By Tiola

Sometimes, when certain things occur and people react in a certain way, I wonder if it’s peculiar to us as Nigerians, or if it’s just basic human nature period. Four students lose their lives; and that is just one incidence, one drop in the recent flood of such events; in the most gruesome way conceivable…

Students in justifiable righteous indignation take to the streets and demonstrate their displeasure… a lecturer, a Head of Department no less, perhaps fired by the senselessness of it all joins in on the protest and his just reward for standing up against injustice is to be relieved of his duties… wow!

How diligent of the VC! I am sure that was his attempt at ‘damage control’. Of course, if never occurred to him  his action did more damage and spoke volumes about his leadership style than anything the kids could have done.

If not for the need for leadership to show restraint in heated situations ideally shouldn’t it be the VC leading such a rally, ensuring that while his students went about their protest, and things didn’t turn ugly? Or doesn’t he see the brutal killing of the four boys as an indictment on his ability to ensure the safety of lives entrusted in his care? We always get the wrong end of the stick. All he could think of (obviously) was how the HOD’s action made the school (and by extension) himself look bad.

Don’t get me wrong. Two wrongs do not make a right, and I do not condone the wanton destruction of lives and property as a means of airing ones grievances and yes; one expects a certain decorum attached to certain positions of authority, but in the face of extreme provocation all bets are off. If there was ever a case of extreme provocation, this is it.

What did the inhabitants of Aluu community think would happen as they sat back and watched and did nothing to stop the serial killing of people in their prime who as it turns out are not guilty of theft? That the world should understand and applaud them? That the victim’s immediate constituency will not exact some sort of revenge for the unforgivable act?

That they would not receive a firm message that that sort of behaviour is unacceptable and will no longer be tolerated? They should be grateful that the carnage was contained quickly. If the students were to show as much intolerance and mindlessness as the mob that lynched those four innocent boys I dare say that not one building in Aluu community should be left standing.

I said it last week; the massacre of the Aluu 4, is a blemish that won’t go away. And until justice is done it will continue to claim casualties. One day, very soon, this nation will have no space left for all the ‘half buried bodies’ we’ve left scattered all about.

Mr VC should stop the knee-jerk reactions, do the right thing and re-instate the sacked HOD. Let’s not further exacerbate an already terrible situation. He should stop window dressing and begin to look for real and lasting measures to ensure that such a travesty of ‘justice’ never occurs under his watch again.