HERDSMEN/FARMERS CLASH: WHEN, HOW WOULD THE DRAWN DAGGERS SHEATH?

SAM NWOKORO l Friday, July 20, 2018

LAGOS, Nigeria – The subject was well timed. And that is not surprising considering the fact that handlers of the Wole Soyinka Centre For Investigative Journalism, organizers of the annual Wole Soyinka Media Lecture Series have themselves operated some ways or the other or are still active in the information dissemination community. They are brand names in civic advocacy over the years. That explains the caliber of discussants/panelists they assembled for this year’s topic: “Sheathing the Drawn Daggers”—a copious reference to the high voltage insecurity that has been gnawing at Nigeria’s chord since 2010, exercabating year by year since then and is becoming more frightful now that 2019 elections closes in.

The discussions served more or less as an early warner about the dangers the  adjudged under-reported violent incidences of insecurity pose today. The take-away from the lecture  was that Nigeria’s unity is being threatened to the point of dissolution unless both state and non-state actors do the needful to change the narrative—and very fast too. There was somewhat a consensus that all—both the central authorities, the component states, the media and politicians, agitating groups, local authorities, everyone, big and small has contributed his or her own nuisance that fuelled the current level of insecurity and which has threatened  social interactions among peoples of diverse ethnic stock in the towns and cities into distrust and mistrust of one another.

Guest Lecturer, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, former Nigeria’s foreign Minister, and co-Convener of The Savannah Center For Peace, Development and Conflict Resolution in Africa Abuja, a global Think-Tank on Leadership and development issues in his remarks before delivering the paper introspected: “what is happening in the country today shows that all is not well. It is a threat to the unityof Nigeria.It shows we have not learnt anything from the pre-election political incidents of 2011and 2015”, even as he expressed hope that “Nigerians in their nature would overcome disintegrating. Nigerians have the ability of switching back when events of this kind draw them into the precipice. In recent time, we have been witnessing an upsurge in ethnic and religious violence. It is the absence of strong institutions that makes it seem as if our diversity is a burden. Some agencies of public information are used as tools of confusion. People who manage these outfits present opinion as facts.What the American President, John Kennedy said that those who use power in the society are indispensable is important. Who is doing what and to whom is chiefly the role of investigative journalism”.

The Professor recommended that journalist should learn to report beyond images and uncover why things, especially the increasing insurgency,Boko Haram persistence, herdsmen unabating attacks, political rascality among politicians and rampant sabotages of important government’s programs and policies by institutions that ought to nurture them for public good persist. “How to create and ensure good governance should be the primary role of the press. We need peace building mechanisms right in the middle of crisis as the moment preset it today than after collateral damages had taken pace.”

For Nigeria to maintain a viable polity where insecurity does not threaten its existence,Gambari itemized some essential elements of good governance to include:”inclusive and participatory society. Enforcement of equity before the law, transparency and accountability,peoples’s involvement in policy and decision-,making, effectives check on the arms of government at all levels, strive for effectiveness in service delivery, citizens’ access to their rights and responsibilities, and freedom to practice one’s faith without fear of molestation”. These he noted are in short suppy in Nigeria today.

Expatiating on these elements, Professor Gambari noted that: “inclusive and participatory society must be ingrained in the shaping of pol;icies and practices that bring peace in the society”, whereas in the enforcement of equality before the law,”laws must be fair just and equitable to all. Law-making in this regard must serve the general good rather than the selfish narrow interest of a few while those who make laws should not make the laws for their protection”

On transparency and accountability, he said: “Government must listen to the genuine need of the people. It is not a question of I am the president or the governor knows best. You cannot know more than the people who elected you”. Harping on the need for involving the people in decision-making processes,Professor Gambari noted that this aspect of  leadership is important because it provides leadership the authority to defend policies. On effective check on government arms, the Prof remarked: “there is no sufficient check on government at the state and local levels. State Assemblies are in the pockets of the governors, and councilors in the pockets of chairmen”

He further said: “a strive for effectiveness will lead to efficient delivery of services. A lot of corruption takes place due to lack of due process.”, the envoy observed. On the eight element of leadership ingredients, he said: “ all citizens must demand for their rights. But we also have to exercise it with responsibility”, urging all concerned to promote freedom of thoughts and expression. Each and everyone of us knows the wrong each person does, but no one wants to do anything about it. Why would we allow people to use religion to divide us”, he asked.

A national body off peace mediators, he recommends be created at times like now to moderate flaring antagonism against the state, arguing that Africa needs both strong men and strong institutions to develop, and not only strong institutions alone, describing such “stropng men” as those who would not trample on institutions.

Panelist, Mrs Vicky, obviously from Middle Belt part called for improved media coverage of herdsmen and Boko Haram ravages in parts of the country like Benue, Plateau, Taraba, Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Kano etc. She, like other participants at the nearly 300 people audience observed that in aggregate terms, the carnages of the Fulani herdsmen and Boko Haram have been under-reported, beyond only official figures and pronouncements after each attack. Vicy said: there is this perception that official figures and footages which are only transient portray the media as over blowing the issue whereas in actual terms the events and carnages have been under-reported. How many journalists have taken time to tour the whole villages that have been totally deserted since the herdsmen attacks escalated in recent time”, she asked

Author and TV broadcast veteran, Mrs Eugenia Abu while examining the impact of contemporary media practice as it concerns security in the country today noted that most times media managers censor media contents either due to the preference of their patrons, whether privately or publicly owned, and at other times, just in order to be able to break even financially, especially in the very competitive media market place like Nigeria presently. She urged media managers and their proprietors to determine for themselves how and where to draw the boundary between serving public good and self-interest without sacrificing the nation’s security temperatures by the manner editorial matters are handled.

Another Panelist, Dr Joe Abba argued that the development of the country, the functionality of its security institutions, and even the quality of governance and work ethic of the civil service and citizens’ loyalty hinges on the effectiveness and functionality of our political structure, which he argues that for now is not good enough to drive quality governance and functional institutions. “Institutions and those that supervise them cannot be expected to do much under the present political structure”