These caught within the act must be severely sanctioned
For many years, both on the highway or in a lot of the necessary desks at virtually all ranges of presidency in Nigeria, ‘something to your boys’ has virtually turn out to be the accepted language of official interplay. From airports to supermarkets to resorts to banks and the most important highways throughout the nation, a critical social illness afflicts many in any other case engaged Nigerians: begging whereas on responsibility. But, this pervasive and shameful conduct not solely dehumanises the perpetrators but additionally makes our nation weak since unscrupulous components can get away when slightly tip would make officers shirk their duties. We should start to construct a brand new ethos that locations emphasis on self-respect and dignity of labour.
Whereas this isn’t a brand new observe, because it has been happening for a number of years, the state of affairs appears to have worsened in latest months. After all, the financial downturn within the nation could possibly be a handy excuse for this disgraceful conduct. Nevertheless, the malaise runs far deeper because the tradition of begging predates the present problem. That’s the reason we enjoin the related authorities to discover a option to take care of the state of affairs that compromises each our nationwide picture and safety.
What makes this deplorable state of affairs much more noteworthy is that in a number of of the crucial locations the place this official begging happens within the full glare of the general public, there are additionally CCTV cameras put in to seize such unsavoury conduct. However in cases the place the cameras do work, there may be hardly anybody to maintain observe of what’s taking place and the place there are, they’re largely watching Nollywood films or sport channels on cable tv! Even at that, there appears to be some type of complicity by which no one is ever punished for what has now turn out to be acceptable behaviour.
Nigerians will recall the ugly incident in 1994 when Mr. Mike Wallace, then of the American CBS information programme ‘60 Minutes’, secretly recorded some officers overtly asking for bribe at our main worldwide gateway, the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja. When aired, the programme was a significant scandal that had critical dent on our picture as a nation and in the end led to some home cleaning. However that lasted just for a number of years earlier than the rot returned. Solely final December some policemen had been caught in a viral video demanding cash from a feminine biker who was on tour of Nigeria from the Netherlands. That’s the reason it will be important that somebody on the increased finish of political authority with a way of nationwide satisfaction intervene to cease this racketeering that offers our nation a foul title and makes us weak to disasters.
Nevertheless, we additionally have to take a more in-depth have a look at the sociology of a begging tradition. There’s a risk that dire financial circumstances have lowered the vanity of most Nigerians who ordinarily would really feel too proud to be discovered begging or it might simply be a popularisation of an unlucky phenomenon that has turn out to be worthwhile. It might even be the product of an underlying psychology of revenue redistribution in a society that has islands of affluence in a sea of crushing poverty. No matter could be the trigger, it’s one thing that have to be handled and really rapidly.
Certainly, the truth that a lot of the beggars are gainfully employed individuals makes it a matter of pressing public coverage concern. {That a} important phase is in uniform makes it much more scary. When persons are put in uniform by the state to serve the general public, they’re meant to exhibit a sure normal of habits that should mirror the best code of conduct for society. Due to this fact, since this matter touches on the very moral roots of our society, we urge crucial stakeholders to work in the direction of placing an finish to what has turn out to be one other emblem of disgrace in Nigeria.
