Linda Igwetu went out with her friends to celebrate 11 months of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), after all, they will all match to the stadium the next day to collect their certificate.

The dreaded NYSC has come to an end, Linda didn’t envisage that what started out to be a night of fun and laughter will be her last day alive.

She was gunned down by a policeman named Benjamin Peters. She died at the hospital.

It’s an unfortunate incident but one that calls to question the role of the three arms of the government.

First, Why are police officers walking around with guns indiscriminately

We have a security issue but this should not excuse the fact that our police officers move around with guns. Every single day, you will see a policeman who is not on duty moving around with a firearm.

I have taken Danfo with a policeman who had a gun. The question is what is the purpose of holding guns around openly in a civilian administration.

Should policemen be allowed to carry guns when they are off duty? What is the protocol for carrying guns around in public places when there is no imminent danger at hand? Should policemen going on illegal patrol be allowed to carry guns?

The brutality of Nigerian Twitter

Nigerians started pointing fingers at the hospital for not treating the victim. When they had clearly explained that it wasn’t their fault. Nobody called for the prosecution of the officer that fired the shot, everyone was out to roast the hospital for not treating the patient.

When a Twitter Celebrity tweets pray for Nigeria in light of so many unfortunate events, Nigerian Twitter will jump on it, no one would bother to critically analyse the failure of the Nigerian state.

The herd mentality is usually in full force, however, why do we always have to pas around the blame and roast someone, why can’t we just ask ourselves critical questions and profer solutions.

Even the Nigerian senate joined the conversation without all the facts when the hospital is in the same town. All you have to do is properly investigate first.


Mandatory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot Act, 2017 makes provisions for compulsory treatment and care for victims of gunshots and for other related matters.

The question is after signing this bill into law, has the Nigerian senate created a helpline or anything to ensure this is enforced?

NYSC

According to 2015 figures, the government budgets between N70 and N74billion annually to mobilize, orientate, and pay allowances of corps members nationwide.

Every year, no less than ten corps members lose their life during orientation or after orientation either due to the healthcare at the NYSC camp or road accidents or political violence occurring in their place of primary assignment.

Why is a N74b commitment a potential death sentence to the thousands of graduates that serve yearly.

Has the government put any tangible regulaton in place to adequately protect the lives of her young graduates?

The NYSC oath reads

In pursuance of our Aspiration to build a United, Peaceful, Prosperous, Hate-free, Egalitarian Society and a great Nation and of our motto “Service and Humility”.
I
Member of the National Youth Service Corps
Hereby pledge to follow at all the times the leadership of those in Authority irrespective of their social and educational background and in particular, I shall:
(a) At all times and in all places think, act, regard myself and speak first as a Nigerian, before anything else;
(b) Be proud of the fatherland, appreciate and cherish the culture, the tradition, arts and language of the nation;
(c) Be prepared to serve honestly, faithfully and if need be, pay the supreme sacrifice for the fatherland;
(d) Be well-informed about the history, geography, economy and the resources of Nigeria;
(e) Regard fellow Nigerians as my brothers and sisters and myself as my brother’s keeper;
(f) Have a healthy attitude to work and play. I shall not only be ready to work in any part of the country to which I am deployed, but also genuinely identify myself with the problems and aspirations of the people of the area in which I work;
(g) Tackle difficulties and challenges in a disciplined and self-reliant manner, constitutionally pursuing grievances and properly channeling such for redress;
(h) See myself as a leader who must give effective leadership by my transparent, honest and selfless service; (i) Detest and shun bribery and all forms of corruption and nepotism;
(j) Be courteous and polite to all and sundry;
(k) Be obedient without being slavish;
(l) Always remember the motto and strive continuously to live up to the ideals of the National Youth Service Corps during and after my service year.
So help me God: AMEN

Be prepared to serve honestly, faithfully and if need be, pay the supreme sacrifice for the fatherland;

Linda paid the supreme sacrifice for the fatherland but her fatherland didn’t pay the supreme sacrifice for her.

May her soul rest in perfect peace.

https://araba.com.ng/2018/07/matters-arising-from-the-death-of-female-corps-member-linda-igwetu/