They should not remove

Should the monuments and tributes of people with questionable characters be removed?

In my opinion, they should not be removed. No human being is perfect. Every person has both good and bad sides, especially those in political power or leadership.

Some structures, institutions, or decisions that entrenched division and indirect rule, which are still affecting Nigeria today, may have been made during the colonial administration of Lord Lugard.

However, we cannot expect any leader to come into power and perform one hundred percent perfectly in their administration. For example, the rate of economic inflation we are lamenting about today did not start during the tenure of His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. It started during previous administrations and has continued to affect us until now.

Let me bring this closer to home by using an example from my own state.

Questionable Characters

We once had a governor in my state who accomplished many things during his regime. He built infrastructure such as schools, roads, a stadium, a polytechnic institute, and a flyover. He created employment opportunities and helped both young and old people in the state. He truly impacted lives.

However, towards the end of his eight-year tenure, innocent blood was shed. It was alleged that he sent assassins to churches to kill those who opposed him during a political campaign. Because of this act, many people withdrew their support for him. Leaders in higher positions denied him sensitive appointments due to greed and other selfish interests best known to him. Although he built schools, museums, historical parks, and flyovers that were named after him, people became afraid of him. Some individuals he allegedly targeted fled to another country. In this case, the honour was withdrawn in people’s hearts, but history remains intact. Some people still love him for his achievements, while others hate him passionately because of the tragic incident.

The issue of abduction also began during a particular regime due to rising demands and criminal activities. Since then, kidnapping has persisted. Just yesterday, someone was abducted in his home, and a ransom of 100 million naira was demanded for his release.

In the past, the prices of goods were affordable, and customers could buy what they needed for consumption. Today, it is difficult, and even the poor struggle to afford basic necessities. Every problem started somewhere.

Therefore, removing monuments will not erase the history of our past leaders, and it will not correct the past mistakes made. It will rather prevent our children to learn from learning the full story of the past governments.

This is my response to the Hivelearners Featured Contest Week 204, Episode 2.

I love, I care, and I forgive.