Recently, certain individuals have been using the issue of military and police checkpoints to gaslight the public and cast the Nigerian government as partial to some regions over others. But is this an accurate reflection of today’s Nigeria?
The Federal Government will treat each region and state according to their conduct. You are not being marginalised because there are very few checkpoints and militarisation of Lagos and the Southwest while your region is heavily militarised.
It is because the government and people of Lagos conduct themselves in a civilised manner that is conducive to peace, progress and prosperity.
And when there is a threat to law and order in Lagos and the Southwest, their political and community leaders act speedily to restore normalcy.
For example, when Oodua nation agitators attempted to violently storm the Oyo State Government secretariat on Friday, April 12, 2024, the Governor of Oyo did not wait for any Federal Government intervention or call on the Nigerian Army to provide internal security. He used state forces to arrest the perpetrators within hours. The next day, Governor Seyi Makinde destroyed their houses. On the third day, they were in court. Today, they are in prison.
It should also be noted that apart from what the government did, the family members of those Oodua agitators took out paid adverts in newspapers to disassociate themselves from their relatives who acted in such an unruly manner.
Similarly, when the Eze Ndigbo of Ajao Estate, Lagos, Frederick Nwajago, threatened to invite the Indigenous People of Biafra to Lagos to protect Igbos, he was IMMEDIATELY arrested and charged to court. Today, he is in prison.
But where your region is in turmoil, and there are killings and destruction of lives and property, constant murders of men and women of the military and security services, along with acts of criminality and terrorism, which go unpunished and are not condemned by states and local governments, as well as prominent citizens of your region, you cannot expect the Federal Government to fold its hands and allow these elements to run roughshod.
In such a situation, there will rightly be police and military checkpoints every other mile along roads and within towns. Because the first duty of any government is to ensure that there is law and order which allows citizens to go about their lawful activities.
And if you see that as marginalisation, then you will continue to be marginalised until you learn to comport yourselves in a peaceful and orderly manner.
Even the elite of these regions, including those complaining of marginalisation, prefer to live and work in Lagos and the Southwest rather than their own regions. Why? It is because in the Southwest, they can work every day of the week without being harassed and murdered. And that is precisely why there is less military presence in Lagos, Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo.
It is just as Scripture says:
“When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers, but a ruler with discernment and knowledge maintains order.”-Proverbs 28:2.
Finally, let me add that terrorism and secessionist tendencies can only thrive where there is ACTIVE local support and connivance.
_Reno Omokri_
