By Emmanuel Edukugho

Comrade Victor Akinola, Director, ICT, Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED), Lagos, was a senior lecturer and former  National Publicity Secretary,  Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU). A  social critic and public affairs analyst, Akinola bares  his mind on insecurity, the Boko Haram insurgency and the leadership question in the country.

Why are there still killings in the country after declaration of emergency rule by President Goodluck Jonathan?

The state of emergency seemed not working absolutely because the states affected  – Yobe, Borno and Adamawa –  are not really under emergency rule as we saw it in the 1960s when emergency rule was declared in the old Western Region, and also when former President Oluegun declared a state of emergency in some states during  his tenure.

This time around, some basic things were not done as the governors  are left in office.

However, we all know that the governors of the states where Boko Haram  operates, killing people, bombing and so on were not able  to handle the problem effectively, hence the declaration of emergency rule.

What do you think should have been done in the first place?

The first  thing would have been  to remove the governors, and bring in people  without interest in the social millieu of that problem.

It is time that the nation should work critically on the welfare of the people. This will ensure the general good of the nation – social, economic, political and cultural tolerance and accommodation.

Partisan politics may be okay but it is horrible to say the least. Everything is criticised because you want to wrest political power. It is not good for us as a nation. We should learn to tolerate each other and share common aspiration. We must try to avoid violence in settling issues.

We have seen that violence has not eased despite the military operation. How long would this continue?

It shows that the problem is in the structure. We should have a total re-engineering of the structure. For now, the structure is tolerant to the perpetrators of violence. Anything you are bringing should be completely different from what is currently on the ground.

Nigeria must show concern for the welfare of the people. We should have better roads, good medicare, jobs, efficient power supply, security, adequate housing, cheap food, etc.

Government has to devote attention the well-being and welfare of the citizens and endeavour to make people become their brothers keepers. With this, we will have respect for human lives, respect for ourselves, respect for government and respect for law and order.

We must be humane in  our dealings with one another. If effective security is not in place, it is because of  corruption. Most of the governors have reportedly  put the security vote  into their, private pockets. Some get over N60m monthly as security vote. And most of them  don’t spend the security vote for the purpose meant  for. Rather, they lodge the  money in their foreign accounts, go to Dubai on  shopping spree.

And because  of the process through which leaders are elected in Nigeria, it will be difficult to have a crop of patriotic, honest and sincere leaders.

In other words, the situation hopeless.

I don’t want  to think so. But love for the nation or people, welfare of the citizens, security of lives and properties are not there. Military rule went so deep that it has now affected our democracy.

We don’t have true democracy yet. Over 70% of the nation’s budget  is spent on recurrent expenditure. This is not healthy for a developing country. Wrong and right are clearly different.

Even the academics are not helping the situation. Legislators are given constituency allowances that are not accounted for.

The Boko Haram problem and other social violence are derived  from bad governance and leadership style over the years because Nigeria had been run with poor sense of community service. People are deprived of their rights. There is lack of moderation. Instead of politics for the welfare of people, it’s politics for the bourgeosie.

No patriotism.

Politics is built around persons in power only who enjoy security. Nigeria is blessed with huge resources but mismanaged.

The  Boko Haram sect may be aggrieved by this situation, hence the violence unleashed in some parts of the North.

If there had been social justice, welfarism, maybe  the ethnic, religious conflicts won’t happen. If the citizens are well catered for, we won’t have sub-standard people.

Government has failed to integrate the people  everywhere. People are not taken  care of. So any small money can induce them to forment trouble.

Corruption is widespread among the political leadership. Contracts are given to politicians who sub let them to the actual contractors after taking 50% of the cost upfront.

What is your parting shot?

Government should administer the country with love and not  embezzle public funds. Our  should be more accommodating, selfless and committed to the welfare of citizens.