Government-Sponsored-Thuggery: Why power custodians must stop rearing dangerous serpents
Why power custodians must stop rearing dangerous serpents The strategic use of thugs by government functionaries to sponsor some causes or purposes through subterranean tactics is one major instigating phenomenon studies have shown to be contributing to brewing storms of anarchy in the Country. It is apparent that the perceived inability of Government authorities to cleave the claws of hooliganism across the Country, owes to the usage of such mischievous elements by custodians of political architectures to sponsor political shenanigans in the struggle for interests and power. It is known that the use of thugs to prosecute shenanigans for power struggle during election contest has been commonplace in the Country.
However, the extension of such escapades beyond election period is equally known to always take rebounding toll as even key political leaders as Governors who are meant to be the chief security officer of their respective States, have been observed to be found on the clandestine pedestal of rearing hooligans for strategic use. In fact, it is known that settlement of such hooligans have become commonplace on regularly basis in some States by the custodians of the political architecture. The foul culture has apparently been nurtured to the height where cutting the claws of hooliganism has become a strong challenge. The turbulence brewing from the escapades of hooligans across the Country appears to be growing wings into an albatross that is ravaging the entire fabrics of the society.
One recent locus classicus which bears resemblance to the subterranean sponsor of hooliganism from the end of constituted authorities, is the recent reported attack on the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) in Kaduna on Tuesday. It would be recalled that following the sack of about 4,000 workers by the Kaduna State government in April, the NLC had in response called on the government to retract the dismissal or face strike actions. The state workers had on Monday begun the threatened five-day strike over the governor’s retrenchment of the workers and the alleged anti-labour policies of the government. However, on Tuesday, the workers, who as early as 7:00am converged on the state NLC secretariat along the Race Course Road, Ungwan-Rimi, Kaduna, from where they marched to NEPA Roundabout at 11am, were faced with violent attacks by hooligans who were believed to be State sponsored. It was learnt that before the NLC could march to the Sir Kashim Ibrahim Government House, along Sokoto road in the metropolis as planned, shenanigan overtook the plans around 12:00pm when hoodlums in hundreds with dangerous weapons such as clubs, knives and stones attacked the workers and labour leaders. It was reported that the thugs who came in two vehicles hauled stones at the workers, chasing them to the other side of the Ahmadu Bello Way before the NLC members, turned to defend themselves. Following Tuesday’s showdown, the NLC president, Ayuba Wabba, had in response alleged that the state government hired the hoodlums to attack the peaceful rally, saying that “we have dismantled them.” He was quoted: “While we are here (NEPA roundabout), they (thugs) came but we thank God that we have dismantled them. We have chased them away because we have the numbers. We have no thugs and we are not using thugs but we have Nigerian workers. And we thank God that we will catch them alive and we are going to dismantle them.”
It would be observable that even if the Government denies involvement in the use and mobilisation of the thugs to unleash terror on the peaceful protesters, it is arguable that the culture of breeding, usage and settlement of hooligans by constituted authorities over time are enough experience to raise the allegations particularly when the surrounding circumstances, the threat posture and apparent draconian character of the state government gives close resemblance to the attack unleashed on the protesters. It would be recalled that the State government had much earlier, issued a warning against any form of strike, premising the ground on a subsisting public procession still in force in the state. The State’s Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Jafaru Sani, had in the threat said: “Apart from the restrictions imposed by COVID-19 protocols, a ban on public processions subsists in this state. This was imposed precisely because of the violence that has frequently broken out from such processions even when they began with innocent intent. This government was not elected to devote most public funds to paying government workers and treat that as its defining governance mission, to the detriment of developing the state and its people.”
It would also be recalled that the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, had earlier on Tuesday declared the NLC president and other officials of the union wanted for what he claimed to be sabotaging the economy of the state. The governor had in a tweet said: “Ayuba Wabba & others of @NLCHeadquarters declared wanted for economic sabotage and attacks on public infrastructure under Miscellaneous Offences Act. Anyone that knows where he is hiding should send a message to @MOJKaduna KDSG. There will be a handsome reward!”
