Fear of anarchy grips Onitsha

KWENU! Our culture, our future

Fear of anarchy grips Onitsha

Chinedu Maduabum

Onitsha, Nigeria

Saturday, May 13, 2006

Introduction

On Thursday, the 27^th day of April, business at the famous Onitsha Main Market was disrupted when a group of angry youths claiming to be members of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) attacked the market vigilante outfit, otherwise known as "Bakassi Boys." This was coming at the heat of another violent clash at the Relief Market that is situated along the ever-busy Upper Iweka Motor Park between the same MASSOB and members of National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO). Just less than two weeks ago, a police man confirmed to one of my friends that five of his colleagues were kidnapped by MASSOB members. His claim came just days after another policeman accidentally shot and killed a school girl taking the present senior school leaving exam (WAEC) as he tried to make his way out of an attack by MASSOB members at Fegge for extorting money from traders.

There is no official report to the kidnappings yet, so it remains a rumour.

It is often advised that one should speak of the possibility of violence with caution because to predict the possibility of violence too often is interpreted as an incitement to violence. However, and as Whitney Moore Young Jr. said, I infinitely prefer to be called an alarmist than standby as a silent witness to impending crisis. The situation in Onitsha may be silent to the outside world and even neighbouring states but, to us who are privilege to witness and hear some of these incidents as they happen, we know that it is a matter of time before a serious outbreak of violence is witness in the city. One MASSOB member claimed that the movement members are fighting to liberate us and put an end to the excessive taxes that have been forced on the masses. Indeed the taxes are numerous and are becoming unbearable. Thus, it is the resolution of this paper to look impartially and criticallyat this crisis that has thrown the city of Onitsha into an impending fear and anarchy.

Understanding the Factions

The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) is the most pronounced of the factions that are engaged over the "rights" to have full control of Onitsha. The other groups are the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) and the State vigilantes, otherwise known as "Bakassi Boys." NARTO was created during the Mbadinuju administration to take over from the Nationwide National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW). As it stands, Anambra State is the only state that is operating with NARTO. The group is engaged in collecting taxes from road users, and it is strictly restricted to commercial road users. The introduction of NARTO at the expense of NURTW was regarded as politically motivated. It is widely believed here that the Oderaa (Mbadinuju) administration passed a vote of no confidence on NURTW because the outfit was working against his regime. Any way, that is no longer the issue. What is now clear is that NARTO is in control.

Bakassi Boys on the other hand came to the State during the same administration of Mbadinuju to fight the high rate of criminal activities in the State. There is no doubt that the vigilante outfit has performed above par, even though there are critics of the outfit's excesses. Since the dissolution of Bakassi Boys, or rather the rebirth of the outfit with the new name of "State Vigilante," the city of Onitsha has witnessed a slide in robbery, especially street and market robbery, as virtually all the streets and markets in the city have their own vigilante groups – no thanks to the lack of confidence in the Nigerian police.

MASSOB is the dreaded outfit led by Chief Ralph Uwazurike, who is now standing trial for treasonable felony. The outfit won the heart of the masses when it staged a successful and peaceful one-day sit-at-home strike two years ago and another two-day sit-at-home strike a year later, to protest the continuous detention of their leader. The latter act alone gave the outfit even more popularity. Since then, the outfit has grown bigger and stronger. However, the outfit seemed to have lost a tangible amount of sympathy from the masses after the violent approach during the just-concluded national census. Whether they are about to regain that sympathy, or it is another stage in their program of engaged struggle with the other groups, is what this article is bent to uncover.

Just sit tight!

Exploitation and Extortion

While I was still contemplating this article, a colleague of mine informed me of a clash between some MASSOB members and NARTO operatives at Nkpor Junction, another busy area near Onitsha, in the early hours of the May 10, 2006. According to him, most of the people supported MASSSOB because they saw it as a fight against exploitation and extortion of their hard-earned money by NARTO.

It is quite regrettable that the issue of revenue generation in the State has gone completely out of hand and all efforts made by different administrations in the State end up in shambles. This is because the administrations seem to be benefiting from the numerous taxes in the State. Presently, there are more than seven different levies that each commercial bus driver pays for driving from the Niger Bridge to Upper Iweka. I have personally counted it when I was returning from Asaba, Delta State. It is not just the levies that are the problem, the fierce-looking youths who distribute the receipts in a pugnacious and truculent manner add to the general resentment. God help you if you fail to pay the money! A case I personally witnessed was not pleasant to the eye: Before the driver could park his bus, the hatch was already open and the backseat was removed. On top of that, he was beaten and taken to their office, where I learnt the bail is not less than N5,000.00. It is needless to discuss the experience at the main office of NARTO. My advice is simple: Avoid being a victim by ensuring that your car doors and door-screens are locked and then endure the heat if you don’t have air-conditioning system..

Things would not have escalated to this stage if the extortion had been limited to commercial motorists alone. Upper Iweka is probably the only motor park in the country where private car owners are not expected to stop their friends and loved ones who wants to travel for very obvious-NARTO reasons. If you doubt it, then play the game. One of the NARTO chairmen had to call his boys to order as hawkers who run after private vehicles that stop to sell their products complained that they were being deprived of selling after paying the hawking dues to NARTO!

The situation has so gone out of hand that during go-slow (traffic jam), NARTO touts will purposely block one car (usually that of a JJC – Johnny Just Comes) while others are moving. Immediately, they would charge the person for obstruction traffic or answering a phone call while driving! To answer a phone call while driving and without hands-free gadgets is illegal, but I wonder when it became the responsibility of NARTO to arrest and fine anyone answering or making calls while driving. I am very sure it is the responsibility of the Road Safety Commission. The truth is that NARTO is now in control of the roads and any "offence" committed along the road or while driving is within their jurisdiction... according to the Nigerian Constitution -- sorry NARTO constitution! Maybe one day it will be amended to favour the masses, or maybe not. All we need to do is pray, as one man lamented besides his car confiscatedfor obstruction.

