By Salisu Suleiman
All schools were closed down. No form of teaching or learning took place for the duration. When it was discovered that the private school the president’s children attend did not close down along with others, public outcry forced it to close down also. After the initial two weeks, an extension was sought and granted. So for an entire month, all primary and secondary schools in the whole country were shut. Even in tertiary institutions, not much activity took place.
In that one month period, every Nigerian aged 18 and above was practically drafted to put down their names and fingerprints at various centres. Government said it was a civic duty. Preachers harangued citizens on the need to perform this divinely inspired responsibility. Parties tried every trick known and unknown to get people to these centres. Civil society groups made sure they were not left out and they shouted loudly on the need for citizens to participate in the noble exercise. Public holidays were declared in several states to ensure that the details of all eligible citizens were captured. Sophisticated digital equipment, worth over USD 500 million, were imported. At the end of one month of frantic activity, including a week’s extension, over 73 million gallant Nigerians had voluntarily participated in the noble cause.
D-Day. The nation’s land, air and sea borders are closed. All flights are grounded. Movement within cities and towns is restricted. Interstate travel is forbidden. An explosion in the outskirts of the capital leaves about 20 people dead and many more injured. Another explosion in a far-north-east city leaves about five people dead and several injured. There is sporadic gunfire in many towns. Gunfights break out, leaving many people dead. The whole country is awash with firearms. There is fear of violence in the air.
There is palpable tension everywhere. International monitoring groups and other observers are moving about from one location to another trying to ascertain the state of things. There are roadblocks manned by fierce-looking policemen every few streets. The military is out in force. Armoured personnel carriers can be seen at strategic locations. It seems that everybody that ever wore any form of uniform, albeit decades ago, is wearing the uniform and strutting about. The economy shuts down completely; hardly anything can be bought or sold and most services are severely curtailed.
The currency is under tremendous strain. Some $22 billion from the Excess Crude Account set up as a stabilization fund is said to have been withdrawn. A major newspaper reports this story: “In a move targeted at meeting dealers’ rising appetite for forex as … draws nearer, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has increased its supply of dollar at the bi-weekly Wholesale Dutch Auction System (WDAS) to $600 million. The regulator had raised its supply to $400 million at its March 14 auction, from between $200 and $300 million, which it had offered at various auctions in the preceding month. Dealers attributed the trend to panic over the outcome of the forthcoming….”
In every nook and corner, people are gathered together in groups whispering all sorts of news and looking anxiously over their shoulders. No one is sure of what is really happening, so the rumour mill begins work over time. This group will conquer the southwest and make inroads into the north central. That group will march into the government houses of this and that state. No, it has a splinter group that has vowed not to rest until they wrestle their ‘enemies’ out of town.
There is talk of multifaceted campaigns, strategies and conquests. Popular language on the streets is “no retreat, no surrender until we capture that zone”. “We will defeat them, bring them to Abuja and lock them up” is what I heard some people whispering. Other people are told “the outcome of this struggle will determine what happens to your life and that of your children; you must be vigilant”. “We will protect our mandates and fight to the finish to ensure that we break the chains of injustice and oppression that must not be allowed....”
Prayers are offered in mosques and churches. Some groups embark on fervent fasting. The president attends midnight prayer sessions and seeks prayers for victory. Prayer warriors of all faiths are engaged in frantic appeal to the Almighty to ensure that victory is certain....
This setting is not in Ivory Coast. The scene is not from Libya. And no, the country is neither being invaded nor has it declared a war.
It is election time in Nigeria.
All schools were closed down. No form of teaching or learning took place for the duration. When it was discovered that the private school the president’s children attend did not close down along with others, public outcry forced it to close down also. After the initial two weeks, an extension was sought and granted. So for an entire month, all primary and secondary schools in the whole country were shut. Even in tertiary institutions, not much activity took place.
In that one month period, every Nigerian aged 18 and above was practically drafted to put down their names and fingerprints at various centres. Government said it was a civic duty. Preachers harangued citizens on the need to perform this divinely inspired responsibility. Parties tried every trick known and unknown to get people to these centres. Civil society groups made sure they were not left out and they shouted loudly on the need for citizens to participate in the noble exercise. Public holidays were declared in several states to ensure that the details of all eligible citizens were captured. Sophisticated digital equipment, worth over USD 500 million, were imported. At the end of one month of frantic activity, including a week’s extension, over 73 million gallant Nigerians had voluntarily participated in the noble cause.
D-Day. The nation’s land, air and sea borders are closed. All flights are grounded. Movement within cities and towns is restricted. Interstate travel is forbidden. An explosion in the outskirts of the capital leaves about 20 people dead and many more injured. Another explosion in a far-north-east city leaves about five people dead and several injured. There is sporadic gunfire in many towns. Gunfights break out, leaving many people dead. The whole country is awash with firearms. There is fear of violence in the air.
There is palpable tension everywhere. International monitoring groups and other observers are moving about from one location to another trying to ascertain the state of things. There are roadblocks manned by fierce-looking policemen every few streets. The military is out in force. Armoured personnel carriers can be seen at strategic locations. It seems that everybody that ever wore any form of uniform, albeit decades ago, is wearing the uniform and strutting about. The economy shuts down completely; hardly anything can be bought or sold and most services are severely curtailed.
The currency is under tremendous strain. Some $22 billion from the Excess Crude Account set up as a stabilization fund is said to have been withdrawn. A major newspaper reports this story: “In a move targeted at meeting dealers’ rising appetite for forex as … draws nearer, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has increased its supply of dollar at the bi-weekly Wholesale Dutch Auction System (WDAS) to $600 million. The regulator had raised its supply to $400 million at its March 14 auction, from between $200 and $300 million, which it had offered at various auctions in the preceding month. Dealers attributed the trend to panic over the outcome of the forthcoming….”
In every nook and corner, people are gathered together in groups whispering all sorts of news and looking anxiously over their shoulders. No one is sure of what is really happening, so the rumour mill begins work over time. This group will conquer the southwest and make inroads into the north central. That group will march into the government houses of this and that state. No, it has a splinter group that has vowed not to rest until they wrestle their ‘enemies’ out of town.
There is talk of multifaceted campaigns, strategies and conquests. Popular language on the streets is “no retreat, no surrender until we capture that zone”. “We will defeat them, bring them to Abuja and lock them up” is what I heard some people whispering. Other people are told “the outcome of this struggle will determine what happens to your life and that of your children; you must be vigilant”. “We will protect our mandates and fight to the finish to ensure that we break the chains of injustice and oppression that must not be allowed....”
Prayers are offered in mosques and churches. Some groups embark on fervent fasting. The president attends midnight prayer sessions and seeks prayers for victory. Prayer warriors of all faiths are engaged in frantic appeal to the Almighty to ensure that victory is certain....
This setting is not in Ivory Coast. The scene is not from Libya. And no, the country is neither being invaded nor has it declared a war.
It is election time in Nigeria.
*Chuckles* ... Apt description of this season in Nigeria.
ReplyDeleteI guess we should be happy that 73 million Nigerians registered to vote. The questions though are how many of these people actually did vote and what informed the choices they made.