel of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) is yet to abate. The monumental loss of lives and property as a result of the uprising is worrisome. The situation in the country can simply be described as graveyard silence despite spirited attempts by the federal and state governments to douse the tension.
These efforts at restoring peace and tranquillity may be yielding fruit to some extent, but the reality is that the many contentious and unresolved matters warranting the crisis are yet to be addressed and this should be a source of concern to any patriotic citizen.
No doubt, the angry youths have expressed their displeasure over the state of affairs in their country and this has been done at a great cost. The message is loud and clear that the current generation of youths are conscious of what is happening and are restless in calling for quick change towards a better nation. But with what the various governments have offered so far, can we say that our youths are satisfied? I doubt it.
The reason is that the underlying problems plaguing the country have consistently accumulated over the years and are largely responsible for what we are witnessing today, as bad governance. The expectations of the aggrieved youth are beyond any quick-fix approach and reeling out palliative measures and interventions that are unsustainable.
What should now be done?
The state should enter into formal and genuine discussions with youth groups across the country on why they should sheathe their sword and embrace genuine dialogue. In doing this, the activities of interlopers should be checked, especially youth organisations, that are ferociously trying to reap from the prevailing situation on the premise that they are affiliated with the protesters.
The next assignment to accomplish is putting the necessary machinery in place to reform the entire NPF. What does this entail? Practical reforms must involve real transformation that allows only qualified candidates to be recruited into the police. The minimum entry qualification for the exercise should be university degree or its equivalent, to allow for the engagement of only intellectually-sound candidates. The deployment of police officers to very important persons (VIPs) should stop.
Adequate local and international training and retraining should be given to policemen on how to carry out their duties effectively and with utmost civility like their foreign counterparts.
The remuneration and condition of service should be significantly improved, as the existing salary structure is too meagre to sustain our policemen. This poor pay could be accountable for why bribery and corrupt practices are common in NPF and discouraging passionate candidates from joining the force. Sadly, most police stations and barracks are poorly equipped and dilapidated for the officers to develop good state of mind and comportment at work, just as erring police officers should not be spared the rod, but given the deserved penalties promptly.
What the angry youths simply need are words of encouragement and assurances that their needs would be taken care of and that better days are coming, which the last presidential speech failed to capture. This should be backed up with a clear line of actions and commitments showing that those at the helm of affairs are sincerely ready to restructure the nation towards a just, fair, and equitable Nigeria.
To move forward, the present situation calls for sombre reflection and regular public communication with the people.
Adewale Kupoluyi writes from Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta @AdewaleKupoluyi
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