SECURITY and Moped taxi-men responsibility

Cue in: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to CAPP FM 99.6MhZ and onto the programme “BACK TO LIFE”. My name is Vincent NNANNA.

INTRO: Tonight, we want to talk about the ZEMIDJAN, that is the Moped riders, the motor-bike taxi. There is some disturbing insecurity in the country. Whose duty is it to provide security? The government on its own has security outfits in place to protect us. But what is happening of recent has shown that security can no longer be guaranteed. Today, there is a combined patrol of three arms of the security enforcement, yet if we do not play our own part......... Ladies and gentlemen, we have the telephone like 21-33-52-25. Or you can send text messages to my mobile - 9744 4619. You’re free to call and chat with us.

I have 3 discussants here in the studio who will be x-raying the situation vis-à-vis the responsibility of Zemidjans towards the security and themselves as well. It is them that know the type of people they carry, where they drop them off, and how the environment looks like.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have in the Studio Osondu who has come all the way from England. We have also Ef-em, and we also have Louis Amedokpo a french teacher in town. The question is: Do you agree or not, with my submission?

Ef-em: Uncle Vin, I agree that the Zemidjans have a role to play in the security of the people.

Osondu: Hundred per-cent okay.

Louis: Yes, I agree that they have important role to play.

Moderator: What role should the Zemidjans play in guaranteeing our security?

Louis: They can help some of the security people like the Police or the Army. Although they are not part of the Army, but they can help by informing them any time they suspect somebody, because they carry most of the people doing business around the city.

Osondu: Like we know, that coin has two faces. Even so is this issue of the Zemidjans. There are some of them who actually themselves are the criminals we are talking of.

Moderator: No. We cannot say so, until we catch them.

Osondu: Let me give some instances. Remember that we campaigned on this station sometime ago that some people are using motorbykes and wearing the Zemidjan’s uniform to rob people during the early hours of the day, until some of them were caught. One of the people I interviewed tells me that a Zemidjan that was carrying him on the day he was robbed had told him that the Zemidja-man coming behind them was a thief. So, they know the criminals among them. Let them identify them and report to the authorities.

Ef-em: Not all the men putting on that yellow shirt are Zemidjans. I remember sometime when I went to Lagos to buy some stereo sets. On arriving at Tokpa (international market), I dropped the set with the Zemidjan-man and said let me go inside and take something. Before I could come back he carried the set away. So the Zemidjans know the bad ones among themselves. If they want to assist the security situation they have to fish out all those ones who are not really Zemidjans. If they really want to secure us and secure their own life, they have to stop drinking alcohol.

Moderator: You’ve made a point that they are those of them instead of being the cat that chase away the rat, have become the rat. But I believe that there are some that can still be trusted. Do you think there is anything the government can do to give them a sense of belonging, a sense of responsibility?

Osondu: They have been organising seminars for the Zemidjans on the issue of HIV/AIDS. They should also sensitize them in terms of security. But the government themselves, like the Police are not innocent. One of my friends was searched and nothing incriminating was found on him, but the Police went ahead and collected something from him.

Moderator: So, extortions by some law enforcement agents are not helping matters. There will be some level of vendetta; that is: ‘If you do me bad, I will shirk my responsibilities and not help the society in being a safe place;’ Do we have any idea of the numbers to call?

Osondu: Just dial 19 or 18, or if it is the wrong number you will be properly redirected.

Moderator: I will like to inform our listeners that these lines are free. The important thing is to give accurate information so that they know the location and what to expect there. You can also report to us in the Radio station and we will take over from where you stop. We will trace the officer on duty and find out why no action is being taken on your information.

Moderator: Ladies and gentlemen, here is where we draw the curtain for today, remember to join us next week Sunday at the same time and on the same frequency. Bye-bye.