In an ample demonstration of his government’s desire to nip in the bud the rampant cases of theft of food and other humanitarian assistance to internally displaced persons (IDPs), the Governor of Borno state, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, last week, went spiritual, using the Holy Qur’an against culprits. This is a welcome development in the fight against crime and criminality as it proved to be quite potent in restraining potential thieves.
The governor had visited Monguno where he spent two days, coordinating, supervising and trying to sanitise the distribution of food items to 190,050 internally displaced persons, majority of them from Marte, Kukawa, Mobbar, Guzamala and Monguno local government areas, all in northern part of the state.
However, in Zulum’s presence, a copy of the Holy Qur’an was raised the traditional way, seeking the wrath of God against the governor himself, humanitarian workers in the state emergency management agency, the National Emergency Management Agency, other government officials and anyone for that matter, who diverts food and other aids meant for the welfare of displaced persons. The oath was also administered against IDPs who have the habit of collecting multiple rations of food most of which they sell in markets, depriving fellow displaced persons of food.
Monguno is the largest town in northern Borno, a majority Muslim part of the state most troubled by insurgent attacks. Monguno is not far from Baga and Kukawa from where citizens fled after attacks. Monguno itself had come under the occupation of Boko Haram around 2013 and 2014. Early this year, the insurgents had made two failed attempts to seize military barracks in Monguno.
Zulum had, ahead of his visit, ordered the deployment of trailer-loads of varieties of food items, especially rice, spaghetti, oil and other condiments. The governor also ordered that a copy of the Qur’an be made available. The governor held series of meetings with officials involved in humanitarian activities and those of local government areas whose citizens are displaced in Monguno.
The governor began his tour of the 16 camps in Monguno at 6am. He went early to ensure that genuine IDPs who spend nights in camps were to benefit. In each camp, the governor spent at least an hour, reorganising and distributing customised tickets to bread winners of households with which the families receive quantities of food to last them for weeks.
A mild drama, however, took place when hundreds of adult male and female IDPs began to leave queues whenever the oath administrator (acting like a town crier) raised the Qur’an, calling on God to punish anyone of them who was in the queue to collect multiple rations of food.
“Listen to me very attentively, Governor Zulum has asked me to announce to you, that from himself as your governor down to humanitarian officials of SEMA, NEMA, other government officials and anybody at all, whoever diverts food meant for IDPs, may the curse of God through the instrumentality of the Qur’an, come upon that person. May the wrath of God come upon anyone who has collected allocation ticket but came here to collect what is meant for others.
“You all know that food is distributed to households and everyone here is part of a household, if you know you are not the head of a household or that you have already collected your portion, better leave the queue or you incur the wrath of the Qur’an,” the administrator, popularly referred to as Babagana, said, raising the Qur’an with his right hand.
As he made the announcements in every camp, displaced persons left in numbers, some of them laughing. The governor has vowed to use his experience as former commissioner for reconstruction, rehabilitation and re-settlement of displaced persons to bring some sanity.
Until the introduction of oath by the governor, humanitarian workers have had to contend with problems of food vending by hundreds of displaced persons who collect multiple allocations. There were also allegations of dubious collaboration between some humanitarian workers and IDPs. Under normal distribution arrangement, food items are allocated to households comprising a bread winner and dependants. The food last for weeks, in some cases, a month.
Although the Zulum formula against theft may appear to be novel and restricted as it pertains to only Muslim faithful, but it, nevertheless, proved very effective thereby making its adoption by the larger Nigerian society worthwhile. It is evident that both Islam and Christianity, the two major religions to which Nigerians profess, view stealing as a sin with prescribed punishment. This is besides the extant laws against theft in the country.
Unfortunately, in spite of Nigerians’ religiosity, neither the Quran, the Bible nor the nation’s legal instruments has been able to dissuade a swathe of the citizenry from theft or corruption. High profile corrupting has not only crippled the nation’s economy but also hindered its socio-political development.
It is on the backdrop of this sordid reality that we recommend the Zulum formula in the Muhammadu Buhari administration’s war against corruption. This may be the magic wand as all strategies so far applied at curbing corruption in the country have seemingly failed to achieve the desired result. Indeed, the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.
