EndSARS protest The Various Dimensions of the New Wave II
Cultural Revolution: All Hands on Deck
I have gone out to protest on different occasions and I have seen different kinds of people at the protest grounds. In one of the marches in Ibadan, one of the issues raised was the attempted hijack of the protest by the RevolutionNow comrades whose leader is former presidential aspirant, Omoyele Sowore. At the protest, there were members of this group with berets on and consistently alluding to the idea of revolution. In the past week, one of the problems of this particular protest is that it is losing its real definition. Therefore, it became possible for different people to hijack the protest for their own personal agenda. In the case of the RevolutionNow group, their agitations align with the End SARS agitation only on the front that a drastic change of the Nigerian system may bring about an end to police brutality. On that note, they can lend their voice and agree that they share similar interests. However, the main objective of #EndSARS is to put an end to police brutality, bribery and corruption in the police ranks. Any other thing becomes a derailment from the main goal. In addendum, the rejection of Sowore and his comrades at different protest grounds is situated on the lack of faith. People do not see him as an activist but a politician who is ready to use this protest for his personal ambition. There is a long history of this in Nigeria and people are not ready to make the same mistake. Consequently, if Sowore is genuinely and maybe altruistically interested in a better Nigeria, he can set aside his “revolution now” and get in line with millions of Nigerian youth that are protesting. When the time comes to elect, the choice is then left to the people to evaluate you and other contestants then make their decisions.
Similarly to this is the recent unraveling of Segun Awosanya (Segalink). He is the acclaimed founder of the endSARS movement. I do not want to play the politics of who found what, but it is evident that he has contributed to the fight against police brutality and extortion in the past three years. His efforts cannot be easily dismissed. At many times when the lives of many Nigerian youth are in danger, he was the messiah. Just like prophets and messiahs, there is always the tendency to become self-serving, completely self-absorbed in your majesty, the intoxication of always wanting to wield your magic wand is also a psychological problem. Awosanya became so interested in making sure that he is the face of the EndSARS struggle. To what end? Only God knows. One would think that as a sole rescuer of Nigerian youths from the claws of SARS and police in general, he would be happy that there are now new disciples that are going into the world and carrying on with his fight. Moses led Egyptians out of Israel but Joshua took them to the promised land. In knowledge of what is to happen, Moses anointed and blessed Joshua. With this biblical reference, one expected Awosanya to bless different voices of the new wave. Sadly, he has attacked fighters and warriors of this protest at every given time. In many cases, his attacks are targeted at discrediting the efforts of new soldiers. He has continuously labeled them insurgents causing unrest. The several attacks and labeling has set off a lot of attacks on protesters. It begins to become clearer why the youths consistently say aloud that this protest has no leader. That is, we are all leaders in this struggle.
What this generation cannot be accused of going forward is that we lack organization and focus. On the first day of the protest, many protesters slept in front of Lagos State Secretariat. The following morning, Feyikemi Abudu asked that people raise fifty thousand Naira to feed the heroes that risked their lives overnight. The donation exceeded the set target. Then the case of Joy Eze who was hit by a stray bullet shot by a police officer escalated the donation. It in fact escalated the protest because it angered people that they are protesting police brutality, yet they are being brutalized. The donations skyrocketed and people trooped out in thousands in different states across the nation. Impressively, the donations became accounted for and allocated for the needs of protesters. The money raised went into medical bills, compensating families of the victims of police brutality, feeding at the protest locations, legal aid and many more. Yes, there may be no leaders but coordinators of logistics at the protest grounds have demonstrated what our politicians have always lacked; discipline, accountability, competence and efficiency. This alone shows that it is erroneous to think that things cannot work in Nigeria. If we want it to work, we put things in the hands of the right people. This protest and the way it is being run shows that there is a paradigm shift in attitudes.
Reiterating the topic of attitudes, it is pertinent to state that I see the endSARS as a cultural revolution across board than a political revolution. I have always argued amongst friends that if we want to see real change, the place to start is not physical but mental. We have to reshape orientations, the way we rationalize issues and do away with our presuppositions. There are presuppositions that we have inherited that have divided us across ethno-tribal, ethno-religious lines and social class. In the new Nigeria we want to build, we must do away with such biases and adhere to the absolute spirit even in our differences. Again, all the aforementioned have been well displayed in the protest. The failures of the Nigerian government have found a way to unite us. Sadly, there are still some youths that are being used as instruments of destruction and commotion. However, they will not be left behind. They will educate and participate in the new formation that is at hand.
There is a paradoxical metaphor of compassion and unfeeling, unity and division at the protest grounds. The examples are in hundreds. On protest grounds, people look out for one another. The best way to avoid attack from state sponsored hoodlums is to stick together. Protesters are aware of this and they use it to their best advantage. Similarly, people pay for damages made to the properties of other protesters. One heartwarming instance is the case of a lady who lost a leg to police violence yet came to protest. The picture was shared on twitter and a funding for a prosthetic leg was opened with the target at three hundred thousand Naira. By the next twenty-four hours, the sum raised was four million Naira or thereabout. It is truly impressive. There are reports of phones that were lost and returned to their owners. There are also reports of stolen phones too. The height of the division for me would be how members of the LGBTQ community were discriminated against at the Abuja protest. In an article I wrote, I argued that “as we all trend black lives matter and ask for racial justice and equality, we should know that equality is not partial. You cannot be an advocate of racial equality and stand against LGBTQ. It is antithetical of the word “equality” In this case, the fight against police brutality is inclusive. It should not be mistaken as LGBTQ members trying to hijack the protest. However, if all Nigerian lives matter then their lives matter too.
To corroborate the foregoing, we all need to come together to put an end to this menace. All voices are needed and all hands are needed. It is important to also document this moment. The intellectual community cannot continue to sit back hugging their rigid theoretical abstractions. We have to find a way at this moment to connect the gown with the town. Writers should write, poets should chants of our agonies, dramatists should draft satires that will last ages.
EndSARS as a Catalyst
Truly, the need to define what EndSARS is about cannot be given a back seat. No. It is important that we define it. By defining it, it becomes near impossible for miscreants, unscrupulous elements and fraudsters to hijack the purpose of the protest. The aim of the protest is to eradicate police brutality, extortion, unlawful arrest and detention.
Notwithstanding, it will be a Trojan horse to believe that all EndSARS protesters are motivated by just the need to end police brutality. Yes, they want police brutality to stop but the demonstrations and protests are a result of culminated anger. For so long, Nigerians have tolerated the excesses of our government and the political elites. They have tolerated corruption, embezzlement, tyranny, nepotism, tribalism and other clogs in the wheels of the development of Nigeria. EndSARS is that point where people turn back and say “enough is enough”. There is a breaking point and I think as people, we are at that point. An elderly passerby at the protest cheered the youths to carry on with this fight and also painfully cites the lack of employment for her children as one of the reasons the youths are angry. Truthfully so. The country is in an economic mess, politically controlled by the least qualified. Yet, the politicians feed fat while the citizens languish in poverty. They live in mansions and drive exotic cars while the people they serve can barely have a meal a day. Nigerian senators receive a hardship allowance of over two million Naira, while the people who are facing real hardship have no penny for succor. There is a limit to which people can take this. Gladly, we have not inherited the silence of parents. It is our time to make demands and strive for the kind of country we want.
In the end, I am very sure that history will be kind to this generation as the generation who stood up for justice. A generation that stood up against despotic reign. When the protest for our right to live is won, then we will proceed to the quality by which we will live. This is a foundation upon which the restructuring of this country will be built. This generation will be remembered as the generation that fought against impunity and took their destinies into their hands.