OWOLOWO

Once Upon A Protest  A protest by its very nature is about challenging an existing order, status quo or constituted authority. In most cases, protests are aimed at addressing the abuse of power by those in authority, and tend to manifest as riots, a revolt or in extreme cases anarchy. Following the protests that rocked Nigeria in October, 2020, it is critical to analyse issues dispassionately, and possibly derive lessons for the future.   Historical Prism From an historical prism, the geographical location that was to be named Nigeria had its fair share of protests since the precolonial era. Taxation was one of the sources of revenue for the British colonial administration, and the diktat often created discordance with the mulcted residents. For example, the Aba Women’s Riot of 1929, was organised by women against what they perceived as the administrative excesses of Warrant Chiefs representing the British colonial administration. The movement was initiated by Nwanyeru...

The Problem Is Systemic Not Acronymic I read with incredulity the change of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) to Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT). Whilst the former name of the police unit was not lacking in originality, the latter is simply an imitation of SWAT in the US. Though the scientific analysis of Nigeria’s obsession with imitating things from foreign lands is a worthy discourse, it is not the crux of this piece. Rather than a name change, how about set up a panel of inquiry into the activities of SARS personnel and punish erring officers, and prevent their readmission. Essentially, changing the acronym of an organization does not solve the underlying systemic challenges that manifested the problem ab initio. This action is akin to utilizing a placebo to deal with the symptoms rather than the disease. Furthermore, the SARS issue is a microcosm of wider systemic issues that need to be addressed urgently. Following initial protests, undoubtedly, the response by the Preside...