By Matthew Ma
“The question for us is, who among these presidential candidates has the ability, character, and temperament to seek, cultivate, and maintain that elusive peace and unity that we so desire and crave? After February 2023, we will know if we responded to this question.”
This year has been turbulent for Nigeria – with a few bright spots. Like every other year in Nigeria, 2022 was more than ordinary. It has its ups and downs. At the start of 2022, Nigerians hoped that, with less than two years to the end of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, the government would ramp up its efforts to reduce crime, poverty, and unemployment. In his 2022 new year message to Nigerians, he was also effusive about how he intended to secure the country and address its socioeconomic challenges. But these conditions have since deteriorated. The nation continues to experience a share of financial and domestic troubles. As Nigerians put 2022 behind them to welcome 2023, Part I review a few bad events that made headlines in 2022.
Insecurity
Nigeria was overwhelmed and beleaguered by insecurity in 2022. For example, there were high-profile abductions, killings, and extremist insurgencies. The insecurity situation was at its peak as banditry, kidnappings, and killings became an everyday affair in most parts of the country. States like Zamfara, Katsina, Niger, Borno, Sokoto, and Kaduna have been the epicenters of these violent attacks. Almost all the five states in the South Eastern region of the country also suffered violence and acts of extra-judicial killings as supporters of the embattled leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) were accused of launching deadly attacks on government offices, prisons, and the homes of politicians and community leaders. In March 2022, terrorists attacked an Abuja-Kaduna passenger train, killed 14 persons, and abducted 63 others. The attack forced the Nigerian Railways Corporation (NRC) to suspend operations temporarily. The government seems to be fighting the symptoms of insecurity while the root causes deepen. The reality is that Nigerians who live in rural areas and on the peripheries must develop mechanisms to live with insecurity since the government has failed in its primary duty to protect them. In June 2022, militants attacked St Francis Catholic Church in Owo during Sunday Mass, in which they killed 40 people and injured 80 others. There have been many other cases of mindless killings accentuating the challenge of insecurity in Nigeria and the increasing contempt with which we treat human lives. Of the various cases reported during the year, the most recent at the end of the year was the murder of Mrs. Bolanle Raheem by a police officer in Lagos on Christmas Day. Nigerians are used to extra judicial killings by the police, but this was horrifying because the lawyer was pregnant with twins.
Incessant Prison Attacks
The year also witnessed incessant jailbreaks in different parts of the country, unprecedented in the annals of the country. One of the most devastating attacks in the Federal Capital Territory was the attack on Kuje prison by numerous terrorists on the Nigerian Correctional Service headquarters on Okigwe road, Owerri, Imo State. They destroyed part of the prison walls with explosives and set the building ablaze, which led to a jailbreak where at least 1,844 eventually escaped. Over 800 prison inmates escaped during the attack, while half are still at large. Those still at large include about 60 Boko Haram members. ISWAP, a breakaway faction of Boko Haram, claimed responsibility for the attack and later released a video of the incident. Nigerians have questions about how the terrorists attacked a prison close to some military installations in the Federal Capital Territory.
Worst Flood
The most recent challenge was climate-related: flooding. Severe floods in September caused the deaths of over 600 people and displaced 1.3 million from their homes. According to reports, it is the most devastating episode of seasonal floods Nigeria has seen in a decade. Heavy rains combined with poor urban planning made parts of Nigeria more susceptible to flooding. Around the River Niger bridge, which joins Lagos to Onitsha and the rest of eastern Nigeria, sizable portions of surrounding communities are submerged under water, crippling economic activity for many small traders and farmers. The situation was so dire that the Nigeria minister of humanitarian affairs asked five state governments to prepare to evacuate residents living along flood plains. In Anambra, one of those states, 76 people died trying to flee the flood after an escape boat capsized. More than 200,000 houses and 266,000 acres of farmland were partially damaged. But with the flood destroying 108,000 hectares of farmland, it will affect Nigeria’s food supply.
Sports Year in Review
The Super Eagles’ Round of 16 exits at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon was a tremendous disappointment, especially after the team had shown so much promise in the group stage. For some, the signs of a disastrous outing were noticeable when the NFF fired the team’s coach, Gernot Rohr, weeks before the tournament began and drafted Augustine Eguavoen as an emergency replacement. Eguavoen won all three group games and fueled speculation that the Super Eagles could make it to the final. However, a 1-0 loss for the 10-man Eagles team against a Tunisia team that barely scraped through the group stage marked the Eagles’ first failure to reach the AFCON last eight since 1984. Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the Qatar 2022 World Cup was the biggest disappointment of 2022. Aside from missing out on the unquantifiable excitement of Africa’s best performance ever at the Mundial, the enormous loss in revenue to Nigeria’s sports industry is massive. Ghana was again Nigeria’s nemesis as they beat the Eagles to the World Cup ticket via the away goals rule. The result means that Nigeria could not make its seventh appearance in Qatar. Consequently, the team must now prepare and play qualifying matches to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, to be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Death of College Student
The unfortunate death of the Dowen College student was the subject of discussion nationwide. Was there a cover-up or not? The sad and horrible death of the 12-year-old Dowen College Student Sylvester Oromoni, under questionable circumstances, is one that Nigerians may not allow to be swept under the carpet. Many were in shock when the Police and the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) of the Lagos State Ministry of Justice declared that Oromoni’s death resulted from natural causes, even though thorough investigations seem to be pending and the police investigation is still ongoing. Besides, well-documented events, videos, audio recordings, and text messages, if anything, all seem to raise more questions begging for answers. Is there a cover-up as to the cause of death of Sylvester Oromoni? Was there a dying declaration by Sylvester Oromoni? The mystery surrounding this case still amazes me today.
