Unrest by youths and political connections

The present national disturbances by youths and some hooligans under the guise of #Endpolice brutality have been brewing for over one year with very little effort to realize its potential. The various calls for restructuring by many groups have been and are still the backbone of the current situation.

The present political/economic and security situation all brought the citizens to precarious state of uncertainties. The coronavirus pandemic which led to an economic lockdown as well as the closure of educational institutions encouraged the youths to be easily co-opted by those with ulterior motives of destabilising the country.

The authorities’ quick response to the demands also gave the perpetrators assumed easy access to demand for more, hoping to achieve further concessions and a possibility of injecting further political demands.

Unemployment is another factor that forced the youths to the streets. Probable solutions could be a general mobilization of the youths into the proposed new police organization as well as recruitment to the army to augment current strengths. Such a move will immediately remove the militants from the streets and the training those mobilized will receive will turn them into good citizens.

All schools should  be reopened, especially the institutions of higher institutions to enable students be productively engaged. Parents must ensure the proper upbringing of their children no matter how old they are. Politicians must also control their party followers to ensure they avoid all actions of lawlessness. Peaceful coexistence is the responsibility of all Nigerians, especially the elders in the community. Those of us who went through the unwanted Civil War are not cowards but we know what we went through and never want a repeat.

Those crying for violence should ask those who experienced it before. What dialogue cannot achieve could hardly be achieved by violence. General Gowon after the Civil War declared “No Victor No Vanquished”.  That pronouncement is still valid. Let all sheath their swords and give room for dialogue. We have no other country but Nigeria. India, Pakistan, North and South Korea as well as Sudan are vivid examples of countries still struggling for peace after attempting to divide. A true word is enough for the wise. God bless our country.

Rear Admiral Saidu (Rtd) sent this piece from Kaduna