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Economic consequences of organised violence

By Steve Obum Orajiaku
21 February 2021   |   3:18 am
Ever wondered why the spate of violence keeps rising? The reason that people resort to violence is that it often pays. In some ways, the simplest thing a man can do if he wants money is to take it.

Bandits

Ever wondered why the spate of violence keeps rising? The reason that people resort to violence is that it often pays. In some ways, the simplest thing a man can do if he wants money is to take it. That is no less true for an army of men seizing an oil field than it is for a single thug or a group of bandits snatching a wallet. In the words of William Playfair, “Power has always sought the readiest road to wealth, by attacking those who were in possession of it.”

The sole challenge to prosperity is that predatory violence does pay well in some circumstances. War changes the rules of the political game. It changes the distribution of assets and income. It even determines who lives and who dies. It is precisely the fact that violence does pay, at least the perpetrators, that makes it difficult to control or curtail.

There are some subterranean on-goings deliberately orchestrating violence across the globe. Some of the most deadly and dreaded terrorist groups are the tacit products of certain hegemonic Western hemisphere, and whereas they come publicly to cry wolf about the atrocities committed by this incorrigible villains. The emergence of ISIS of this embattled world, the Al-Queda, etc did not occur solely by the efforts of those you and I know as their ring leaders. Besides, the massive loss of lives and property, the economic repercussions of this methodised violence meted out upon any targeted clime, is huge and likely irreversible.

It is heart-rending to have, in Nigeria, a government who, its apologists and lackey, have succeeded in persuading the person at the helm of affairs that all is well with the country. Upon this conviction, he abdicates the running of proper governance in Nigeria to whom it may concern, junketing the length and breadth of the globe – from Japan to Russia, etc, begging foreign investors to redirect their funds to Nigeria – a country notoriously known for unstable fiscal policy, staggering economy, and frustrating electricity failure. Hey! Return home, our President! The termites that eats the wood lives within it! It is a paradox that we have astounding challenges confronting us face to face, but we play the ostrich, and keep postponing the evil day or robbing Peter to pay Paul and then wishfully think good will come.

Almost, it has now become the norm – to wring the arms of the incumbent government and snatch power out from their hands via threatening of the Armageddon. Merely saying that, “I will make the country ungovernable if I lose elections” an unbridled statement of absurd fact that makes the head of the unsuspecting government spin, will suffice to grab political power today in Nigeria.

Finally, it must be worthwhile to search out a workable solution to the myriads of Nigeria troubles. Enough have been said and written but little or nothing is being done to ameliorate the abject sufferings bedeviling the people. The economic opportunities inherent in Nigeria are vast and enormous but the leadership failure and ineptitude have left the country incapacitated. More than ever, the imminence of revolution, which the country’s vast youth are inexorably and strongly disposed to currently, is thoroughly perilous. To avert the inevitable catastrophe such national crisis will throw up, government must learn how to match their words with actions. Mere words on the podium of electioneering campaigns and on newspaper pages, can no longer suffice or appease.

The spate of killings, kidnappings and other criminality by bandits, Fulani herdsmen, who suspiciously appear to have sympathisers, if not sponsors, in government quarters with their operations spreading across the federation like a wild fire, must stop, forthwith. But if government cannot defend the citizenry, it is not inappropriate for each individual to seek his or her method to safeguard self. Only when there is security of life and property can we move forward with expectations for foreign investors in our business environment. May God’s mercy reign over us, Amen.

Orajiaku (steveobum@gmail.com) is a Freelance Journalist and Social Activist.

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