Isaac Newton, Robert Hooke, Albert Einstein and a host of other fathers of physical science did good jobs in postulating different theories in the field. Amidst all these postulations, my favourite is that of work, which states that work is the multiple of Force and distance.
Isaac Newton, Robert Hooke, Albert Einstein and a host of other fathers of physical science did good jobs in postulating different theories in the field. Amidst all these postulations, my favourite is that of work, which states that work is the multiple of Force and distance.
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This theory goes on to tell us that if one uses all the force in the world, with no distance, no work is done at all.
In practical terms, this means that the strongest men in the world who lift 2000kg vehicles for about an hour and stand on the same spot have done no work at all. Also, a little child who is given a mortal to carry on his head for 2 hours on a spot because he did not sweep the house before going to school in the morning has done no work at all.
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This theory amazed me on the 2nd day of November 2011, when I saw it in social issues. This was a case of mal-treatment of the citizenry, in the name of power by the Nigerian Police Force. You may find this interesting, but I did not, because I was a victim of the circumstance.
It was a rainy day in Lagos state, Nigeria; I was heading back home with tired legs and feeble knees from a tiresome day at work. I was headed for Palmgrove from Ketu; I sat close to the door of this rugged yellow bus with dual black stripes. The conductor was stepping in and out of the bus about every 30 seconds as we moved slowly in this traffic jam or “go slow” as it is popularly called. Every time he did this, he ensured that he stepped on my right shoe which housed my tired right leg. The door of the vehicle was widely opened and rain was my uninvited guest. In five minutes, I was wet to the bones. With respect to these conditions, I left my seat for a seat next to the driver when a passenger alighted.
My experience continued till we got to a point after independence tunnel in Idiroko. The driver was trying to avoid collision with some unruly driver who went ahead of us, so he swerved to his left and was unfortunately fortunate enough to just scratch the oncoming vehicle by the side. The vehicle’s name and brand, I cannot clearly state, but I know it is after the order of Toyota Corolla 2009. The driver of the oncoming vehicle in question was quick to park ahead of us and alighted from the vehicle alongside two other men.
The angry trio stopped our vehicle and spat to the high heavens in fury, in no time, our dear friends from the Nigerian Police Force showed up. Without listening to both sides, they took side with the rich “dude” from the nice black vehicle. They were quick to blame our driver without listening to his own side of the story, defying this law maxim; “AUDI ALTERAM PATERM” literally meaning, hear the other side.
Without hearing the alternative party, they started to apply force without direction; they started to maltreat our driver and a couple of other passengers including myself. I saw all that happened clearly due to my vantage position – next to the driver. The police man who led his platoon threatened me to open the door, however, I was reluctant, so, he threatened to hit me with his rifle, and out of fear of the phrase “accidental discharge” I opened up the door and alighted from the vehicle alongside another man who sat next to me. The policemen entered the vehicle and forced our driver to drive to their station.
The police is supposed to protect our lives and property, yet they left us for dead in the heavy down pour. Another case of force in no direction; force without distance.
I would be wrong to say our driver was a saint in the whole matter. But he was not the topmost sinner, as the topmost sinners were our friends who left their core responsibility for a called responsibility. Underscoring the lack of distance again, just like physical science, they have not found a way to solve a problem without creating another.
Physical science solved the problem of transportation by producing vehicles that operate on the use of carbon fuels and left us with the problem of ozone layer depletion via incomplete combustion of fuel from those vehicles. The police on the other hand could not solve a singular traffic problem without going against their core responsibility of protecting lives and property.
This Force, which is driven by a motto; “The police is your friend”, left their friends for dead in the terrible down pour. I was stranded, no vehicle wanted to pick me up, no motorcycle was forthcoming, no hope of swift transportation. Dragging my tired legs and feeble knees, aching bones and saddened heart, I walked all the way in the heavy rain from Idiroko to Anthony to Obanikoro and finally to Palmgrove which was my destination.
This is not to underscore the inability of the Nigerian Police Force to make the citizens their friend, but to highlight the directionless use of force by the same. The Force has been fantastic in the use of force, but force with no distance is no work at all. I hereby call on the police, using the varying confidence in the voices of Nigerians, that they should be more sensitive to the direction, distance, to which their force is applied.
The citizenry also do not want to be your enemies but friends; therefore, you need to be sensitive to us and not to hurt us in your course of duty, until we are found guilty.
Till then, apply your force in a distance (positive direction) that there may be positive work done on the Nigerian citizenry.
---TIJANI OLUWAMAYOWA EMMANUEL.
• Tijani is a seasoned student journalist and a member of The Union of Campus Journalist, University of Ibadan, Ibadan.
• He is also the Present Editor-in-Chief of Mellanby Hall Press Organisation, University of Ibadan, Ibadan.
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