Community

Residents of several communities in Nigeria have expressed worries over the criminality, lawlessness and disorderliness which now characterize daily living in these communities.

Sadly, owners of houses in these communities have repeatedly failed to thoroughly screen prospective tenants before accommodating them. In the process of residing in the rented apartments, criminals of sorts ply their trade.

Indeed, community leaders and the executive and members of Landlords and Tenants Associations have by design been unsuccessful in reversing this ugly trend, in addition to the proliferation of beer parlours, ‘’Ogogoro’’ joints and hotels in residential areas.

In a sizable number of communities, the critical stakeholders have been repeatedly accused of sponsoring criminals and crime.

In this interview, the Founder, Spiritual Head and Gran Imam of Shafaudeen-in-Islam Worldwide, Prof. Sabitu Olagoke opinest that Landlords, tenants, the police, religious leaders all have roles to play to reverse the ugly trend.

What do you think can be done to curtail criminality, lawlessness and disorderliness in communities in Nigeria ?

Nigeria is made up of units or sub-systems bound by ethical principles to promote sanity in the society for ease of interpersonal and social interactions based upon the concept of peaceful co-existence. Each unity or sub-system can be regarded as a community with peculiar characteristics that may feature as a tribe, ethnic grouping, language and some traditions that show the kind of social entertainments, peculiar works as well as dressing modes and dress codes. Customs have varieties of religious undertones that maybe originally cultural or metamorphosis of assimilated foreign religion mixed with their beliefs.

Each of these are based on some value system which keep the community peaceful safe and secured for human sustenance in their struggle to entrench sustainable development. At the national level, regionalization of communities with similar traits keep up the Geography. Fortunately, this is the basis upon which Nigeria was built through several nationalities.

It should therefore not come as a surprise that agitations based on access, equity and development do emerge, but with different causative factors. For example, various agitations leading to militancy through youth restiveness in the South-South is basically environmental and ecological devastation. That of the South-East maybe based on issues of erosion, while that of the South-West is on fall in the standard of education and setback in development.

Generally, the North suffers from desert encroachment, educational backwardness and issues of poverty in the midst of plenty leading to the increasing insecurity as exemplified in the religious fracas of the likes of Maitasine and Boko-Haram issues fueled by poverty stricken youths in the wicked environment of begging for alms for sustenance.

The question now is the relevance of our Town and Gown philosophy on the impact of the expected socio-economic impact, value laden with the light of civility expected of rural integration programs into city urbanization effect.

However, community or village primitive nature dominates the Ivory Tower civilization because the ideal and substance of the value of education is always grossly abused through unwarranted under funding, with graduates preferring to be Personal Assistants to mediocre s, other than even searching for any job which in reality will fetch them less money for sustenance, rather than the ones to earn from the corruption ridden elite, who may not necessarily have a diploma certificate.

Other questions on the roles of all stakeholders in the scheme of nation building and community service on the issue of the core values of integrity that are supposed to make the people to be law abiding and measure up to become responsible citizens.

The Obas, Emirs and Obis were the custodians of the community’s cultural values those days, only credible people with a high level of integrity were usually put into the revered positions of power through divination that would enhance them to be people oriented on matters of justice and equity. They were expected not to run foul of the law they make and monitor, to ensure that people comply.

Unfortunately, some of them sold their people out during the colonial era on a platter of token sum or gift from their foreign colonial masters, thereby throwing most of their people to the jungle of enslavement. Since then, these revered positions neither seriously respect the oracles on the matter of choice, but rather receive blood money to enthrone the worms against the wishes of the gods and goddesses. The choice is now based on who can corruptly enrich the purse of the kingmakers.

This is why customs and traditions are now mere paper tigers and nasty objects of funfair of ceremonial importance.

On the religious scene, sacredness has been torn into shreds of profanity and religious substance has been sacrificed on the platter of commerce and deceit, rendering the scripture to a poor second of mere literature books of poetic importance. It is more of an entertainment program for people’s relaxation or mere opium.

This is the very reason why religion is only been used deceptively to choose our leaders, who will never apply, even by intuition, the concept of religious lessons or application of the scripture on the issues of management and administration in governance.

For the non-performance of government that has created the environment of poverty, religious issues are now shrouded in mysteries of magical wands by many self-acclaimed religious leaders to facilitate miracles to hoodwink the innocent, gullible and unsuspecting souls.

In all these processes, the community or the nation becomes fraught with anti-social and anti-divine activities, all in the name of survival of the fittest.

Unfortunately, poverty has also affected the fabric of every home that are either further impoverished or getting richer through the soiled hands of self enrichment or corruption.

Poor parenting, a situation where responsible Fathers are absent , creates an atmosphere of single parenting or separation and even divorce. This situation has only succeeded in putting children and the youth at the risk of poor peer group, most especially when they have the opportunity of mixing in schools with others from equally poor parenting homes.

Unfortunately for us, Nigeria is bedeviled with almost 13.9 million out-of-school children, with the possibilities of joining bad company in an environment of impunity.

Education is meant for all, to the secondary school level, hence must be free and made compulsory by government.

The community service must be directed towards having grassroots harmony. this is why all stakeholders starting from the Obas, Emirs and Obis, must shun self, but uphold the principle of altruism in discharging their divine and traditional responsibilities. Parents must equally direct their energy towards the God given assignment for them to ensure good parenting that would uphold the principles of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs on psychological and sociological needs, safety and security, self esteem and self actualization for the growth and development of their children.

Taking the golden path of assured safe and good child custody, sexuality education to manage the crisis ridden regime of puberty/adolescence stage of life as well as keeping close contact with the nature nurturing needs of the children to adulthood stage of independence.

For the security of the community, every home must participate effectively in the Landlords/Tenants Association’s activities, monitoring and controlling the inflow and outflow of tenants.

The community must be sensitive on the issue of the lifestyles of all Landlords, tenants and their children, while there must be good Police/Community relations.

It is now the trend to have Police stations at the ward level. This is important just as there are Medical centers for grassroots welfare and development.

Above all, parents and religious leaders must teach and implement the provisions of the scripture to be good role models by living exemplary lifestyles, that are worthy of emulation by the children and the youth.