By Amaka Abayomi & Elizabeth Uwandu

A Professor of Sociology from the University of Lagos, UNILAG, Lai Olurode, has said that Nigeria and indeed the world will continue to be a slaughter slab if the quest for power and control of scare resources are not immediately addressed through sociology.

Disclosing this in his inaugural lecture at UNILAG titled ‘The Saughter Slab As Metaphor’, the former Commissioner of the Independent Electoral Commission,  INEC, under President Goodluck Jonathan, said his choice of topic became imperative among other things, to express our level of underdevelopment and to specifically convey the frequent resort to violence in the political and electoral processes in Nigeria.

According to him poverty, high level of unemployment on the one hand and the control for the little resources (political power) the other hand were factors that triggered election violence.

His words “Unemployment level is so high, so are restlessness, hopelessness,  despondency, inflation and anger.

Therefore, the competition to enter the state sphere can be violent (as evidenced in election fiasco, coups, and counter coups, political killings etc.), protracted, consuming and indeed a matter of life and death.”

Olurode, who observed that aside the unrecorded figures of people whose lives were lost for the scramble of power, said a total of 62 high profile assassinations occurred between the 1999 to 2015 elections, adding that the application of sociology can reverse this trend.

Proffering solutions to the issue of electoral violence that has continued to make Nigeria a slaughter’s slab, the scholar recommended activating the role of the rural sector; reconstructing the 1999 constitution to reflect Nigeria’s cultural perspectives and also including the traditional rulers in modern politics; curbing impunity especially in areas of power of incumbency; and reducing election cost.

He added that the issue of disparity in salaries and allowances between political office holders and public/private workers be narrowed so that public seekers will not give in to aggressive and deviant behaviours.

He equally lamented that sociologists who study human behaviour in relationships with their environment were not given position in governance.

He said “No department or government should function without professional sociological insight and input as only sociologists can collate, analyze and scientifically interpret information about people’s perspectives and behaviour.”

Reacting to the lecture which had the likes of Alhaji Lateef Jakande, INEC officials and traditional rulers including a representative of the Oba of Lagos, Joe Odumakin said for Nigeria not to be the metaphorical slaughter slab, there needed to be restructuring in every facet of the government.

He words “If people know that politics is not a do or die affairs and that pecks received in office can be removed, the killings and political violence will reduce.

Presently, political positions in Nigeria is more lucrative than arm robbery or what have you as some people have impunity to commit evil and go free. So there has to be a restructuring and reorientation for all Nigerians that politics is a called to service.”

On his part, the Aragbiji of Iragbiji, HRM Oba Abdul Rasheed Ayotunde Olabomi,   the Odundun 1V, said Nigeria leaders should respect the position of traditional rulers and reduce interference in traditional roles.