Laying dangerous precedents By Denrele Animasaun “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants-” Isaacs Newton December 1st is an important date. If it doesn’t ring a bell it is understandable. Civil rights or segregation seems to be consigned to the background nowadays. Imagine, not been able to sit where you want and told that you should sit at the back of the bus because the front of the bus is reserved for white people. Schools and other public places were segregated. It was a very horrid time for African Americans living in America then. Black people lived parallel lives. Racism and oppression was very much alive. So on December 1st 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery city bus so a white person can sit. Fifty nine years ago, Rosa Parks made history and changed the course of segregation that reverberated beyond America. Her brave stance that day led to her arrest and a year-long bus boycott led by a little known Martin Luther King Jr. The act of defiance led to the civil right Act and the dismantling of segregation in the United States. Her act of defiance changed the lives of many and gave opportunities to many blacks. Sometimes we forget that some people sacrificed so much to attain our way of life. Independence did not happen overnight but people take that for granted these days. Freedom is very precious and sometimes we take it for granted and we only value it when we no longer have it. Sadly, the freedom we enjoy in Nigeria eludes most African Americans; they are still fighting for equality. Despite the fact that the blacks make up 13.3 % of the population, there is a disproportionate amount of black people in the penal system and they are more likely to be stopped and searched by the police. They are more likely to be poor and disadvantaged than their white counterparts. It is well known that blacks are more likely to be shot or maimed by the police. From Rodney King, Eric Garner and recently, Michael Brown and Trayvon. In the last couple of days, the New York grand jury had failed to indict the officers for killing Eric Garner. This is one of many of the injustices felt by the African Americans that make them feel devalued and oppressed by the institutions. It seemed that more black people die in the hands of the police. There have been protests against injustice. This is what happens when one race is valued over another. In our case, we cause mistrust and resentments by pitting one religion against the other or tribe against another and so on. America might be a world away it is relevant in terms of tribal and religious discrimination. There is great concern that the present administration is using the police to brutalise and intimidate opposition and ordinary citizens. This government is laying down dangerous precedent and the safety of the people are at risk when officers who are meant to protect and serve the people are systematically groomed to do the direct opposite. Nigeria deserves better. The worry is we are fast becoming a police state. The fiefdom is recruiting the police to do its dirty work intimidating ordinary citizens and oppositions. This is not right and definitely not acceptable. Yes, Corruption is a Problem Everywhere? “History shows that it does not matter who is in power or what revolutionary forces take over the government, those who have not learned to do for themselves and have to depend so keep eye on others never obtain anymore right or privileges in the end than they had in the beginning”-Carter G.Woodson Good news is in order as Nigeria moved couple of notches higher in the corruption perceptions index that measures perceived levels of public corruption in 175 countries. There is a slight improvement for Nigeria having ranked 144th most corrupt nation in 2013,139th in 2012 and 143rd in 2011.So in 2014 it now ranks 136 most corrupt country alongside Somalia, North Korea, Sudan. Yes, corruption is not peculiar to Nigeria but in Nigeria it is blatantly done openly and menacingly with relish. Sometimes you feel all Nigerians are corrupt home and abroad. I know this is not the case but we operate a system that is open to bribery and corruption. It seems it is the given and majority, become common place. Our institutions are built on corruption. In the index, countries like Denmark and New Zealand are least corrupt. The chair of the Transparency International, José Ugaz said” the 2014 corruption perceptions index shows that economic growth is undermined and effort to stop corruption fade when leaders and high level officials abuse power and appropriation of public funds for personal gain” and he mentioned ” Corrupt officials smuggle ill-gotten assets into safe hands havens through off shore companies with absolute impunity”. He added that having poorly equipped schools, counterfeit medicine and elections decided by money are just some of the consequences of public sector corruption and bribery that steals resource from the most vulnerable they undermine justice and economic development, and destroy public trust in government and leaders”. It seems the man was describing Nigeria’s situation to the letter. Sometimes it is important to compare our standing in the world. From the list, it doesn’t look good and for the apologists, who are quick to defend our appalling standing in the world, they should understand this; not been the worst is not something to boast about. We should always strive to be better. We weren’t always like this: we were once honest, hardworking, dignified and with integrity and we had better standards. I know poverty brings out the worst in people. It is the greed that has marred Nigerians the most. This is not bashing Nigerians but our leaders and some Nigerians are so corrupt already, and the problem is, other nations tar all Nigerians with same brush. I hear that the FG’s PR machines are pumping their chest that the president’s anti-corruption campaign is working! They can take the credit for this one as there is nothing to be crowing about. Yes corruption is a problem everywhere but a wide spread corruption is a sure sign that nothing works as it should and it is the citizens of that country that suffer.
Posted on: Sun, 07 Dec 2014 05:31:27 +0000