The Hungry Men, Misplaced Priority: SARS In Every Parastatal -By Tunmise Ajeigbe Katsina

“Every hungry man is an angry man.” We don’t have to expect good tidings in a home that is built with cement of woefulness.

The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a unit under the Nigerian Police Service has been declared as a notorious unit by Nigerian youth, as millions of them are clamouring for the total ban and denunciation of the police unit with a nationwide protest tagged #ENDSARS, seeking for additional 5 demands from the federal government of Nigeria, the demand that caters for the members of the public, the wellbeing and adequate welfare for the police personnel themselves.

The Nigerian youth called for the immediate release of all arrested protesters, anticipating for justice for all the deceased of police brutality, appropriation of compensations to their families, urging the federal government to put in place an independent body to oversee the investigation and prosecution of all reports of police misconduct (within 10days).

In line with the new police act, other parts of their demand are proper psychology evaluation and restrain (to be conducted by an independent body) of all disbanded SARS officers before they can be deployed. Lastly, this demand is for the benefit of all police personnels, as they demanded for the increment in their salaries, holding the federal government responsible for the poorly administration of police-officers’ wellbeing, that the government must make sure that, they are adequately compensated for protecting lives and properties of citizens.

Nigeria, a multicultural nation of more than 300 ethnic groups with a total population of about 200 million people. How can the federal government setup a better policing services without any conditional foul? We, Nigerians, never seemed to understand. When will the federal government provide resolution to this disastrous policing problem? We, Nigerians, keep sleeping and waking everyday with the mindset that the government will do everything, making the people in government to be having the impression as if they are messiahs and have more privilege than other members of the public. Are the people in government magicians? Oh! No! But most of their campaign manifestos express that.

However, some youth in northern Nigeria disagreed with #ENDSARS protesters with the subject of their protest which actually means calling for the total Ban of the notorious SARS police unit. Some Nigerian youths in Katsina state demonstrated that, in a protest that addressed how unsecured their region would be. According to the subject of their protest, their demonstration shows they are crying bitterly for not being freed from insecurity challenges resulting to insurgency. Some of their other motifs say they are seriously in need of the notorious SARS unit and they can’t do without them in their fighting against the serial banditry and kidnapping occurring in the region. Just like a twist of fate; security in northern Nigeria and brutality in southern Nigeria.

The Nigerian youth clamouring for better governance that will enhance adequate policing reform in the country are exercising their civil obligation and the noble notorious SARS unit trying make use of “power of uniform” over the citizens that they swear to oath of allegiance to provide security for their lives and properties are also not to be fully blamed. How come things are falling apart for them, as it is no longer a breaking news again to every citizen of Nigeria that the notorious SARS unit is an arm of extortion, forcefulness and brutality, showing to the world the act of being taken away by love of money. Are they not best to be described as ‘hungry men’? Only the Nigeria youth can answer that.

Treasure Island seekers here and there, as every citizen of Nigeria tend to become a gold digger, every perceivable chance becomes a glaring opportunity to us, legally or unlawfully, something must be put in stomach.

Who are these notorious SARS officers? Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) is a unit under the Nigerian police service that is responsible for prompt responses and investigations on public crimes/violence. Isn’t it? They are now be referred to as a notorious SARS.

Every other members of the public can also be referred to as a notorious SARS, if he or she downturns the demands of patriotism and wear the coat of being partisan with illegalities. For instance, government that failed to do the needful is best to be called a notorious SARS. Any police personnel that coverts his duty; provision of security for lives and properties of the citizen to a monument of extortion and brutality, he/she must be boldly regarded as a notorious SARS.

High institution lecturers that demand sex from students before he or she can be given a pass mark is supposed to be called no other name than a notorious SARS. Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) official that involves in electoral malpractices in anyway is also a notorious SARS.

Any medical practitioner that compromises his or her primary duty; to save lives, but in the advent of no available funds, such medical practitioner tends to kill lives instead, such practice is also akin to that of a notorious SARS too. If you are not on the rightful patriotic path of the country, no doubt, to that, you are also a bearer of the name, notorious SARS.

A hungry man is an angry man. If we can’t fill up the vacuums of hunger in our day to day activities in a legitimate way, we are all supposed to be called notorious SARS. The police personnel that works tirelessly under the sun every day, with less salary/arrears that can’t provide him or her adequate shelter and clothing and the hope to be able to sustain his or her family without the acceptance of bribes and involvement in other corrupt practices become seem a little challenging, with armouries and weapons with him or her.

When comparing a federal lawmaker that earns millions of naira on monthly basis with adequate package of goodly-solidified wellbeing just to carryout parliamentary roles in the nation. Many of them are still in the category of hungry men as they are not fully satisfied with abundant arrears by converting most of the constituency allowances that are strictly meant for the development of their constituency into personal fund.

Every unpatriotic Nigerian is a hungry man, seeking pleasure. Our clamour should not only focus on police brutality neither on the notorious SARS unit itself but our clamour should emphasize our needed touch of reform across all angles in our country. A total restructuring that enhances more strategic policy implementation is what can really make Nigeria to be functional as a working country and to be able to overcome the problem of police brutality, not by changing of the name from the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) to Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT). Nigeria needs nothing but good governance!

“They promised them from freedom, but they, are slaves of corruption, themselves. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.” 2 Peter 2:19.

© TUNMISE AJEIGBE
Oluwatunmise1107@gmail.com
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