By Sola Abegunde
I have been monitoring the reactions of the public to the arraignment and subsequent detention of suspects in the unfortunate incident at the Islamic High School, Bashorun, Ibadan, where about 35 innocent children were killed in a stampede a couple of weeks ago.
After some days of drama, arrests and interrogation, the Nigeria Police determined that three individuals were culpable and proceeded to file charges against the three persons, namely, ex Queen Naomi Silekunola, the CEO of Agidigbo FM, Oriyomi Hazmat and the the Principal of Islamic High School, Bashorun.
So far, I must give credit to Governor Seyi Makinde for declaring publicly that no life is bigger than the other and that he doesn’t play Politics with peoples lives.
We will continue to monitor him and see if he will be true to that statement throughout the trial of the suspects.
Once again, I sympathize with the families who lost their loved ones in the terrible incident and I must say that I am so worried about what has befallen us as a society, as a people.
I am worried that we have allowed ourselves to be carried away by sentiments to the extent that a lot of us now worry more about what could become of suspects, who still have the opportunity of being heard before their culpabities are determined and have forgotten those kids who without being heard, were trampled to death in gruesome circumstances.
We seem to be worried about those who have a chance to employ the best of the best of Lawyers to fight for and prove their innocence while neglecting the grieving parents and the hapless future Leaders who have been sent to the great beyond without having a say in the circumstances that condemned them to early graves.
What exactly is wrong with us? Have we suddenly lost the humanity in us?
I do not care whatever anyone has to say, but for me, in this circumstance, justice, not sentiments must prevail.
I have seen different pictures and videos of all manner of people who are trying to build on one sentiments or the other in favor of the accused persons.
Many of them have not seen the charge sheet by the Police.
Many of them do not care to see it and yet, many have seen the charges brought against them but don’t care about them.
I have equally seen some documents from the management of Agidigbo Radio station and I must say that the Police knew what they were doing in arriving at the decision to prefer charges against those charged to Court on the face of those documents.
I also take note of the statements made by Governor Makinde during the last Media chat where he declared that the incident was avoidable and asked if the organizers sought and got approval for the program.
That statement coming from the Governor is pregnant with meanings.
He is the Chief Security Officer of Oyo state and also the head of Government in the state.
Whatever he says should be valid but it seems that those who are more interested in sentiments are overlooking that fact.
Unfortunately, the matter is before a Court of Law and there is a limit to how one could go in discussing the nitty gritty of the documents in circulation.
However, on the face value, I think, having perused the documents from the Agidigbo Radio station, it is not difficult for discerning minds to see why the Governor is of the opinion that approval was not given for that specific program.
Back to the purveyors of sentiments.
I have seen people talked about good intentions and how doing good should not bring about negative results for those who are out to do good.
I have a lot to say about this particular notion but for now, I will limit my comment to a single observation.
I remember telling a friend of mine who held this belief that in doing good, there are responsibilities and choices to be made in most cases.
I asked him, if, a friend who, in attempting to kill a mosquito which perched at the back of his partner’s neck, with the flat side of a cutlass, but ended up wounding his friend and killing him should be held responsible for killing his friend?
He tried to make up some excuses but ended up agreeing that the one who used a cutlass should have used the palms of his hands instead.
I told him that is where the issue of choice has a part in the desire to do good.
There were choices to be made and responsibilities to be discharged by the organizers of the Funfair.
The Police must have been convinced that those responsibilities must have been neglected and wrong choices made, resulting in the unfortunate incident.
Negligence becomes an offence when it is criminal in nature.
It is the duty of the Police to prefer charges once they feel a Prima facie has been established.
It is equally the duty of the Court to determine that indeed the allegations against the accused persons has been proved or otherwise.
I am surprised that certain individuals feel that the accused persons should just be allowed to go because they had good intentions.
I am sure most of those talking about good intentions have not taken time to dig into the backgrounds of what we call ” charities” these days and how it benefits those who set them up.
I am surprised that the Agodi Correctional facility has now become a Pilgrimage Ground to some people.
I am just curious, how many of those who thronged to Agodi in solidarity have found it necessary to seek out the parents of the deceased children?
We don’t even have the identities of those innocent children and their parents not to talk of seeking them out!
Shame! A big shame on all of us.
Infact, some irritants amongst us even found it funny to join the chorus line that the parents of those children were ” greedy”.
I don’t disagree with them in as much as their conscience is in agreement with them but may I ask if anyone assembled at the Islamic High School, Bashorun without someone calling them to come and collect gifts?
We have now become a people who steps on the blood of the dead to display our penchant for eye service.
Just like Oriyomi Hazmat and Queen Naomi Silekunola, some hapless Mechanics have been consigned to the same Agodi for overreacting against the Governor.
How many of those who went to Agodi to see Oriyomi and the Queen took time to sympathize with them?
Those are nobodies and they could rot in there.
We have a big problem in this Country.
We worry because some people we consider as ” big men” will spend Christmas and New Year in detention but we care less that some potential Leaders of tomorrow are already spending their eternity in heaven because of the alleged criminal negligence and greed of certain individuals.
So sad.
The Police have done their jobs. Those accused have been saying they are innocent.
They have the privilege of proving their innocence in Court.
Then, what exactly is our problem? Allow them to prove their innocence now.
We were all here when an allegation was brought against Oriyomi Hazmat regarding the contract for the procurement of exercise books.
It was alleged that the contract was awarded in violation of Oyo state procurement Laws and was terribly overbloated.
Governor Makinde has promised to look into the allegations for years but no feedback has been given to the public.
Assuming Oriyomi Hazmat is taken up tomorrow because of the allegations, what will happen?
Some people will still occupy the streets, shouting up and down that their benefactor ” oloore” must not be investigated?
I shudder when I see how some people have submitted their consciousness to be toyed with by those who deliberately impoverished them.
Oh! The Stockholm syndrome!!
Like I said, no matter what anybody feels, justice must be done and must be seen to have been done.
Not only justice for the accused persons but also for those hapless kids whose dreams were cut short at the Islamic High School, Bashorun, even if the hypocrites relocate to the Gates of Agodi Correctional facility.
I have said it and I will repeat it for emphasis sake.
Assuming this thing happened to someone else, what would Oriyomi Hazmat have been doing by now?
Wouldn’t he have taken it upon himself to see that the accused persons would not be left off the hook despite the facts that they have good intentions?
Certainly, Oriyomi wouldn’t have had a moment rest in his desire to see that no guilty is left unpunished.
He would have insisted that justice be done without fear or favor.
I am sure that is exactly what he wants now and that is exactly what must happen if you love him and believe in his crusade.
Oriyomi wouldn’t have been moved by the shedding of crocodile tears and would have been calling out those shedding them and those who are trooping to Agodi for eye service.
