THE “THEY” MENTALITY (Part 2)

This is so much more than just the judiciary system. It is connected to the ‘they’ mentality possessed by most of us - the belief that ‘others’ are the ones responsible for everything while the rest of us are exempt from and therefore free of any obligation to act. This mentality is what is killing us as a people. We show no interest in the crisis in Egypt, Syria, Liberia and other nations because we believe it has nothing to do with us. We raise our noses up at the plight of others because it has not gotten to our backyards yet. The Ebola issue is a classic example of this attitude; where thousands were dying and we did nothing for almost 6 months after its initial outbreak until Patrick Sawyer came into the country and we lost 20 lives. I applaud our rapid response but this same attitude I’m referring to is why America, Spain and other countries did nothing until it got to their shores. No more digression, back to Nigeria. If we are to be a people, we need to work together to ensure all parts of our society is working so our future generation can be secured.

Below are a few suggestions & recommendations on how to right the wrongs in our society so as to build better systems to sustain us as a nation:

1. Enlightenment Campaigns - these can be done by anyone (bloggers, journalists, activists or even concerned citizens) on any platform or medium be it on TV, print or social media. We need to educate people on how to be value oriented, emphatic as well as sympathetic towards the plights of humanity all around us. But most especially to be compassionate (which takes empathy and sympathy to the next level which is action!), doing something about the issues around us. Only then can we see the change we seek that can restructure our failed national systems.

Isioma lamented, “Sometimes it seems like all we do is talk, protest and speak plenty English” and who can blame her when you put all our efforts of #bringbackourgirls on the scale of protest versus actions. But I believe that in speaking regularly through every medium about issues plaguing our nation and their solutions, we not only create awareness that these problems exists and needs to be solved but also encourage more people to be solution oriented and proffer better solutions that can be implemented if the right people get wind of all our chatter.

2. Laws and Sanctions- it’s not enough to create laws but there needs to be mechanism in place to ensure that these laws are carried out and sanctions are emitted on those who do not. This is where law enforcers come in, not to victimize the populace but to ensure law breakers are actually knowledgeable about the laws they are breaking and the penalties for them before executing sanctions.

3. Accountability – this is where you and I can play a very active role. We can hold our leaders accountable by holding protests (street march/sit downs & hash tag online campaigns), calling in to ask questions during televised debates with our leaders or engaging in PRO debates. We can also be effective if we knew who the people representing our constituencies are and call them out of they fail to do their jobs.

4. Think and Act - I don’t know about you but I am tired of reading articles that point accusing fingers at everyone else as the blame for the failure of Nigeria as a nation. If we all do what is right, raise children who believe in doing right, then we would have raised a generation of thinkers whose passion is to act on what they know is right to do. Don’t just sit and complain; ask yourself, what can be done? Who can help make my ideas reality and what can I do to ensure the solutions I’ve come up with are heard and implemented? It doesn’t matter who takes the glory for the solution you provide, what matters is if it’s acted upon.

It‘s time we get off our high horse and get rid of this ‘They’ mentality that absolves us of any responsibility towards the improvement of Nigeria, our nation. @grandverve said, “the sort of change we need requires critical mass” and I agree. Only a few good men can’t change our systems no matter the significant position of power they hold. If we won’t do it, who will? Let us not be like those who live in the moment and forget to keep an inheritance or leave a legacy for generations unborn. If our heroes past did not stand up and fight for our independence, we may not be here as a country 54 years later. If we truly believe in the unity and posterity of this nation, then it’s time for us ALL to cast aside all forms of segregation especially the ‘they’ mentality and embrace a ‘We’ mentality approach to Nation Building.

You can follow me on twitter @annkite0 or on my facebook page Life, Love and Anything Goes or Ann Esievoadje (for writers tips)

THE “THEY” MENTALITY (Part 1)

On the 9th of June this year, I was drawn into a conversation on twitter about a nameless woman who was raped to death by some cattle rustlers in Ovia North East LGA about a week prior to this discussion. News report had it that the only witness to the crime was the woman’s 18year old son who fled the scene and reported the matter to Ekiadolor Divisional Police headquarters. In the news report that sparked up the conversation on twitter, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) to Edo State police Command confirmed that three suspects linked to the crime had been apprehended. The possibility that justice would be served if corrupt police officials aren’t paid off to release the suspect pending a court case was what stirred the conversation on twitter. This conversation was by a few concerned Nigerians (not necessarily those living in Edo State) and it went from on how the criminals should be prosecuted and sentenced to how flawed the justice system in Nigeria is. The cases sited to support the latter claim were the ALUU4, Cynthia Osisogu Facebook murder case, and a few other high profiled cases in which there has been no closure despite the years gone by. I recall sharing their sentiments when the Oscar Pistorius Trial in South Africa, came to a close within a year of the suspect’s arrest with every detail of the court proceedings covered by BBC Africa and other international journalists.

Why does it seem like the judicial system in Nigeria is non-functional? Why do cases go on forever with no closure even when the accused or suspect has been granted bail? It hurts to see a guilty suspect go on living a normal life as though nothing ever happen just because the court is yet to decide appropriate punishment for the crime. Why does it seem as though Lady Justice is not only blind but sluggish? It is because our legal system is broken.

It is filled with everyday people like you and I whose basic instinct is first survival before a high desire for seeing justice served on offenders. It’s not like lawyers don’t have a sense of moral indignation that fuels their desire to protect the vulnerable in society against perpetrators of crime, it’s just that practicing law is first a job that meets their basic needs of food, shelter, etc before it can become a form of social activism. That is why most lawyers hardly take on pro bono cases because for them to do that or for them to become vigilantes, they need a steady source of income that won’t be affected by their passion for justice. This is no way an attack on lawyers but a way for us to see how each individual element contributes to the breakdown of our justice system. Starting with the law practitioners is simply my attempt to explain why cases would rather be adjourned forever because each court appearance is factored into the fees to be paid by their client -the guilty, innocent, victim or accused.

Yes it is true that sometimes the police does make mistakes in their arrest and accuse innocent people of crimes they did not commit. [As can be seen in the story of Cynthia’s Murder where an innocent pharmacist, a graduate of Igbinedion University Okada, IUO Benin, was framed by the police and wrongfully accused. In his case protests and petitions from friends and well wishers both on social media and otherwise was what saved him from the 15count charges.] These suspects are held in prison cells till the case has either been taken to court or settled out of court at the police station since it is usually up to the judicial system to decide the suspect’s fate – guilty or innocent.

In the case sparking this discussion, it was agreed that in every state there is a legal aid who should be responsible for taking up cases like this nameless women’s case as pro bono and fight till justice is served. As of right now, i'm unaware of the existence of a Public Defenders Legal Aid office (where the lawyers' fees are covered by the Government to enable the poor get justice if they can't afford the normal legal fees for court proceedings) in any State in Nigeria. We are most certain that one of the reasons a lot of crimes go unpunished in our system is because most victims cannot afford the legal fees associated with fighting for justice and if that’s the case why bother reporting to the Police when a crime is committed?

If the system has failed to maintain order and protect citizens, who then should be held responsible for restructuring the system? By the justice system, we are referring to the lawyers, judiciary, the executive and the legislators. @adeken01 said, “So far the current system allows the inept to thrive while good men are labeled as whistle blowers?” Whose job is it to ensure that something is being done when criminals are said to be tried and sentenced under the Law? Who is to follow up and ensure due process is achieved?