Within the metropolis of Kinshasa, there’s a infamous jail referred to as the Makala Jail. Constructed by Belgian colonisers in 1957, inherited by the Congolese who, not not like many Africans, have refused to reform their jail system. Makala has been utilized by successive governments, particularly that of the notorious however stupendously wealthy Discipline Marshal Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu Wa Zabanga, as a modern-day Level of No Return.
Boloko ya Makala, as it’s referred to as in Lingala, has a capability for 1, 500 prisoners. However it’s estimated by human rights activists as at present holding 15, 000 inmates, that’s, ten occasions its official capability, with greater than 90 per cent awaiting trial, and solely six per cent serving a jail-term. And whereas the Congolese elite feed properly of their palatial mansions, inmates of Makala are ravenous to loss of life. That’s the reason, aside from a couple of who’re fortunate, Makala is a veritable level of no return.
Within the midst of hunger, meagre rations of under-nourishing meals are sometimes dropped at the prisoners of Makala, and mere sight of the rations results in a stampede. Every ravenous prisoner struggles to get his or her personal share. And the stampede typically results in deaths.
In September 2024, simply three months earlier than the stampedes in Nigeria, there was a determined jail-break at Makala resulting in greater than 100 deaths. Escaping prisoners have been shot at by the police.
However allow us to come again dwelling, to our beloved Nigeria. May Makala be a parable about Nigeria?
A couple of days to Christmas, Nigeria witnessed a harvest of stampedes by which lives have been misplaced.
Based on figures within the media, 35 lives have been misplaced in Ibadan, 10 in Abuja, and one other 25 in Okija. Like prisoners of Makala, big crowds of Nigerians have been desperately on the lookout for meals offered by well-intentioned donors now vilified by some authorities officers.
Within the wake of those tragic occurrences, a debate ensued between those that would blame authorities and people who would blame benefactors who organised the occasions. Those that place the blame on the doorsteps of presidency opine that financial insurance policies of presidency in Abuja led to the stampedes.
Starvation, particularly when it’s extreme, undeniably induces desperation. There’s a connection between financial insurance policies and widespread desperation for fundamental requirements of life, of meals specifically, in modern Nigeria. Severely undermined by present insurance policies has been the capability of the typical Nigerian to supply for himself. Many have been changed into beggars dwelling on palliatives like terminally-ill sufferers. Nigeria is a rustic the place a couple of dine at desk whereas the multitude are underneath the eating desk, ready for crumbs to fall. And, when crumbs fall, they rush and crush to have a share of tiny fragments of crumbs. That was what occurred in Ibadan, Abuja and Okija.
The police, an company of presidency, for its half, determined to exhibit its relevance, arrested some organisers, accusing them of negligence in issues of crowd management, and, utilizing its characteristically threatening tone, warned would-be benefactors to acquire crucial permission earlier than organising comparable occasions.
The insolently threatening language of Nigeria’s safety companies is a matter for one more dialogue. Suffice it to say, nevertheless, that Nigerian safety companies appear to endure from a colonial hangover. Their hierarchy, spokespersons and operatives appear to be oblivious of the truth that to police is to be well mannered. Even when the police should be agency, the police should be pleasant to the citizen. However the police and the navy in Nigeria, as is the case in virtually all of the colonial constructs referred to as African nations, have been established by colonialists, to not defend however to intimidate and brutalise the inhabitants.
Nigerian safety companies communicate and act like armies of occupation. Thus, relatively than implement the regulation, they threaten that residents will probably be “summarily handled”, or “will face the wrath of the regulation”, when actually, what is supposed is the wrath of the police. In a harmful and monstrous false impression of the aim of regulation, authorities and its safety companies presume and promote the presumption that regulation is made for wrath. That is perhaps the case in a feudalist society. But when, as we declare, ours is a democratic polity, there should be the understanding that the aim of regulation is to not go to wrath on free residents however to control human conduct for the sake of the frequent good.
Colonial powers who gave us the police and the navy don’t use theirs to oppress. We, on our half, inherited unfriendly and intimidating navy and paramilitary establishments. And we proceed that legacy of intimidation and brutality even within the sixty fifth 12 months of our self-rule.
However allow us to return to the matter arising: What brought on the stampede? Right here we’re confronted with a case of advanced causality. In different phrases, whereas it’s essential to admit that there’s a hyperlink between financial insurance policies of Abuja and ensuing starvation and desperation that led to the stampedes, financial insurance policies alone don’t suffice to clarify the trigger. In that regard, authorities alone shouldn’t be at fault. In an identical line of argument, purported negligence of organisers of palliative distribution may very well be adduced as a trigger. However that alone could be inadequate rationalization. That’s the reason we should see this as a case of advanced causality by which there are, aside from financial insurance policies and negligence, different causes that we should use the chance of this tragedy to establish.
Of those different causes, we should not fail to recognise the characteristically reckless impatience of many Nigerians. We see Nigerians rush to board the aircraft at airports, rush to disembark whereas the aircraft is taxing, rush to cross via immigration, drive recklessly on our highways, overtaking the place no driver who deploys his rational colleges whereas driving would overtake. And this record shouldn’t be exhaustive however illustrative.
In November 2012, Pope Benedict XVI created new Cardinals. One among them was our personal John Cardinal Onaiyekan, Emeritus Catholic Archbishop of Abuja. Anybody accustomed to crowd management at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome would know that entry is by tickets which are colored and numbered, and the color of and variety of your ticket point out the place you’re to sit down. In different phrases, in case you have a ticket, your entry into the Basilica is ordinarily assured.
On the day of Consistory creating Cardinal Onaiyekan, I used to be scandalised to see how some Nigerians have been dashing to enter the Basilica, making a bottleneck on the entrance. Not solely was there the Nigerian rush, the Nigerian authorities delegation was embarrassingly noisy proper contained in the Basilica, a home of worship. However with the scandal additionally got here some comedian reduction as a result of, as Nigerians have been dashing to enter the Basilica, some Colombians and Indians got here and pushed the dashing Nigerians away, confirming the saying in our pidgin English: “Man cross man.”
Little doubt, there may be starvation within the land. Authorities asks us to be affected person and look forward to completely happy outcomes of its current financial insurance policies. However officers of the identical authorities, as we now have been witnessing throughout these interval of non secular festivities, have been travelling in lengthy convoys at a time the price of gasoline is more and more distant from the attain of the typical Nigerian. Who’s paying for fueling these autos?
Sight of those lengthy convoys of automobiles that intimidate automobiles reminds one among lyrics of Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s Authority Stealing: “Few folks dem fats with large cash and de relaxation dem hungry.” That was sung in 1980.
Father Akinwale is of the Division of Philosophy and Non secular Research, Augustine College, Ilara-Epe, Lagos State.
