That Presidential Address: This is time for statesmanship

THE President gave his long anticipated Speech to the nation yesterday October 22, 2020 in the evening. This speech was thought to be so important that even our Senate joined the chorus of groups that clamoured for the President to address the nation as a means to dowse the unprecedented and palpable tension in the land.

We listened to the president’s speech and I am still waiting for any interest group or individual that thought the speech by any stretch of the imagination came close to what was expected. There is this message trending in the social media that says; “The President has spoken, now you are speechless!”

One minimum expectation of the speech was to attempt to pacify the aggrieved, those who suffered unspeakable and irredeemable losses particularly of loved ones and the rest of us who were traumatised mainly psychologically or emotionally. We expected that even if it was lip services that the president could have expressed deep sorrow for the wanton shed of blood and should have gone ahead to promise an investigation; if possible the setting up of a judicial commission of enquiry to fish out the perpetrators of the dastardly act of snuffing out of life in such tragic circumstances with the promise to ensure that justice was done. There could have been a measure of some form of compensation including monetary for loss of life.

As we discuss, what is actually being made manifest is that there were those with unwholesome agenda who put out lots of fake news to stoke further the tension in the land to score rubbish political points or some dregs of the society waiting to cash in on the confusion that could follow to perpetrate massive looting with all the collateral damage pertaining thereto.

It would not be asking too much for a promise to be made that the State would underwrite the hospital bills for those hospitalised as a result.

Instead the president in his speech saw his prompt response to the initial requests by the protesters as having been misconstrued as a sign of weakness and proceeded to crowd his speech with the details of the palliative schemes on offer apparently to demonstrate sensitivity to the pitiful plight of the youths in the country majority of who have spent more than the fifth anniversary hunting for non existent jobs with all expectations regarding life post-graduation if not dashed sorely in suspension.

What is incontrovertible is that what the country just experienced is probably the worst in living memory. It has besmirched the image of the country in the comity of nations. Nobody any where else uses live bullets to quell protests from a group that proved largely peaceful and unarmed. The extent of looting and wanton destruction that followed was unprecedented. There were no institutions that were considered revered even the Oba’s palace as well as King’s College were all touched!

What was most worrisome was that the arsonists and looters had a field day. The security agencies were missing in action! The state must consider it a burden duty to identify some of the looters and purveyors of arson for deterrent attention. This experience makes one begin to wonder if it is not time for a deliberate policy to selectively arm the citizenry generously with guns. The fact is that the # SARSMUSTGO is a symptom of a deadly malaise. The value system in the land has been subverted. Nigeria today is not working as it should and we are headed for an implosion except we retrace our steps. There is the need for a fundamental redirection which can only make meaning if we revisit the extant structure of the Federation to remove the unhelpful contestation for dwindling and shrinking national pie.

This is time for statesmanship when turf and benefits protection should be relegated in the greater interest of the future of black people everywhere in the globe and of Nigerians both living and those yet to be born. This sorry pass no doubt shall also pass God helping us. 🙏🏼

• Boniface Chizea writes from Lagos