Once Upon A Protest
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 Nwanyeruwa Oleka-Okpo.
The objectives were to sack the British instituted warrant chief system
and replace with indigenous clan heads, and the agitation for the political
inclusion of women in affairs of governance. A similar revolt was the Abeokuta
Women’s Revolt of the 1940’s. The movement was spearheaded by the Abeokuta
Women’s Union and (AWU), led by Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti. The objectives were to
challenge oppressive taxation and fight for the improvement of socioeconomic
and sociopolitical status of women.
The fight for Nigeria’s independence is a classic example of sustained
agitations against British colonial rule and the clamour for independence. From
the era of Herbert Macauley to the National Youth Movement, the nationalist
movement had the primary objective of attaining self-governance through
independence.
Post independence, Nigeria witnessed various protests under the military
era.
One of the prominent student protests occurred during the “Ali Must Go
Riots” of 1978, under the regime of Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo. The riots were
sparked off by a 50 kobo increase (N1.50 – N2.00) in the cost of student school
meals. Back when the National Union of Nigerian Students (NUNS) actually meant
something, student leader, Segun Okeowo, led other students in nationwide
protests. The primary objective was a reversion of the price increase of
subsidized school meals.
Another notable protest was the 1989 Anti-SAP Riots under Gen. Ibrahim
Babangida; which was against the Structural Adjustment Program (SAP)
of the Bretton Woods duo – World Bank and IMF (International Monetary Fund).
The resistance was spearheaded by students, and they were supported by
ex-students, unionists and various members of the general public.
Though the primary objective was to challenge the implementation of SAP
under the surreptitious repackaging as a viable homegrown alternative, the
widening socioeconomic chasm between the social classes was a major societal
issue. However, what really triggered the cataclysm was an alleged story about
the opulent lifestyles of Ibrahim Babangida and his wife, Maryam, in the May
1989 issue of the Ebony magazine.
The rumour spread like wildfire through handbills and word-of-mouth, and it was
nearly impossible to convince people that the story was untrue, and had been
vehemently denied by Ebony magazine.
The most significant of protests were the June 12 protests of 1993,
because it was the struggle that eventually ousted the military from power. The
protests were triggered when Ibrahim Babangida illegally annulled the June 12,
1993 presidential elections won by Chief M.K.O Abiola. Following the annulment
on June 23, 1993, the pressure from agitations was so much that Babangida had
to relinquish power on August 26, 1993. The same pressure was sustained by
pro-democracy groups during Abacha’s exceptionally despotic regime, where many
people were killed. The agitations continued until Abacha’s successor
Abdulsalami Abubakar became the man to bring down the curtain on many years of
military rule in 1999.
Contemporary
Manifestations
The EndSARS protest: a peaceful protest against police brutality
committed by the Nigerian police SARS (Special Anti-Robbery Squad) unit
captured national and international attention. The SARS unit that was
established in 1984 to
tackle robbery cases had morphed into a machinery of oppression by some bad
elements within the police. The flagrant abuse of power by some officers became
synonymous with crimes – underhand tactics, extortion and tragic loss of lives.
The government has tried to intervene with public proscriptions. Over the past
three years, there have been some announcements about dealing with SARS.
On December 4, 2017, the then Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim K.
Idris, ordered the “immediate reorganization” of SARS. On
August 14, 2018, the acting president at the time, Vice President Yemi
Osinbajo, ordered the “overhaul” of SARS. On January 21, 2019, the then Inspector General of Police,
Mohammed Adamu, ordered the “disbandment” of SARS. Sadly, none of the pronouncements
abated the loss of lives. Suspicions grew and it became one disbandment too
many.
As the 2020 #EndSARS protest kicked off, there were initial criticisms
about the tactics from certain quarters, as there were staunch defenders of the
process. Whilst some people saw it as anti government protests, others
questioned the efficacy of their adopted strategy. At some point, the
situation almost became a contention about the docility of previous generations
being responsible for Nigeria’s current miasmatic situation. Some among
the current crop of youth assumed the older generation saw a better Nigeria,
and the “Ali Must Go” generation in particular, had it so good, that they had
subsidized school meals in university. The younger generation had to be
reminded that previous generations battled military governments, and
highlighting some of their harrowing encounters.
Beyond the bickering, we must all appreciate, there were underlying
factors that led to the wanton destruction of public and private assets,
especially in Lagos.
There has been palpable frustration in the land and a deep resentment
towards the government about the state of affairs. The unemployment levels are
dangerously high, and the youth are as embittered and cheated as they are
mistreated and misguided. Verily, existing social injustices and economic
inequalities were exacerbated by the coronavirus lockdown. The reason why the
COVID palliatives were not swiftly distributed to disadvantaged households is a
topic for another day.
