More Punishment For Criminals

CANABIS, Indian hemp, marijuana, heroine or cocaine trafficking have now become a social malady among the youth worldwide – Nigeria inclusive. In big cities like Lagos, Ibadan, Kano, Port Harcourt and others, stories of how young boys and girls smoke openly at motor parks, house compounds, schools, pubs, markets and other busy centres are common place.

This intoxicant, in turn, make them go wild, terrorising innocent people with such dangerous weapons as cutlasses, knives, guns, broken bottles, daggers and others, with intent to extort money. Others even go to the extent of waylaying women and girls, raping them.

I can remember that shortly after the late Maj.-Gen. Johnson Thomas Umunakwu Aguiyi-Ironsi took over power on Saturday 15 January 1966 as Military Head of State, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces following a military coup de tat, he promulgated a decree making it an offence for anyone to cultivate Indian hemp or smoke the weed with a 10-year jail term imposed for contravention of the fiat without any option of fine.

The order worked wonderfully as the rate of smoking the weed was drastically reduced.
In like manner, when the Buhari/Idi-Agbon seized power in 1984, a stiffer punishment by firing squad was introduced for anyone caught trafficking in cocaine, heroine and allied substances.

But those who never saw anything good in the progress of the country began to oppose the punishment, describing it as too severe and inhuman. For this reason, the 10-year jail term prescribed for Indian hemp offences was drastically reduced to six months while capital punishment was abolished for drug trafficking.

Probably, because of the light punishment for these offences, many more people with criminal tendencies are now engaged in the heinous acts such as armed robbery, kidnapping, snatching of bags, handsets, etc. Although, the effort of the police and other security agencies in checking the menace of these heartless criminals is commendable, there is still much to be done by the government. I think people engage in criminal acts because the punishment is too soft.

Police too should intensify efforts aimed at getting rid of criminals, especially armed robbers and their accomplices from the society while members of the public should continue to furnish them with useful information that can lead to the arrest of criminals wherever they may be.

If all these measures can be taken, people will heave a sigh of relief as they will have a peaceful night rest and move about unhindered.

Ota-Olaniyi Bangbola wrote from Ibadan.

Oyo Govt, Open This Hospital

I want to appeal to the Oyo State Government to open the small maternity centre built at Olohan-Oganla road, in Iddo Local Government, meant to serve the primary health needs of the people of the area.

This health centre is strategic for many reasons because it is the only government facility available after the one at Apata. Within these communities, there are about 200,000 people who also vote at elections.

Therefore, they should be catered for. This health centre was completed about three years ago without it being put into use. It will also assist the government in its determination to combat the scourge of the killer diseases through the regular immunisation exercise.

Ajadi Omodele, Baptist Church, Oganla, Ibadan.