NIGERIA: WHERE DEATH CHANGES NOTHING

On Wednesday 13th March, 2019, the city of Lagos Island was shocked with the news of a collapsed three-storey building involving over 100 pupils of a nursery and primary school. About 10 children have been reported dead with dozens missing. (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-47555373) Subsequent investigation revealed that the building was scheduled for demolition in 2018 but steps were not taken in that respect. Many individuals lost children in the incident and under normal circumstances, a comprehensive investigation should have been launched into the collapse with individuals being held accountable for the loss of lives and property. For a significant number of Nigerians, the tragedy is not just in the loss of lives and property but in the fact that there would be no repercussions as a result of an incident that could have been avoided.

Tragic occurrences of this nature are not necessarily peculiar to Nigeria. There have been significant tragedies in other countries that have resulted in loss of life and property. On 14th June 2017, 72 people died as a result a fire outbreak in a 23 storey tower block in North Kensington, West London. (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40301289) Subsequent investigation indicates that the fire spread was a result of a polythene material in the cladding of the building.(https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40301289) In other words, there were structural defects in the building as well. Inquiry into the fire is ongoing with regular updates being given to the public as to the cause and effect of the fire. A significant number of those who lost their homes have been rehoused with compensation also been provided in different ways. At the moment, the Metropolitan Police in the UK are looking into offences including manslaughter, corporate manslaughter, misconduct in public office and breaches of fire safety regulations. (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40301289) In 1993, over 96 football fans died in a stampede that occurred at a football stadium.(https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/0/happened-hillsborough-1989/) Subsequent inquiry found failings in public officials’ conduct on the day. Those who were involved have been held accountable and there are currently proposals for a new law creating criminal offences for senior managers who cover up institutional and individual failures. (https://www.theguardian.com/law/2017/oct/31/labour-mps-call-for-theresa-may-to-back-hillsborough-law) It is not as though these measures are sufficient in remedying the wrong that may have occurred but it is a recognition of the value of human life and how the state takes it upon itself to ensure that as far as possible, such avoidable tragedies are not repeated.

In Nigeria, this is not the case. The collapse of the building at ItaFaji in Lagos Island is just another incident that will be bemoaned for a couple of days after which everybody will move on except those who have lost either loved ones or property. They will probably never be compensated for their loss in any way. On 28th June, 2018, an oil tanker caught fire on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway killing nine people and burning out 53 vehicles.(https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nigeria-accident/nigerian-oil-tanker-fire-kills-nine-in-commercial-capital-lagos-idUSKBN1JO2XR) Nobody has been held accountable. In September 12, 2014, a seven-storey guest house belonging to the Synagogue church of all Nations collapsed killing over 116 persons.(https://www.premier.org.uk/News/World/Nigerian-church-collapses-on-worshippers) The trustees of the church are being tried on account of gross negligence manslaughter but nearly five years after, victims have not obtained any redress.( Nothing has been done to effectively ensure that such an incident does not repeat itself. These are just a few of the numerous incidents that have led to avoidable tragedies in Nigeria especially over the last 20 years. It would however appear that no lessons have been learnt. The number is deaths that occur as a result do not even seem to bother us anymore. The question is this: if the loss of something as precious as human life does not jolt us into decisive action, what will? What will make us say ‘Never again’? In saner climes, the loss of human life is normally sufficient to unite people divided along ethnic, political and religious lines. Nothing seems to be able to unite us in that manner as Nigerians anymore. The loss of life and property on a large scale has become so prevalent we have become numb to it, especially when it does not affect us personally. We have become so disengaged from one another that we fail to see loss of life from a human context . Those in Southern Nigeria do not really care for instance about the Fulani Herdsmen and Boko Haram crisis in Northern Nigerian as long as it does not spread to the South. We forget that men, women and children like us are the victims of these clashes. Even if we do care, we are not sufficiently vested in our ‘neighbour’s life to demand (without giving up until something is done) that more decisive action is taken by the agencies responsible for the safety and security of human lives and property. We keep hearing news reports of the involvement of various government officials in different corrupt activities involving the purchase of arms for national security but we either say nothing or complain in places that will make no impact. Many of those who demand transparency and accountability are often left isolated and eventually run out of steam. We have not been able to build a common voice demanding better from relevant authorities and even loss of life has not been able to spur us into action. Perhaps we grieve behind and wish things could be better behind closed doors but somehow we have just not been able to muster the necessary courage to take steps for this purpose.

It is a sad time in a nation’s history when even death changes nothing. When everyone complains among themselves and just move on in the face of tragic loss of life. When death tolls are just numbers. Perhaps this is the reason why things are the way they are. If death cannot make us say ‘enough is enough’ and be united as a nation in this statement, only God knows what will. Corruption has destroyed the fabric of the Nigerian socio-economic system but in many ways, its most devastating effect has been the innocent blood that has been shed in its courts. For as long as avoidable bloodshed and tragedy has not been able to make us rise and say ‘enough is enough’ to the state of affairs in our nation, we are all culpable.

If death doesn’t jolt us, what will? The only one I can think of who is higher than death is God but even the Bible says that God’s intervention will follow the turning of people who are called by his name from their evil ways and seek his face(2 Chronicles 7:14).But the question is how many more will have to die before we turn?