Without going into the nitty-gritty of the characteristic
maladministration that plagued the military era, since 1999, the dividends of
democracy has been primarily concentrated to a certain class and generally
elusive to the masses. Nigeria has created a system where the supposed peoples’
representatives have broken the social contract with their constituents. Some
of those charged with governance would struggle to manage one McDonald’s
eatery; yet, the system somehow rewards them with millions of dollars via
budgetary allocations on a monthly basis. Then every four years these political
opportunists throw crumbs at the people without proper accountability. The
combustibility of the polity was glaring.
A Speech In Time
I was, in all honesty, expecting President Muhammadu Buhari to formally
address the nation, though not at the time he eventually did on October 22,
2020.
I am assuming the president believed his October 11, 2020 speech on the
latest disbandment of SARS, the October 16, 2020 apology
by the Vice President, and the subsequent October 19, 2020
communiqué through a minister, and the right to peaceful protests, were sufficient. However, I
expected a presidential address to the nation by Sunday, October 18, 2020.
Agreed, the president has access to more security information, but, I really
dreaded the week that was to commence on Monday October 19, 2020; because the
protests were gearing into the third week. In hindsight, maybe if the
president’s address happened sooner, it could have assuaged the peaceful
protesters, rescued the situation and averted the degeneration that later
occurred. Who knows!
Furthermore, the inexactitude enshrouding the Lekki incident on Tuesday,
October 20, 2020, warranted some official clarification. Unfortunately, because
of the time that elapsed, those with an anti-government agenda – “Subversive elements” – were allowed
to hijack the narrative and dictate the sequence of events. Due to the
deterioration of the situation and the current level of bedlam, whatever move
the president makes at this juncture would still be criticised. Either way, he
would be damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t. As the saying goes, uneasy
lies the head that wears the crown. History has proven that the ruling elite
often misjudge the pulse of the nation and errors of judgement are sometimes
made. Between the points of truth and falsehood, lies many a conjecture.
Propaganda War –
Fake News
An attributed quote of Mark Twain states “It’s easier to fool people
than to convince them that they have been fooled”. Based on the chronicle of
events, the public have surely been hoodwinked, but by whom? Is it by one side
or both sides?
I have been researching what actually transpired at the Lekki toll gate
protest on the evening of Tuesday, October 20, 2020. After a few perturbing
days, constant trepidation and sleepless nights, there are more questions than
answers.
Were the soldiers actual personnel of the Nigerian Army? Are they rogue
soldiers? Who is their commanding officer? Who gave the order for them to
shoot? Did the soldiers shoot in the air or directly at protesters? Were live
or blank bullets used? There are so many questions needing urgent answers! The
army has denied claims
that soldiers shot at protesters and I later saw mitigating videos emerge of
soldiers engaging members of the public courteously. The Nigerian army must as
a matter of urgency thoroughly investigate what happened and make the findings
public.
Regardless, there seems to be unanimity that the actions of the ‘unknown
soldiers’ at the Lekki peaceful protest remain reprehensible, and this has been
rightly condemned by majority of people. Whether one person died or nobody
died, shootings should never occur at a peaceful protest. Nonetheless, it
behoves those who claim there were dead bodies at the scene to prove it.
Based on initial eyewitness accounts, soldiers opened fire on peaceful
protesters. Following this disheartening news, a flurry of coordinated videos
and pictures pervaded social media. There were some videos with people reciting
the national anthem and sounds of gunshots ringing out. Consequently,
terrifying words like “massacre” were bandied around and my disquietude became
heightened. Also, I received a video link and watched the scenes in real-time.
Naturally, I was expecting carnage and dead bodies littered across the venue,
but only saw a video of someone with some people scrambling to remove a bullet
from a victim’s leg.
A BBC report quoted Amnesty International; which stated 12 people were killed during the peaceful protests. In another BBC report I
watched live on the evening of Wednesday, October 21, 2020, a supposed
eyewitness claimed 30 people died. Immediately, I wondered how the witness
managed to count 30 victims whilst trying to be safe at the same time. I have
heard different figures (15 to 78) since the incident occurred, but no actual
evidence. There were pictures of a blood stained Nigerian flag, but it
turned to be a scene from a play. Some supposed victims have come out to debunk rumours of their
fabricated deaths on social media. The most ridiculous story I noticed on
social media was the resurrection of a supposed dead victim. I doubt Nollywood
would dare attempt such an incredulous narrative for a movie script. Also, I noticed,
as some of the fake news was being busted, some vile humans were actually
unhappy people did not die in multitudes. What happened to our humanity? In the
Nigerian parlance – “Fear God!” Stop spreading fake news.
