November 3, 2008 registered once again the evidence of the depth to which human dignity has sunk in Nigeria. This time the Nigerian Navy- that supposed epitome of civility- was the culprit, Miss Uzoma Okere the unfortunate victim. Because she refused to scurry out of the path of Rear Admiral Argodundade’s convoy on, Miss Okere was pulverized. Not satiated, the naval ratings who executed the sadistic task went ahead to denude their victim. Were it not captured on a camera phone this particular scene from the bizarre show would have been, at best, treated cum grano salis.

 Intended to surpass other acts of brute indignity, this event was revolting in its barbarity. In the typical Nigerian fashion where events such as this were either swept neatly under the carpet, or allowed to gather dust after being reported or, in Nigerian political jargon, treated as a “family affair”, it is on record that dismal attempts were made by the Naval authorities to resolve the matter behind the scenes, that theatric exercise that often denies the public the chance to gain intelligence on vital issues touching on national conscience.

 Since the matter has surfaced in the public domain, it becomes appropriate for all citizens to react. What that lamentable incident has buttressed is the fact that in Nigeria man and woman are slowly- but surely and certainly- crossing that marked boundary between their kind and the species of the lower cadre. A concept such as dignity is under severe assault here.

 Dignity. That quality which is inherent in all persons by virtue of their being humans. Embodied in several historic documents- the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights being one of them- dignity is that trait that inheres in the very nature of humans. One can imagine what individuals and communities will do just to preserve that characteristic which places them on a high pedestal, over and above all other creatures. When the Japanese commits hara-kiri it is due to the loss of this characteristic. When the South-South delegation walked out of the 2005 National Political Conference in Nigeria it was to preserve their self-worth. Can one then over-emphasise the importance of this concept?

 The preliminary Naval account put the cause of the incident to Miss Okere’s alleged dispossession of a horsewhip belonging to one of the Ratings. When this initial defense was put up little did the Naval Authorities know that they would be confronted with questions such as this: Who in their right senses will snatch a whip from an armed person? Lest we forget, those Ratings were armed to the teeth. Suicide was never made easier for a person who would dare such an act (here the aphorism “An armed man is a mad man” is apt). Due to its manifest absurdity the Naval Authorities have discarded this defense, instituting in its place a Board of Inquiry, preferring to hear from the mouths of the culprits on what really transpired on that day. I am aware too that Miss Okere has brought a legal action against the Navy.

 If one is seeking for an evidence of the dehumanisation of the civilian populace one needs not seek far; just take an excursion on our roads. Not enough, one would be well informed if one saw a convoy carrying a government official, security personnel or an expatriate. Only a scene from a movie about Chaos will equal the pandemonium that usually breaks out on the road on such days. Many motorists are taught unforgettable lessons for being on the path of this raging hurricane.

 Every day my eyes bear testimony to these wiles of armed forces personnel in my area of Iwofe Road, Port Harcourt. The intersection that leads through Wimpey Junction, Iwofe Road, Mgbougba and Agip is perennially clogged with traffic. It is utter bedlam when these men get to this crossroads. Apart from spraying some bullets into the air, one or two motorists go home with a broken head. At the end of the day might triumphs over right, and Goliath strangles David with calm delight.

 Nowhere is dignity more pronounced than in the relationship between the members of a community. If two different individuals with distinct values, norms and mores meet, their interaction will definitely be guided by respect for each other. As mutual as it is that respect is rooted in the belief that all human beings are entitled to lay claim on that essence that make them distinct. But is this the case between Security personnel in Nigeria and the civilian populace? Was this the case between those Ratings of Admiral Arogundade and Miss Okere? Disrespect is the appropriate word to describe the attitude of these men in uniform to their charges. No one adverts his mind to the fact that in a democracy equality (interpreted here in its broadest idealistic sense) is the norm, the law rather than the exception. All road users have a right of way, no less than any other set of users. Since the armed personnel qualify too as road users the law equally apllies to them. All are equal before the eyes of the law. And Nigerian security operatives are no exceptions. It is true that personnel who respond to emergencies may have a little right than the ordinary when service calls, but for the rest of us- the gander and the goose get the same treatment.

 One can hardly counter the fact that the major offshoot of barbarity is loss of freedom. Those road users chased out of the road have lost the will to be free. Of course, this metamorphosis into fear. We now cultivate the feeling that our actions can be curtailed by another force higher than ours. Sadly, that force is the Force established and sworn to protect us.

 Today the grim harbinger of indignity on our roads is – the siren. Like the wail of a bereaved relative the siren sings the dirge of all road users, motorists and pedestrians who may have the singular bad luck of being on its path. The President is on the way to receive a foreign dignitary. A governor is on his way to commission a project. An expatriate is in his air-conditioned chauffeur- driven car on his way to work. And all motorists weep. They weep bitterly if they unwittingly cross the path of this sinister traveling party.

 But their sorrow is not yet complete: A bullion van makes its way in a frenzied pace to a bank. Driven by mental patients extraordinaire, bullion vans have always held a special terror for all road users. No wonder many of them pray that these berserk drivers will easily find themselves into a Psychiatry’s.

 Miss Okere’s case presents an opportunity to check the indignity meted out to road users by armed personnel. The armed forces are, admittedly, doing an honourable job in protecting the country from external aggression. But if this is to be taken as an excuse to derive sadistic pleasures from civilians, that thinking is warped. It is a land infested with brutes that permits the dehumanization of its citizens. Dignity must never be compromised.

Robot  # 1 | 06.12.2008 06:00

November 3, 2008 registered once again the evidence of the depth to which human dignity has sunk in Nigeria. This time the Nigerian Navy- that supposed epitome of civility- was the culprit, Miss Uzoma Okere the unfortunate victim. Because she refused to scurry out of the path of Rear Admiral Argodundade’s convoy on, Miss Okere was pulverized. Not satiated, the naval ratings who executed the sadistic task went ahead to denude their victim. Were it not captured on a camera phone this particular scene from the bizarre show would have been, at best, treated cum grano salis. Intended to surpass other acts of brute indignity, this event was revolting in its barbarity. In the typical Nigerian fashion where events such as this were either swept neatly under the carpet, or allowed to gather dust after being reported or, in Nigerian political jargon, treated as a “family affair”, it is on record that dismal attempts were made by the Naval aut...Read the full article.