It is now a common place in Rivers State and Port Harcourt in particular to see fully loaded trucks of military officers in company of the Rivers State Traffic Management Agency (TIMARIV) personnel driving around town in convoy-like-manner in search of street traders. Rumuola axis in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State is worse hit by this unusual patrol.
Several well-meaning citizens of the state have cried out against this undemocratic application of government apparatus in a democratic setting, like Nigeria.
The media, both electronic and print are not left out in the condemnation of using the military unduly to carry out a naturally civil assignment. What is military about confiscating wares of innocent, unsuspecting, jobless and poor citizens along the streets.
At worse situations, the police, civil Defence Corps, Man.O.War and even the boys scouts could be drafted to assist TIMARIV in their campaign to stamp-out hawking and street trading in Rivers State.
An act that is still perplexing us is that even when shop owners display their goods in front of their stores, the overzealous TIMARIV backed military still confiscates their wares.
Nobody is against the campaign to stamp out street trading in Port Harcourt, afterall the aim is to return the city to its past garden city status in Nigeria, but what is still bugging the minds of Rivers people is the reason for the military attachment to the operation zero street trading in Port Harcourt.
To start with, the statutory role of the armed forces in to protect the territorial boundaries of the country, while the police is saddled with the task of ensuring that law and order exist in the country. This includes controlling street trading, amongst several other duties.
And moreso now that the Boko Haram, insurgence has expanded the task of the military, through their incessant bombings of the northern region.
One now wonders what the army should be doing with running after harmless traders along the city, when the federal government is yet to contain with the scourge of insecurity in the country. Governor Chibuike Amaechi seem to have turned a deaf ear to the concerted calls from several quarters that the use of the military to execute civil functions is no longer fashionable.
There has never been any case of TIMARIV personnel being manhandled by anybody or group of persons in the course of performing their duties as to warrant drafting the military to contain the situation.
This show of authority by using the army to perform civil duties, does not only ridicule the military, but it tends to portray the Amaechi’s government in bad light. And moreso this government touts the rule of law as its cardinal point.
The question of who controls the armed forces in the country now comes to mind. The president as the commander in chief of the Armed Forces no doubt is in charge of deploying the military on any assignment, which in most cases must be an outright war or civil crisis that has assumed a frightening dimension, like the Boko Haram saga and the defunct Niger Delta militant era. Suffice it to say that since the cessation of hostilities in the Niger Delta region courtesy, the amnesty, no serious crisis has erupted again.
A situation where the people are going about their lawful businesses and the military fully armed are assaulting and manhandling them in the name of controlling street trading, is to say the least wrong.
We therefore reiterated our earlier call that in a democratic setting like we have in Nigeria and indeed Rivers state, there is no need (sense) in using the military arbitrarily to do civil jobs, be it traffic control or checking street trading. We therefore request that the listening government of Rivers State who is generally acclaimed to be a product of the rule of law should not disappoint the people by allowing an illegal operation to hold sway in the state.
If the number of police officers in Rivers State are not enough, the government should request for more. The reason is that no amount of excuse given by any government to abuse the use of the military for trivial jobs will be acceptable in a civilized society like ours.
We must be careful in whatever we do bearing in mind that the legacy we bequet to our generation could tomorrow be used in judging us.
It is important to make haste while the sun shines. ###
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