by Wole Soyinka
For the avoidance of all doubt, let it
be clearly stated that I am against political violence from any
direction and for whatever reason. I especially deplore the stoning of
President Jonathan’s campaign convoy. I go even further: I caution those
who were responsible that if the assigned protection corps for this
nation’s president overreact and respond with bullets, no one should
scream violation of their fundamental human rights.
Stoning a president is violation of his
human rights and, in a time of national tension such as the present,
extremely dangerous. Intending suicides are advised to find other, and
legitimate means of assuaging their frustrations. The same goes for
every level of campaign convoy, visitation, or gathering – be they at
governorship, local government, senatorial or whatever level.
So as not to miss the point, let me also
remind impetuous slingshot Davids that Goliath Mbu is the latest kid in
town, fresh from his triumph in ‘taming’ governors all over the nation,
and reveling in his new elevation for jobs well done. A political
jobber by instinct though a clamberer through the police profession, he
has wasted no time instructing his men to return violence for violence,
fire for fire. He has been displaying his new attire and pips all over
the place, demanding to be noticed – as if his facial snarl is not
already plastered over the pages of media annals of police infamy,
reminiscent of the good old days of one Inspector-General Adewusi, who
would appear on television dripping with gas-cannisters and grenades,
with a detachment of Kill-and-Go:
“You see those men. The’re not called
Kill-and-Go for nothing. They are trained to kill. They only hear the
command ‘Go’, but never the order – Stop.”
Adewusi was Impunity dressed large in
police uniform. He mired himself in direct politics – no subterfuge, no
subtlety, no inhibitions. He virtually told the electorate which
candidate to support – all others were public enemy. He attended
meetings of the political caucus of the ruling party and laid down the
line. It is clear that AIG Mbu has emerged from the same mould. Is
History about to repeat itself in microcosm? Adewusi was sacked by the
Buhari coup and vanished from the police political rostrum. One thing
about coups however – the supporting cast of anti-democratic villainy
always go scot-free. Remind me, o historians – is my memory faulty, or
was it not publicly announced that he was retired with his full
entitlements? And a few days later, that he had indeed collected all
retirement emoluments – at unprecedented speed. By contrast, his victims
went on to spend years in prison.
This warped apportionment of deserving
it must be that drives such officials to treasonable conduct under
democracies. If the trend changes, and even the police are made to
account for abuses of office, abuses of the collective rights of
citizens, then perhaps we might see the end of arrogant partisanship in
the performance of police duties.
We preach non-violence, but preach this
across the board. The electorate must refrain from violence, so must the
state and its agencies. Electoral rights have to do with freedom to
associate, freedom to express, and freedom to move. This it is that
makes it morally wrong to stone a presidential convoy. Unjustifiable,
and reprehensible. But what we must learn to insist upon, and defend
with our last breath if need be is that the same freedom of movement
must be accessible – and protected – to all, as basic right. When a
soldier denies an elected official freedom of movement to travel and
lend strategic, mobilizing, or simply moral support to contestants of
his own party, and is STOPPED, and compelled to turn back – is this some
new form of pacific rule that bears no relationship whatsoever to
violence? For those with short memories, I am speaking of the travesty
of democratic order that took place in Ekiti where a sitting governor
and his convoy were stopped, threatened with guns and prevented from
exercising their civil rights. Here, just to refresh memories, are my
words of warning over that event:
“Where governance has degenerated to
such a level that any individual, on account of his uniform, can stop an
elected representative of the people, in this case a governor, from
going about his legitimate duties or exercising his basic, elementary
right as a citizen – as happened during the recent Ekiti elections – we
do not need to guess what happens in a situation that calls for general
mobilization.”
The same military are now menacing the
residences of prominent political figures who happen to be in opposition
to the government. Neither ever asked for police protection. One, a
governor, has made no complaint of a breakdown of law and order, the
other has not let out an SOS for rescue at the hands of miscreants. We
witnessed a similar violation of both state and people’s rights over the
oil subsidy protests, when Federal Might took over a state facility,
the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park, without the invitation of the state
governor, and without his knowledge. There is only one word for this
gross misconduct – Fascism.
The signs multiply – from direct acts of
impunity to the abuse of the uniformed forces through co-option, such
as are being revealed through exposed recordings, shaming a nation
through the complicity of both the elected, and the supposedly
professional forces of law, order and public security. This is a new low
in the life of this nation, and a grave portent for the future of
democracy. It bodes ill even for the postponed elections. Is the
postponement truly to ensure enfranchisement for the entire electorate?
Or to fine-tune a new strategy for the absolute and total cooption of
the uniformed services?
We insist that the presidential convoy
must pass unmolested. We must also insist that a procession of the
meanest citizens in this nation be allowed freedom of movement.
President Jonathan, it is not too late: LIFT THE SIEGE!
Wole SOYINKA
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