It would also be recalled that earlier at the launch of the Kaduna State Agricultural Policy held at the late General Hassan Katsina House, Kawo, Kaduna, El-Rufai had reportedly said he would not compromise with the labour leaders over the sacking of workers. He was quoted: “They have attacked facilities. They have engaged in economic sabotage. That’s an offence under the miscellaneous act and we want him (NLC President). We will bring him to justice. We are looking for him. He should report to the nearest police station or report to us. He will be prosecuted for economic sabotage. There are no grounds for compromise. They have used their last ultimate weapon. It will not change anything. It will not change our position and that’s it.”
More decisions reflecting the draconian nature of the government expressing elements of doubts over the civility of same, appeared when on Tuesday, the state government further reportedly dismissed all nurses below Grade Level 14 for what was described as their “illegal participation” in the strike. A statement by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr. Muyiwa Adekeye, titled, ‘Kaduna will not tolerate criminal acts disguised as industrial action,’ had read partly: “Apart from referring the nurses involved to the ministry of justice to initiate prosecution, the government also announced the dismissal of all nurses below Grade Level 14 for the illegal strike. Ministry of Health has been directed to advertise vacancies for the immediate recruitment of new nurses to replace those dismissed.’’
The NLC had in a further statement titled, ‘Mr Nasir el-Rufai lives up to his name, cowardly instigates street violence against innocent protesting Nigerian workers,’ threatened that should the Governor keep unleashing onslaught on the Labour Force, a national strike is not out of option. The statement had partly read: “Just towards the end of the address of Comrade Ayuba Wabba, a convoy of the Kaduna State Governor approached the NEPA Junction, at the heart of Kaduna metropolis where today’s protest was staged. Immediately the governor’s convoy beat a retreat from the sea of human heads that had shown up in solidarity with Nigerian workers, busloads of thugs and hooligans drove into NEPA Roundabout from the axis where security operatives supposedly had cordoned off. What happened next can only be described with words apt for a war front. The weed-smoking hoodlums disembarked from the buses that brought them, brandished all manner of weapons and surged towards the protesters who were by this time seated under any available shade and listening to the speeches made by their leaders.
“We are already consulting with the organs of our movement on the next line of strategy in our struggle given Mr El-Rufai’s disdain for social dialogue and peaceful resolution of issues. An immediate declaration of national strike is not excluded from our immediate considerations. Another attack by Mr El-Rufai will most likely automatically activate a nationwide solidarity action with Kaduna State workers.”
In solidarity, the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, (NUPENG) had threatened a nationwide strike over the attack on leaders of the NLC. In a statement signed by its President and General Secretary, Prince Williams Akporeha and Afolabi Olawale, among others, the Union had said: “Union is calling on the Federal Government to immediately call on Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, to order before his arrogance and ego further push the situation into horrendous calamity as he has been doing in all issues relating to human lives and wellbeing.”
The need for a perspective change in the orientation towards governance among custodians of government architecture in the Country is key. The subsisting orientation of uncivil aggression and cannibalistic tendencies displaced from the quarters of Public authorities are antithetical to the tenets of civil and liberal government. The culture of aggressive hostility to clampdown on bodies of citizens pushing forward for their interest is undemocratic. The use of illegal entities as hooligans to unleash terror on protesting citizens makes the subject more nauseating to the definitions of what the premising atmosphere of democracy demands.
It is therefore important for the relevant stakeholders within the power architecture in the Country, to note that the Country is currently being troubled by myriads of challenges too terrible for it to be engulfed and may lead into deeper web of socio-political and economic entanglements beyond manageable levels. The necessity for government authorities in the Country to come to the light of enlightened orientation towards civil approach to resolving contending matters of interest is important. Resort to subterfuge, violence and subterranean aggression are only strings of turbulence capable of colliding with existing storms in the Country and thus heightening situations to heat up the polity. It is, hence, important for the political gladiators in public offices to embrace and nurture the pronounced culture of democracy with the refined posture of liberalism, rather than rearing uncultured serpents which may later turn to make the Country ungovernable.