As someone who is usually sceptical, anytime I receive information, I
scrutinize it, and will only send once I am convinced it is genuine. I have a
passionate abhorrence to falsehood, so I am naturally averse to spreading
misinformation – fake news. I am of the opinion that those who concoct lies
have serious psychological issues. Those who spread such information
unknowingly can be forgiven, but those who deliberately misinform are actually
deranged criminals.
I cannot overemphasize that if anyone is certain people died at the
Lekki protest on Tuesday October 20, 2020, the proper thing is to make the
evidence available. Also, there’s no need for concocted fallacies. A good story
will always sell itself and a genuine cause does not need any embellishments. The
truth always prevails.
I have seen the detrimental effects of mob action. Innocent people have
been lynched just because of one unverified claim. A mischievous person
shouting “thief” against an innocent person in public can lead to death.
Likewise, the internet and social media can be misused and abused in
accelerated fashion.
One person fabricating fake news online can lead to loss of lives. The
utilisation of fake news not only taints a good cause but dishonours the real
victims.
Based on the havoc that was unleashed in some parts of the country, it
is evident that the weaponization of misinformation is a threat to our peaceful
coexistence.
If fake news is allowed to fester unchecked, it can lead to a full-blown
civil war.
So I propose a collaborative effort between the ministry of information
and ministry of communications; to create a dedicated fact-checking service for
countering fake news, and further recommend the prosecution of perpetrators.
Hopefully, the revelation of the existence of CCTV cameras footage by the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the
outcome of the probe by the judicial panel into the Lekki incident, will put paid to
lingering conspiracy theories.
Protest Aftermath
and Lessons Learnt
“Do not confuse motion and progress. A rocking horse keeps moving but
does not make any progress.” - Alfred A. Montapert
When the protests were set in motion, I noticed movement but no actual
progress.
For any project to succeed, it must have leadership, a plan, set
objectives, a time frame and an exit criteria or exit strategy to signify
completion.
The acquiescence by the government to the police reform objective was
the cue that the battle had been won. The next step should have been the nomination
of representatives that would lead negotiations of other demands with the
government. Since there was nobody stepping up to the mantle of leadership,
infiltrators capitalised on the window of opportunity and the war was
lost.
Once there was a claim the protest did not have any leadership, lunatics
literally took over the asylum. The “Big Brother” generation literally
took over. Since the Big Brother show was over, the youth were no longer
distracted. I won't even go into the revelation that people managed over
900 million votes for a vacuous reality TV show. Unfortunately, the reality TV was
extended to the streets, in the form of entertainment, until a genuine cause
became a jamboree – a circus of some sort. With focus waning, it was only a
matter of time before it was hijacked.
Sadly, what started out as a peaceful protest against police brutality,
gradually degenerated into riots with anarchic potential. With such a
leadership vacuum, anything could happen. Unfortunately it did and now we are all
ruing the losses.
After all hell broke loose, some of the organizers of the protest have
been trying to exculpate themselves from the mayhem. Evidently, the damage
fake news does to a genuine cause is lasting. Once you are associated with
falsehood, then all your motives become questionable. Unbeknownst to the
protesters, they became pawns in a bigger plan; a pipe dream by subversives to
destabilize a democratically elected government. Just as people were cajoled
during the anti-SAP protests of 1989, people have also been deceived during the
EndSARS protests of 2020. In 1989, people were out on the streets shouting
“Ebony”, “Ebony”, “Ebony”, even though the alleged issue of Ebony magazine
was nonexistent. Despite the fictitious bit of news, it was still a good cause.
Comparably, in 2020, people are shouting – physically and digitally –
“Massacre”, “Massacre”, “Massacre”, without any concrete evidence. The
difference however is before the advent of technology and social media, it took
strenuous physical efforts to mobilize and rile up the populace. The advantage
the current generation have is digital mobilization, and protests can be
organized with just a few clicks on any mobile device.
Protests are an expressive avenue for the desideratum for change and
those in power are aware the youth can upset the apple-cart – challenge the
status quo.
As the president stated, the government has heard the youth “loud and clear”.
In conclusion, I do not want the EndSARS protest to be remembered as one
that rocked the nation, but the birth of a movement that led to actual change.
With the same energy and momentum, the youth should prepare for the 2023
elections. I condole with all the families of the victims who lost their lives.
May peace reign!
©M.B.O 2020
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