Daily Independent (Lagos)
18 November 2008
editorial
There was a forlorn hope that Nigeria's political elite would learn a positive lesson from the Èlan with which Senator John McCain, the defeated Republican presidential candidate, gracefully conceded defeat on the fourth of November. Alas, despite the posturing about being elated with Barrack Obama's election as the 44th President of the United States of America, it is obvious that Nigeria's political elite have learnt nothing from that watershed election.
The validation of the election of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as the governor of Edo State has been purportedly met not by an acknowledgement of the wisdom of the Federal Court of Appeal and a graceful withdrawal, but by acts of petulance as well as the barely restrained looting of public property belonging to the good people of Edo State. This scorched earth policy reveals the inner workings of the minds of the people involved. They obviously do not care a hoot that the long-suffering people of Edo State ultimately end up being shortchanged. For there is a clear opportunity cost in replacing the looted items. Money that ought to have been allocated to more pressing areas of need such as education, health and infrastructure will now have to be spent to replace looted items. This is quite frankly nauseating and in a sensible society the Inspector-General of Police and his men would clearly have had their work cut out.
The reports are horrendous. Even by our standards of licentiousness, the spree of looting of government property beggared belief. In the state capital - Benin City - there have been well authenticated reports of the carting away of government property out of the State House and other government buildings. The new governor Adams Oshiomhole had to personally lead his security detail to intercept some property that was being carted away from the Edo State Governor's Lodge in Abuja. It is a devastating indictment of contemporary Nigeria that although Comrade Oshiomhole immediately contacted the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro, most of the items in the Lodge - including cars, doors, window blinds, tables, chairs and electrical items such as chandeliers, among others - had been removed.
The newly sworn in Governor who played the role of the State's Chief Security Officer to the full, however managed to intercept a new Hilux Pick-up truck (without registration plates) which was fully loaded with household items. Members of the media who inspected the Lodge discovered that "...the huge house had been almost emptied with no reasonable item left behind." The Inspector-General of Police must step in immediately. It is obvious that the police personnel guarding the Lodge apparently looked away or stood with arms akimbo while the looting was being carried out. Those in charge of providing security for Edo state properties within and outside of the state must give an explanation as to the effectiveness of their watch.
What we are seeing here is an extension of the culture of impunity engraved into the polity under the rule of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. Under this propensity, the serving governor of a federating unit of the Federal Republic was abducted with no response till date from the Nigeria Police Force. Governor Adams Oshiomhole was absolutely correct to have warned that he might resort to the use of Edo people to protect the state's Commonwealth "If the Nigerian Police continues to look the other way while the looting of Edo property is carried out." The Nigeria Police must regard this as an indictment of its scandalous performance.
The Inspector General of Police has a duty of care to at least rebuff the position that the NPF is now in irredeemable free fall. Those who carried out the scorched earth policy must be apprehended. An example must be made of them, in full glare of the public. Without clear deterrence this sort of brigandage will continue. For alarmingly, there are still many states in which the judicial adjudication on the disputed elections are still to take place. Is this what is to be expected in each state where the incumbent loses and there is a change of administration? The sooner this sort of deviant and criminal behaviour is stamped out the better for the economy and the larger society.
What we are seeing in Edo state is a clear testimony to the fact that the Nigerian political elite have not fully embraced a democratic ethos. The absence of a national democratic agreement setting out clear behavioural guidelines will continue to mean that even the lowest common denominator of political engagement does not exist. In Edo state we are now seeing the full implication of the mentality of 'do or die' politics. We now know that 'do or die' means that if you lose you should make life impossible for the winner by stripping the cupboard bare. Considering the brazen looting of the state's physical assets God alone knows what has happened to the exchequer in the last few weeks. President Yar'Adua IGP Okiro must send an unambiguous signal that this sort of perfidy will no longer be tolerated.
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