By Steve Obum Orajiaku
Anyone especially in Nigerian government who cries wolf that taxes are successfully evaded by the citizens cannot be more stingy (economical) with the truth. Nowhere else in the world do the people forcibly pay for tolls and taxes in different shades and styles than in Nigeria, particularly Southern Nigeria.
Sometimes it is quite resentful the manner this ad hoc tax collector in police, military, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO), Vigilante men, etc uniforms go about fulfilling their illegal duties. Many lives of unsuspecting victims in South East, Lagos State have been lost to the brutality and unconscionable treatment meted out to the road users who refuse to play ball.
If you are not used to Nigerian roads, this piece will sound very
strange to you. But even airborne travellers will tell you that the airport
miscreants covered in FAAN garb will charge almost for the air you breathe in
the airport hall.
Therefore they will not tell a different story of the ridiculous
charges they are forced to pay. The payment of taxes is the citizens’ civil
obligation. The responsible government depends on the revenue it generates to
cater for a number of national developmental projects and of course the welfare
of the citizens. This way or the other, the taxpayer is committing to his or
her well-being in advance only spearheaded by the thoughtful government of the
land. It serves a good purpose, ultimately.
It is rather heartbreaking that this foregoing scenario is not
just manipulated in Nigeria but perverted all the same. This writer travelled
from Lagos to Anambra State, then to Abia State, then to Enugu State, then to
Abuja, Gombe, Adamawa, and then to Jos, Plateau State and Markudi, Benue State
and finally back to Lagos within the space of a fortnight.
If
you still have a lively conscience, witnessing what happened all these routes,
you cannot afford to be unperturbed. You must weep along with me. But the
fascinating thing about this illegality is the lopsided aspect of the practice.
All the regimented bodies I mentioned above mount their checkpoints along the
South West – South East axis whereas in the Northern part, what I witnessed is
the exchange of banters between the officer on duty and the driver.
Not one spot did I witness the driver stretching his hand to give
N200 or N100 to either the military officers or the police. I could not see
even one custom checkpoint. Now, who cares enough to calculate the revenues
collected on these East-West roads, at least to know what enters into their
pockets? It is not difficult task to fulfil anyway.
From Sagamu, Ogun State to Onitcha-Owerri road end, there are not
less than 48 police checkpoints covering that distance. Oftentimes, they merge
with the FRSC, or the military and at other times, they disintegrate. Some
individuals who may have seared their consciences will frivolously defend this
anomaly by saying that the revenue collectors cum security diehard officers are
posted to curb the excess of insecurity on this affected routes.
Tell
that to the Marines, I will retort. The rate of insecurity in Northern Nigeria
is alarming especially compared to the Southern part. This is nothing other
than orchestrated plans by the top security service men to subject a people to
perpetual servitude and exploitation. Be that as it may, the day of great
awakening will definitely come when the youths will rise against injustices and
inequity.
Few times I have had to take the bull by the horn and dial a
Commissioner of Police in any of the states in the South to report these
aberrations. Almost all the time, the tone of the CP voice will betray their
complicity. ‘It is almost impossible for the rank and file officer to conduct themselves
in such manner without, not just the knowledge of the CP, but his passive or
active approval.’ Those are the very words of the Gombe State Commissioner of
Police when I probed deeper to know why none of his officers are seen
misconducting or misbehaving themselves at their duty posts.
During my training as Supernumerary (SPY) Police Officer at the
Police College Ikeja Lagos, we were sternly taught that it is inappropriate for
an officer to be seen meddling with physical money while on uniform. Whoever
that formulated that policy must cover his face in shame seeing what is
happening in Nigeria today.
The military organization that I have high regard for before now
for their knack for discipline and rectitude is today worse than the police.
These security strategists who are presumed to pursue those who rob us of our
hard-earned money, have today joined the criminals and they stand with their
guns stud underneath their hand, and demand with stern faces for the money they
did not give us to keep for them.
They
do this with utter impunity. They do not have regard for civility. Neither
honour. They show crass contempt for everything good conscience commands. They
are not patriots. They hate Nigeria and abhor lovers of Nigeria. Who are they,
anyway? Unfortunately, they are not those Bob Marley the music legend called
the Buffalo Soldiers! No no no! They are our detractors, destroyers and
demoralizers. They collect our money at gunpoint and pretend they care for us.
If you dare challenge them, you may not live to tell the story.
This rubbish must stop. The police, military men, FRSC, VIOs, local vigilante
men, and any other uniform people must be called to order and henceforth desist
from exploiting road users, especially in the Southern Nigeria roads. This has
the capacity to incur wrath of the youth and public outcry and a breakout of
another ENDSARS crisis.
I strongly suggest to the service chiefs to call their subordinate
officers on the field to remove this monkey hand from the group dining before
it metamorphoses to human hand. Do you understand? A continued or unchecked
aberration becomes custom with time.
You understand that? Let us not all sleep and allow the livestock
to deliver while tethered. I’m convinced that there are still men of character
like that Gombe State CP who have esteemed values and high-quality integrity to
guard. If your monthly salary is insufficient to cater for your needs, you can
consider another job offer.
Don’t come and spoil our police and military services. The neglect
of our police officers by the government who pays them stipends for salary, and
subject them to penury for their peanuts payments, is even worse than what has
been highlighted here and condemned. Who wants to join the Nigeria Police Force
if not out of frustration and desperation to get something doing. How long will
the media escalate this topic… We hope that the police salvation is only
delayed and not denied.
*Orajiaku is a commentator on public issues
No comments:
Post a Comment