Ever since the so called “Abuja (drag) racers” got exposed recently, there’s been an outpour of condemnation particularly from those in the media. As misguided and at fault, not to mention naïve as these racers may have been, some of their actions have been over exaggerated particularly in the media. Yes, confirm accidents (unnecessarily) occurred, no doubt, but it seems people are quick to throw the baby with the bath water and hate the sinner and the sin (instead of just the latter).
As Abuja’s FRSC commandant Nseobong Akpabio delicately put in Weekly Trust (Sat, Nov 14th), “If they (the racers) want to show how wealthy they are, they should do something better with their money instead of buying expensive cars and bashing it.” Well said Akpabio. Now if only someone similar in his position of power could relay a similar statement to the Federal Government, won’t Nigeria be all the better off?
Just because the FRSC (and others with similar condemnations) have found “culprits” they can catch, doesn’t mean they should shout from their high horses just yet. It seemed somewhat justified, although wrong and disrespectful, that the youths captured laughed as their charges were being read in a court by the magistrate. This is a country where after all rule of law is so often broken, so why blame the youth (who are well aware of this) when they laugh. If there’s a real culprit in all of this, it’s the Nigerian society. We are finally seeing the effects of our actions, particularly the government’s ineffectiveness.
If the racers are threatening to call their parents who are in high places (some political), who put some of their parents there in the first place? Finally the aftermath of our society’s actions is trickling down. And by the way stopping the drag-racers only means one thing: that Abuja youths will find something new to do… let’s just hope it’s not as dangerous!
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