Is Ya Own BP?

I had once written  that Nigeria had overtaken Mexico as the world’s No. 1 importer of Armour plated aka Bullet Proof vehicles with an estimated 30% of the world’s amour plated vehicles headed for our beloved country. Then there was no uproar or righteous indignation. But what did I expect? The influx of Bullet proof vehicles is not surprising in the face of the high-profile kidnappings and the attendant ransoms demanded and paid (either publicly or surreptitiously). It is even alleged that before and during the 2011 general elections (the year we overtook Mexico, Afghanistan, Iraq, Colombia, Panama, Brazil etc in this BP vehicle business), that politicians massively placed orders for heavily fortified anti-ballistic vehicles. That period alone the country imported over N60 Billion worth of Bullet Proof cars with the value of each BP car differing widely (the cost of armouring these vehicles depend on the level of armour required; B6: AK-47, 8M-16 Protection and B7 Armour-piercing rifle protection).
Now, if this allegation is true, I guess that to cater for the nouveau riche politicians (or replacements by old money bags) we are likely to see an exponential increase in BP orders the run-up to the decisive and already incendiary next general election.
In a country where almost all corporate leaders have a number of armour platted vehicles, where even lower level corporate managers demand Bullet Proof Cars as part of their compensation package. A country where across all the big-boyz watering holes in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja, Enugu, Calabar etc over snifters of very superior old pale cognac or flutes of exotic champagne one big-boy will casually ask another, “is your car BP?” ...the same way the acronym “PJ” – Private Jet” has crept into our national lexicon.
So lets focus our indignation properly. Should we be upset that the Honourable Minister was given an official Armour plated vehicle, something I suspect most Ministers and top politicians / Government functionaries already have, or should we be more focused on its cost, i.e., whether the value was inflated given the level of armour platting, customization etc. Or better still, should we focus our anger on the root cause, crime and terrorism?
As you ponder these questions, I must ask “Bros…is ya own BP?”




Jekwu Ozoemene