BY SUZAN EDEH, BAUCHI

The 2011 April general elections have come and gone, but will certainly not be forgotten in a hurry by those Nigerians who were on the receiving end of the crises that attended the exercise in some parts of the country. It will be recalled that the National Assembly, gubernatorial and presidential elections in the Northern parts of the country were marred by intimidations and violent protests resulting to loss of many lives and the destruction of properties valued at billions of naira. States like Borno, Plateau, Bauchi, Kaduna and Gombe were hot spots of electoral violence.

ome residents evacuating personal items from scenes of destruction

In Bauchi State for example, it was more like a do-or-die affair during the presidential election, most especially on the part of supporters of the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, who were out to wrestle power from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Unfortunately, the aftermath of that poll manifested itself in a bloodbath, with many of the residents in the state still counting their losses.

Vanguard Metro spoke to a cross section of some of the residents in Bauchi metropolis about their experiences during the election in the state. Some said, although the election had its own challenges, it was free and fair. Others regretted the fact that it was marred by rigging and violence.

One of the victims of the post-election crisis, whose two shops were completely destroyed during the crisis, lamented that he now has to start life again from the scratch. He said it will take a long period of toiling and saving for him to put his business back on its feet.

“It’s so unfortunate that I became a victim of this crisis. All I have laboured for in life just vanished in just one day. These people do not even know want one went through to establish my business. All they know is to destroy lives and properties and the most painful part is I have not been compensated by the government. But I am grateful to God that I am still alive,” he said.

A hairdresser, who gave her name as Rose, describes her own experience as horrible, because her saloon was looted and razed down completely by fire. According to her: “The following day, after the conduct of the presidential election, at exactly around 8 am, one of my neighbours ran to my house to inform me that my shop has been completely destroyed by fire. At first, I thought that she was joking. But then it occurred to me that my neighbour would not come to my house and start joking about a serious issue like that. When I got there, the shop had been completely looted and burnt down. I don’t know why election must be associated with violence. See, I am innocent, but I was affected. My church members were the ones that made contributions for me; even with that, I still need more money to put my business back to shape again”.

But the worst hit during the post-election violence were then serving National Youth Service Corps members many of whom were victims of the crisis. Sadly enough, some of them are not alive to tell their experiences, just as those who escaped have continued to express the wish that INEC should have conducted the 2011 general elections after their service year. The attacks and death suffered by corps members in the hands of hoodlums after the presidential election have since continued to generate angry reactions from many Bauchi residents. Most of them are of the opinion that it was wrong to have targeted the corps members during the the crisis.

“It is barbaric, inhuman and despicable, for young people, who have just graduated from the university and who came here to serve their father land to be killed over disagreement between politicians. We all know that death is inevitable, but people should die honourably, not like dogs or criminals. Look at all the years they studied and worked so hard to graduate, then just in one day, one nonentity comes and snuff life out of them. I honestly feel for the parents of these corps members. Imagine suffering to train a child and somebody somewhere who is frustrated with his life, comes to destroy all you worked for, just like that. I mean, it is very disheartening,” a civil servant called Abubakar said.

He faulted the state government for not giving adequate security to the slain corps members, because according to him: “I feel it is the duty of any government, be it state or federal, to ensure that the lives and properties of residents are protected. So the government has no excuse whatsoever for failing to protect lives, especially people who are strangers in the state. During crisis like this, this set of people should be provided adequate security. So, government failed in its responsibility to protect these corps members, period!”

While sympathizing with the parents of the corps members who died, Abubakar prayed that God will grant them the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

In his own reaction, an NYSC official, who did not disclose his name, said the NYSC in the state was yet to come to terms with the tragedy of the post-election violence. He said death of the corps members has given the state a very bad image as corps members who will later be posted to the Bauchi for service may be forced to decline coming to state. According to him: “Even myself, I cannot encourage my son to go and serve in a Northern state where I know that some vampires are waiting to kill him. With all that took place during the crisis, I cannot afford to take that risk. So if corps members now say they cannot come to Bauchi to do their youth service, will you blame them? As far as I am concerned both the state government and INEC are to share in the blame, because if they have provided enough security for these corps members, what happened to them, would not have taken place. This is carelessness on the part of INEC and the government. When they were being evacuated from this town, some of the parents who came to take their children were crying uncontrollably. It was something I will not forget in a hurry as it shows the pains they went through to train their children”.

He also called on the state government to give more attention to the security of lives and property in the state, saying that no state government can progress if the security of its people is not guaranteed.