Domestic Violence Against Women
The recent death of one of Nigeria’s leading gospel music artists, Osinachi Nwachukwu, who was allegedly battered to death by her husband, elicited nationwide outcry. The allegations around the demise of Mrs. Nwachukwu sent shockwaves through Nigeria’s Christian communities and the larger society, raising questions about gender violence and the extent to which religious teachings and societal values condemn divorce, no matter the circumstances. Christian leaders condemned the dastardly act, with many calling for her husband to face the law. Her death, however, revealed the scary statistics of women subjected to inhumane and violent treatment at the hands of their spouses. Her husband continues to deny all allegations of abuse, telling the court that he is not responsible for the death of his wife.
Rising Suicide Cases
National statistics have shown a noticeable increase in the cases of suicide across Nigeria. People continue to jump off the Lagos Third Mainland Bridge into the Lagoon or ingest Sniper, a disinfectant and all-purpose cleaner turned into a popular and available poison, to commit suicide. In a country where suicide is erroneously associated with spiritual causes, plus a shortage of psychiatric experts, curbing the malaise is undoubtedly challenging. Why is the increasing rate of suicide a growing concern among the poor, youth, and the wealthy? What problems or challenges could make one take his own life? Why the recent increase in suicide? Could it be the hardship or depression caused by the economic recession that sparked suicide? Are government and Nigerians doing enough to curb the menace? Could the action have been intentional, psychological, or induced by unseen external forces? These pertinent questions beg for answers to unravel the causes and effects and proffer solutions to the menace in 2023.
Rev. Ma, S.J, is a Jesuit Catholic priest and PhD candidate in public and social policy at St. Louis University in the state of Missouri, USA
Celebrity Marriages
2022 has been a turbulent year for many Nigerian celebrity marriages. As some tied the knots with their lovers, others loosened theirs despite being married for quite a several years. Many Nigerians did not see this issue coming. Nollywood actor, Yul Edochie, caused a stir on social media when he announced his second marriage to fellow actress Judy Austin. In his announcement, Funke Akindele and JJC Skillz called it quits after six years of marriage. A famous comedian, Julius Agwu, confirmed earlier in December that his marriage to his wife, Ibiere, had crashed despite reports earlier in the year that their marriage had hit the rocks. Paul and Anita Okoye’s marriage was one of the shambolic ones. The duo had been married for eight years before a court in Abuja dissolved their marriage in December. A Veteran comedian, Bright Okpocha, announced a breakup with his wife, Elsie Okpocha, after 12 years of marriage. Basketmouth implored fans through his verified social media accounts to give them space to think about the way forward. News of such divorce sometimes leaves me distraught because, on the surface, it seemed Nigerian celebrities were getting the best of their marriages, and suddenly, a surprise sprung on my face.
2022 Primary Election
Primaries determine the choices voters make in presenting a candidate to contest for office. Did the 2022 primaries meet the demands, justice, conventional practice, and precedent of Nigerians? The answer is No. The 2022 primaries produced candidates for the 2023 general elections. However, the parties (especially the major ones) fell short of public expectations. For instance, they failed to show moral sense and patriotism in a power shift. As illustrated by the two leading parties, the wrong power shift took place. Rather than a power shift in the national interest as was understood before the primaries, personal interests became the dominant values. As a result, the People’s Democratic Party shifted its base from the northwest to the northeast, awakening fears of permanent northern domination, deepening hostilities, and heightening North-South tensions. The APC turned to the South West for its presidential candidate, thus, worsening the age-long distrust between the South West and South East. To the discontent of many, the All-Progressives Congress (APC) made a move that perplexed many when its Presidential flag bearer, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, selected Senator Kashim Shettima, a fellow Muslim as his running mate. While some decried the APC’s insensitivity when it featured the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket, others saw it as political suicide because they believed it would dent the party’s chances in the polls. Nigeria deserves to live as one country in unity, peace, and harmony after the 2023 elections. To this extent, the primaries failed the moral test of rightness that opposed wrongness. Hence, 2022 serves as the poor foundation for unity, peaceful coexistence, and greatness after 2023. The question for us is, who among these presidential candidates has the ability, character, and temperament to seek, cultivate, and maintain that elusive peace and unity that we so desire and crave? After February 2023, we will know if we responded to this question. Look out for part II for the brightest moments in 2022.
Rev. Ma, S.J, is a Jesuit Catholic priest and PhD candidate in public and social policy at St. Louis University in the state of Missouri, USA
