Political thuggery creates and fosters the climate of fear, violence, disorder and conflicts. Its contribution to peace is disorder, disharmony and everything in the neighbourhood of violence.
Political thugs commit themselves to maim and kill their perceived enemies in their inglorious campaign to build terror and horror. They glory in burning public and private properties. They turn elections into chaos when they intimidate voters, steal and cart away ballot boxes. They turn polling booths into theatres of war. There is no end to the massive disruptions they can launch in any society. There is no end to the businesses of conflicts they can unleash.
For the society where political thuggery thrives, woes are lively accompaniments; woes are regular occurrences especially during election time. Any person is a potential target; any place is a potential takeover target for the thugs. They threaten social life with a tragic mix of vices. They ruin and reduce to rubbles the sense of calm, harmony and peace in every community.
Political thuggery appears to have become a profession in Nigeria as many political thugs have no other jobs than to continuously cling to thuggery. They are fluent in the language and art of thuggery. Some of them have been in the business of thuggery all their lives that they have gained considerable working knowledge of thuggery.
Since they have no other jobs to return to especially when political campaigns and other political activities are at their lowest, they lie low until another round of political activities begins.
Political thuggery has become a regular face or feature in Nigerian politics. It is becoming more sophisticated with all its elements of banditry, robbery, violence, intimidation, assassination and climate of uncertainty and fear. As a performance backed and denominated by violence, political thugs increasingly brandish all sorts of sophisticated weapons and dangerous schemes to keep their energetic profession alive and kicking.
Nigerian society is no way near the end of political thuggery, because many factors direct and elevate the ugly practice in the political evolution of the country, especially in competitive elective offices. Nigeria’s vast natural resources have huge opportunities for the creation of jobs, but the strength of these opportunities are diminished and eroded by the strong and stubborn surge of mismanagement, somersaulting policies, massive corruption and the waste of abundant resources. Instead of directing the large portion of the resources to job creation to escape the quagmires of unemployment and its destructive and deadly consequences, many Nigerians erect the pillar of corruption against sustainable growth and rapid development.
Political thuggery should not be allowed to blossom into a high profile profession.
Thatz fantastic article
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