So it was that some Nigerians, exasperated, dissatisfied and offended with the prevailing socio-economic circumstances within the nation, gave an extended discover to the Nigerian state that there can be a ‘day of rage’ come 1st of August, a day when Nigerians would take to the streets and categorical their umbrage about residing circumstances within the nation.It was discover lengthy sufficient for a brand new metropolis to be constructed to accommodate a brand new technology of Nigerians; it was discover lengthy sufficient for dialogue and coverage route change to whittle down the notches of anger within the land! At a degree I believed the protesters weren’t severe, what with the total gear of adverse reactions from the purveyors of the commonwealth. I believed that they had been merely making an attempt to rattle the federal government and transfer on, simply to make a degree that the Jagaban had not and has not put the conscience contained in the pocket of complacency and cash.
However, the state most popular threats, cajoling, labeling, and bullying ways to scare the offended residents within the land! Among the spokesperson of presidency, official and unofficial, compromised and uncompromised, with some talking from either side of the mouth, made certain that the polity grew to become a parliament of fowls! Was that ugly and boastful assertion credited to Senate President true?
There have been additionally makes an attempt to ethnicize the protests. Which was unlucky. Starvation and inflation don’t acknowledge ethnic boundaries. A hungry man from Sokoto might be as offended as a hungry man from Nembe. So, one of many options of underdevelopment reared its head: ethnicity as a foundation for supporting or opposing the dangerous governance protest. Is being foulmouthed, insulting, and impolite a number of the necessities for being a presidential spokesman? Bayo Onanuga, what’s fallacious?
To make certain, the removing of gasoline subsidy and the runaway inflation which unleashed itself on each the wealthy and poor compounded issues for everybody.As with the vendor, the Bible says, so with the client! Garri, the poor man’s staple meals, grew to become gold. Rice? Hen? These have turn into luxuries that solely the higher middleclass can afford. Amidst these, there rumours of scandalous expenditures on luxurious gadgets within the seat of presidency.Rumours of humongous sums disappearing from the nationwide coffers into the pockets of elected and appointed rulers. How did we enter this foretold hardship whereas a supposedly democratic authorities held sway?
The media, each social and mainstream, couldn’t establish the leaders of the proposed strike.The federal authorities was insanely jittery. And it took determined measures. The IG fingered mercenaries. A presidential spokesman fingered a former presidential candidate because the sponsor of the protests. Some ‘homeowners’ of the town of Lagos warned protesters in opposition to taking to the streets in Lagos, that they need to go to their house states to stage their protests, that masquerades shall be launched into the streets to unleash the facility of the Oro juju on protesters.
From this level on, a comedy of kinds grew wings just like the proverbial horse in Greek mythology as authorities went on the offensive, recruiting foot troopers to sentence the very concept of a nationwide protest, and threatening brimstone and hearth on protesters. Certainly, days earlier than the protest was supposed to begin, some teams who didn’t need the August 1st protests took to the streets with their placards, that’s protesting the protest that was but to happen! What an absurdity?
The protest took off. Come up TV gave us an enormous goal peep into the actions of protesters. Most states within the federation preached in opposition to the protest. In fact, they had been defending their infrastructure. They didn’t essentially help the regime of starvation and hardship which the President unleashed on the nation as quickly as he took over. However everybody is aware of the implication of a breakdown of regulation and order in any setting.
The President’s failure or refusal to deal with the nation earlier than the protests is a minus. Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is a veteran of many battles. He has led protests, sponsored some and had established his credentials as a democrat. However in dealing with the ANTI-SARS and Unhealthy Governance protests, he didn’t acquit himself as a democrat. What has occurred to the activist? Has he been caged by safety forces and the henchmen who parade the corridors of energy?
Protests are part of democracy. Certainly, the actual fact that individuals can protest is an ingredient of democracy. The protesters is probably not proper. However they’ve the appropriate to be fallacious. Typically people who find themselves in energy get disconnected from the folks they lead or rule over. It’s a weak point in human nature. A protest is a means of jolting the powers-that-be into actuality. It’s true that always protests result in violent actions. Some individuals see protests as a chance to interrupt all the foundations of the land. They burn. They loot. They steal. They kill. But, this doesn’t give the state the appropriate to ban protests. Good governance minimizes protests.
President Tinubu ought to handle the nation. He missed the chance to stop the protest when he refused to barter with its leaders. He has unilaterally made some concessions by approving the brand new minimal wage with such pace as was by no means recorded earlier than in our historical past. There may be the naira concession to Dangote Refinery which if correctly managed might convey down power prices. However he should deal with inflation. He should do one thing concerning the worth of the naira in relation to foreign exchange. He should step in vigorously into farmer-herder conflicts within the nation which have affected manufacturing of meals crops. The almighty rice have to be taken on frontally now. Elevated home manufacturing of rice has not introduced down the worth of rice. He ought to goal garri manufacturing and its prices. Tinubu is a incredible negotiator who can negotiate with the satan and get a reprieve or a bonus. He ought to do identical with those that maintain the levers of rice, wheat, and garri manufacturing and distribution.
There may be an excessive amount of anger within the land. It’s fueled by lack of entry to meals. Meals! Meals! That individuals are hungry and offended isn’t any information. Not even obsequious aides can cover this from the president. Starvation now wears a coat, adorns it with agbada and babaringa and parades spherical houses within the nation. The power behind efforts to thwart the protests ought to have been directed into assembly the calls for of the protesters. As a democrat, Tinubu ought to facet with the folks, the folks he had led to the trenches when he was on the opposite facet. Let it not be stated that he fought the system solely as a result of he wished to inherit energy. That may be a tragedy. Issues ought to vary, Mr. President, Sir!
