National Issues
The Last But One Word On SARS -By Saliu Momodu
SARS is also a symptom of leadership failure as has plagued us here in Nigeria for decades now. A failure to create meaningful and legitimate employments for youths and young people- turning them thereby into cheap targets for demented, trigger-happy security BUSINESS operatives.
The Special Anti-robbery Squad Unit of the Nigerian Police Force popularly known as SARS, is failure and wickedness at three levels.
Firstly, it is a failure of the Nigerian Police to live up to its constitutional duties in the maintenance of law and order for the safety of lives, property and dignity of citizens. It is also wickedness because rather than being remorseful and seeking to remedy the grueling situation, the Force instead has chosen to turn this very failure into an enterprise for extortion, brutalization and colonization of an entire people and demography while allowing the free reign of criminality and terror.
Secondly, SARS is also a symptom of leadership failure as has plagued us here in Nigeria for decades now. A failure to create meaningful and legitimate employments for youths and young people- turning them thereby into cheap targets for demented, trigger-happy security BUSINESS operatives.
This is wickedness also because rather than make amends and assuage seething grievances, the very failure is now employed as a tool of manipulation, propaganda, control and political-rent seeking as we see playing out in the present unfolding of the situation.
Lastly, the SARS debacle is what it is, a failure of families, parents and communities to take responsibility for the moral, cultural and ethical upbringing of their children and wards. Hence the best from our homes nowadays are often cultists, miscreants and hedonists being a token contribution for social dissonance and disaster. Vainglorious young people without any shred of morality, skill or propriety, except the acquisition of illicit wealth, and satisfying every lustful craving therewith. What utter wickedness this is, because parents who at least should know and care better are themselves actively conniving and awaiting criminal proceeds as they urge on their children and wards towards premature death and destruction.
As you can see therefore, the solution we should be craving is beyond disbanding one notorious organization of state, reforming it or replacing it even.
The vile thread that binds this urgliness runs across, starting way up from the highest hierarchy of our statehood, through our pseudo institutions and then right into our homes and families. So let those innocent and genuinely concerned protesters, whether off or online raise their heads, look forward and sideways lest you are hand-in-hand and in comradeship with a criminal, a scammer, a ritualist, a yahoo boy – one of your enemies thereby.
My condolences to all communities and families of victims of bad leadership and all
those mourning as a result.
Saliu Momodu
Saliu Momodu is the Producer and Host of The Scholastic-Ng Podcasts, and can be reached via saliumomoh123@gmail.com
