A Nation of Convoys
Penultimate week, The Source carried a story written by its Imo State Correspondent,

By Comfort Obi

Eugenia Okpara entitled: Imo: The Siren State. I fell in love with the title. And I enjoyed reading the story. The snag was that she presented it as if it was an opinion piece. I wish she had spoken to the long suffering masses of the state to get a feel of the hell they go through in the hands of the many “Imo big men.”
In Imo State, I guess as in a few other states, the use of siren is power. It shows you have "arrived." It means you are rich. That you now have influence. That you have become a big man. So, every Dick, Tom and Harry, every wannabe uses siren, with law enforcement agents in tow. Every money-miss-road uses siren. Even those who made their money through dubious means. They all use siren. They compete with the state governors. They pose for the masses. They show off. Senators use siren. Some presidential aides – ministers, advisers, assistants, even the ex-es, they use siren. They disturb the peace of even their villages. In fact, it is even worse in the villages, For, how will you know they have “arrived?” Even in church premises, while the service is on, they would come late with their siren blaring. At functions, they would come late, and then drive right to the centre of the event, with their head lamps on and make for the overstreched high table, insisting on chairs being brought for them. All without shame.
But I think I should modify Eugenia’s title a little and entitle this: A Nation of Convoys. That is what Nigeria is.

The Nigerian "big man" acts funny. He is bush and uncivilized.

You know a “big man” in Nigeria by the length of his convoy when he is on the road. The cars are usually flashy. The length of some of the convoys would make the president green with envy. There is no point saying that this uncivilised attitude not only irritates state governors, it rightly affects their relationship with these unauthorised users of long convoys and siren. It has become a status sympbol. Only ordinary people drive along the road without convoy, siren and head lamps on. So, to belong, even some decent and exposed Nigerians have been afflicted by this disgraceful disease. Thus, industrialists, managing directors of banks and multinational companies indulge in this obscene attitude. They use convoys, siren, gun-totting escorts, pilot cars, revolving light, head lamps and all.
They are a sight to behold when they arrive at any function. Their escorts and security people wearing sun-glasses, no matter what time of the day, jump down from the cars to protect them. You know, like the body guards of the president or those of the governors. They have even learnt to wear these long jackets that look like rain coats – ala presidential guards and those of the governors.
Now, nobody would have bothered with them if they behave themselves. But no. They are very reckless on the road.The truth is: if it so pleases you, use as many as 20 cars at a time in a convoy. If you feel like flaunting your wealth, to show that you have arrived, it is not our business. It is your money that you are spending to buy fuel, maintain a fleet of cars, and pay scores of drivers. But it becomes our business when we no longer have any right of way; when a convoy runs us out of the road; when a convoy kills people and breaks our hearts. It becomes our business when your convoy, with siren blaring, disturbs our peace and makes us nervous.
Unfortunately, this has become our everyday life. We are run out of the roads by the convoys of big men. They make life hell for us by making a nuisance of their wealth and themselves. They have no respect for anybody. Afterall,they have arrived. When the former Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chris Ngige, revealed that the convoy of his erstwhile political godfather, Chief Chris Uba, ran him out of the road, some Nigerians were aghast. Others didn’t believe. Some others asked why Ngige was so lily-livered as to allow his convoy, as a governor, to be run out of the road by his subject. But this is what Nigerians suffer everyday in the hands of the rich and mighty.
In one other state in the South east, the governor became so angry with the effrontery (to use siren) of one of his friends, who turned round to become an opponent, that he usually laid ambush for him and stopped his convoy in the middle of the road. And insists: 'No siren or turn back.'
The law is clear on who should, or should not use siren. But it doesn’t work. Convoys and sirens have been so bastardised that even armed robbers and drug traffickers use them. Some traditional rulers use them. Wives of service chiefs use them. Local government chairmen and their wives. And it goes on and on.
The police do nothing about this abuse. They cannot because they connive with these people. They give them cover. They give them police escorts for a fee. They illegally protect them 24 hours daily while other Nigerians suffer. The police once ordered the withdrawal of such police escorts and body guards. But everyone knew that the police were not serious. Anybody who can pay the police gets escorts, and is allowed the use of siren.
The questions, however, are: For how long shall we continue to live like this? For how long will this insanity continue to reign? For how long should we continue to ridicule Nigeria? If we leave it in the hands of the police, it will continue. So, I have a suggestion: Let the Presidency discuss with state governors and set up a monitoring team in every state. Their job will be to patrol the highways, the cities and the villages and halt any unauthorised use of siren. The culprit should be ordered out of his car, and all the cars in that convoy impounded. What is more, the driver of any car in a convoy who kills anybody because of recklessness and show of power should be tried for murder. Perhaps, only then will they learn to be careful. Just perhaps.