It has even been extended to pedestrians who now walk on the roads at the mercy of NARTO touts. To walk on the roads or to enter the parks and hawk now attracts a hawking fee of about N20, irrespective of what one is selling. This will definitely amuse you: One middle-aged man was charged for "over-standing beside a bus." My dear readers, I personally witnessed it and I had to enter a bus quickly to Asaba before I over-stayed. How the drama ended remains a mystery. I subdued my inner self from following the matter to the end.

Ndi 'be anyi siri na nkwucha abughi ujo.

The situation is not limited to Upper Iweka; even local government administrations have devised the same means of generating money for the local government. It is now an offence to park vehicles along Awka Road that leads to the Onitsha Main Market or other major roads and street roads. The car of one of my friends was compounded at Ekene Junction along the famous Oguta Road as he tried to slow down and pass a pothole. He was charged for obstruction and paid N3,500 to regain his car. This incident happened before the now "under-construction" of the road, which is still underway as I compile this article. This has thrown Onitsha into a serious state of anarchy and uncertainty. A girl of about 12 was beaten for refusing to pay the hawking fee of N20 and her small basin of sachet water (pure water) seized in front of the Onitsha North LGA. It was a nightmare. There are too many stories to discuss that this article cannot contain. It is therefore as a result of this terror that MASSOB has decided to take the laws into its hands and fight for the liberation of what they call "our people."

The Liberation Struggle

It is quite a commendable effort made by MASSOB so far in fighting against these illegal and unusual taxes meted out to the masses by NARTO. It would be recalled that Dr. Ngige tried to no avail to remove NARTO before his unfortunate end of reign as the number-one citizen of the State. Since then, NARTO has grown even stronger and, with the very lukewarm position of the State government to that effect, the people seem to have no choice but look up to MASSOB to salvage the situation. It is a situation that MASSOB cannot salvage as it has no such powers, and it is not even a recognized organisation in Nigeria.

Hence, this has even compounded the situation as police have been deployed to the State, particularly Onitsha, to fish out and put an end to MASSOB activities. The presence of the police is, however, not unconnected to the violent approach by MASSOB members during the just-concluded census in the country. It is not clear if the police are working for the State government, but one MASSOB member faithfully made it clear that the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) is of course MASSOB party and that they are now in charge of Anambra State in their quest to fully capture Igboland under APGA and/or MASSOB control.

What do you think?

Fear and Anarchy Reign

On Saturday, the 6^th of May, during the general sanitation exercise, rumours had it that the time for the end of the sanitation exercise was extended from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. to allow the State government to carry out some "state functions." What that meant is still a mystery. The exercise however did not stop at 2:30 p.m. but an hour later than the usual 10 a.m., thereby compounding the rumour. In addition, the sanitation exercise that used to be a monthly affair is now weekly. Many are still not clear on why it is now weekly. But one thing is clear: The State is in a serious state of anarchy and fear.

The Onitsha Ado Youths Welfare Association published a warning note to MASSOB with the title: "MASSOB BEWARE!!!" on the back page of the ADO SENTINEL news magazine, Vol.3, NO. 4. The warning reads,

“We, the ONITSHA ADO YOUTHS WELFARE ASSOCIATION comprising all youths in Onitsha and Diaspora hereby warn you to desist forthwith, from harassing and intimidating residents and indigenes of Onitsha Ado N’ Idu Kingdom… You have no right to leave your home towns to come to Onitsha to disturb the peace. You must go back to your home communities to operate your MASSOB. You cannot excise any part of Onitsha and commandeer for your opportunist gains – no way! Stop your nefarious, diabolical and maniacal activities henceforth because we are prepared to resist you…”

The warning need no explanation; it is very clear. The issue of revenue generation is quite visible in the term "excise" and the threat of an impending crisis is also visible: "We are ready to resist you"; it has added another faction into the episode in Ado Youths, as they are popularly called. Thus, we have an episode of imminent crisis at hand -- if it is not checked.

Conclusion

This is not the actual conclusion to this episode as there is still more to uncover in the days ahead. However, one thing is very clear: The stage is now set for an impending violence in the city, unless a drastic measure is urgently taken by the State authorities to check it. One of the vehicles of MASSOB was seized after the fierce battle on the 27^th of April. The Main Market Vigilante and MASSOB have vowed to recover the vehicle. With the threat of the ADO Youths, the days ahead will be very decisive. If one should take into consideration the fact that most of these Onitsha youths make their living from these excises (mainly road decongestion), then it will not be surprising if they join forces with NARTO to chase MASSOB out of Onitsha. The position of the police force deployed to Onitsha is very clear: To check the activities of MASSOB. Hence, it will be a battle royal of "All 4 One."

The position of the State government is still not clear. Rumours have it that the change of time and period of the sanitation exercise to weekly are measures taken by the State government to remove NARTO from the parks through MASSOB. Mind you, it is just a rumour. With MASSOB claiming to be in power in the State, the rumour can only be taken seriously. Mind you, it is still a rumour. This is even so because the state government is yet to give a convincing reason for shifting the sanitation exercise from monthly to weekly. Well, this is now a fact. Thus, every Saturday, which most people take as day out for relaxation, is now being seen as a day of caution; well, it is better to be safe than sorry. As it stands, the city is on the verge of a serious violence that will waste many lives and properties unless the State authority that has been very lukewarm so far takes a drastic and urgent measure to curtail it; otherwise, many shall leave the city like biblical Lot.

Isn’t life a terrible thing?

See you then on the other side.