Financial Times’ failed-state warning

THE Financial Times of the United Kingdom recently warned that Nigeria had started to exhibit the traits of a failed state. It posited that the government needed to stave off that possibility by taking urgent steps. It cited, among other developments, the shooting of peaceful protesters at the Lekki toll plaza in Lagos and the abduction of over 333 schoolboys from Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State and concluded that the most populous country on the African continent was “teetering on the brink”. It stated frankly that the Buhari administration owed it a compelling duty “to draw lines in the sand,” and to “redouble efforts not to lose grip on security.” It also advised the administration to restore trust in key institutions like the judiciary, the security services and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which will preside over the 2023 elections. It added: “More than that, Nigeria needs a generational shift. The broad coalition that found political expression this year in the EndSARS movement against police brutality provides a shard of optimism. “

The implications of the most populous country on the African continent failing as a state are indeed too horrendous to contemplate. The terror campaigns in the land are not helping matters, and it is disturbing that bandits are on the prowl, extorting huge sums of money from state and local governments, and from families and individuals. Boko Haram terrorism has persisted in the country for 11 years without any reprieve, with thousands of people brutally dispatched into their early graves. Rather than abate, terrorism has become more virulent. It has in fact lately been manifesting in the form of massive banditry and there is scarcely any place in the country that is considered safe or commodious for human habitation. Worse still, these nefarious activities are being compounded by kidnapping and ritual killings. To worsen matters, the economy is on a downward plunge with spiralling inflation rate occasioned by the exchange rate. The populace is hungry and angry and the government is ensconced in wonderland.

The prevailing climate is so bad that when the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, recently announced that the force was poised to arrange “air-tight” security for the country during the yuletide,  Nigerians  laughed him to scorn. The disproportionate and inequitable police-to-citizen ratio in the country is well known. Obviously, Financial Times’ damning verdict came at a moment when the Nigerian government seemed confused about the affairs of the country and needed a shot in the arm to get its bearing right. However, the Federal Government, typically prone to dismissing criticism as the work of mischief makers, has not found its voice this time around. Apart from the comment by President Muhammadu Buhari that only God could secure the borders, mum has been the word.

Truth be told, the administration is not showing enough responsibility. The auguries are portentous and it is disingenuous to suggest that the opposition parties are responsible for the country’s woes when the president cannot be bothered to offer the needed help. The country needs to be guided by an alert leadership. The Buhari government must wake up from its slumber.

 

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