Injustice And The Inevitability Of Insecurity
By Bala Ibrahim.
The term insecurity is fast becoming synonymous with the name West Africa, and the reason is simple-every segment of the sub-continent is playing host to the hazard of insurgency. From Burkina Faso to Mali, Nigeria to Niger, virtually every inch of the region is increasingly afflicted by the menace of banditry, kidnappings or mass abductions. Insecurity, which is largely driven by the activities of extremist groups like Boko haram and ISIS affiliates, who continue to take advantage of weak governance and the economic hardship of the people, is playing the unwanted guest to the people, because of their vulnerability to violence. Indeed violence has become widespread, especially in Nigeria, where, in spite of the relentless efforts of the government to combat the menace, terrorist attacks, are occasionally rearing their ugly heads here and there.
While Nigeria has announced the declaration of a state of emergency on the issue, and new tactics are evolving to address it, a new variant of the vice has arrived in the region, with the capacity to compound the problem in the entire continent. The name of the new variant is called coup, stage managed coup, as announced recently in Guinea Bissau.
For those who live in Aftica, coup is not a new word. Until recently, the word coup is as popular as coca cola, for those who are older than 20 years. Virtually every country in Africa, particularly West Africa, was at one time or the other, visited by coup, making the list of the affected countries run like the telephone directory of many nations in the ancient years. Every time there is a coup, the military say they have come to correct the spread of injustice, which, if permitted to thrive, can unleash multiple havocs, that would ultimately aggravate the menace of insecurity. There may be some justifications in their submissions, probably. But this new variant of coup in Guinea Bissau, seems to me like an injustice designed to justify injustice. Unlike the conventional coups, this coup came with an unconventional cover. The news of the coup came from the mouth of the man overthrown, at least, so said Nigeria’s former President, former President Goodluck Jonathan, who was there as an election observer.
On Saturday, 29th November, former President Goodluck Jonathan, was in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where he briefed the President on the situation in Guinea-Bissau. It may be recalled that former President Jonathan was in Guinea Bissau as the head of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) election monitoring team when the military officers seized power, in what was announced as a coup. However, while recounting his experience, former President Jonathan said the coup was announced by the ousted President, Umaro Embaló himself. This makes the whole thing appeared suspiciously unconventional. In fact, he said and I quote, “it appeared stage-managed. The President himself was the one announcing the coup.” For a sub-region that is already battling with the menace of insurgency, occasioned by a perceived injustice, to be visited by another variant of a stage managed injustice, I think this is an injustice with the inevitability of infuriating insecurity, not just in the country, but in the whole region.
By my own interpretation, as deduced from the press briefing given by former President Goodluck Jonathan, ousted President Umaro Embaló, saw the inevitability of his defeat, based on the collated results of the Presidential election released so far. Instead of him to do as Jonathan did when he was defeated in 2015, he chose to invite the military to take over. This is bad sportsmanship, and a direct attack on the ambition of democracy. It is injustice to the system. Injustice to the region, and injustice intended to inevitably invite more insecurity. Although the man, alongside his co- conspirators, have claimed he is in captivity, former President Goodluck Jonathan himself, has called for his immediate release, and the completion of the electoral process, so that the exact winner can be announced. Even if the votes can not remove the military junta, at least, posterity would have a record for reckoning. This is the kind of thing that makes subjects to loose respect for their leaders.
All over the world, leaders enjoy the respect of their subjects, where there is the conviction of the proper administration of justice by the leaders. When leaders, who should be the guardians and custodians of the law, chose to act contrary to the provisions of the law, as in this case, the electoral law, the seed for anarchy is sown, and sown in a manner that would make it germinate very fast. The result would make way for injustice-induced insecurity. This type of “arrangee” coup, which is coming to the region as a new variant, would compound the fragile political stability of Guinea Bissau, and pose additional threat to democracy in the whole region. It would also weaken the bond of patriotic followership, in which subjects are active and willing to follow their leaders, by contributing to the country’s goals through cooperation, loyalty and genuine initiatives.
Leaders that are encouraging such undesirable interventions, are only paving the way for lawlessness, which would inevitably increase the insecurity of the region, because, it may encourage people to disrespect the law the more. As, according to late chief Gani Fawehenmi, SAM, SAN, “In a state of lawlessness, it is illegal to be law abiding”.
