The ongoing #ENDSARS protest has further exposed the letdowns of the governing All Progressives Congress, APC. It has shown that the APC is nothing near a progressive party. If not for anything, at least, the entire world and the United Nations have seen how a self-acclaimed progressive party’s president has handled the anger of its younger generation, rocking the country, for the past three weeks.
It’s even worse that those, who have spoken so far, about the protest, did not appreciate its consequences on the nation. They had thought it was something they could ignore. They had not expected the protesters to stay out for days. But this time, the uproar has defied all odds, and it’s fast turning into a national crisis.
While the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the Speaker of the House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila are showing some traces of understanding, making frantic efforts to pacify the protesters, some fools in the corridors of power are urging the president to deploy soldiers on the streets to quell the protest. Others, including the world famous "lie-lie piece" of the government, have described the protesters, as anarchists. This isn’t surprising to many Nigerians, because these same individuals were the ones, who told the president there was no cause for alarm when the Covid-19 pandemic was ravaging Europe until it became a major national crisis in Nigeria.
Truth to be, the #EndSARS protesters are not interested in Osinbajo or Gbajabiamila’s appeal or open letter. The only person they want to hear from is the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. He’s the one who has called out the Nigerian youth. He’s the one who has taken their calmness for granted. He’s the man, who has over the years angered them. He’s the first Nigerian president, who has ever tagged an average Nigerian youth "lazy", in spite of the age long dispossession.He’s the only Nigerian president, who has openly accepted that Nigerians are "419ers" and "Yahoo Boyz". Take or leave it, it’s these insults and the unimaginable forms of socio-economic oppressions as well as vain exhibition of extravagancies by those in government that these young Nigerians are protesting against today.
Even if it’s so, I believe meeting the demands of these protesters should not be a problem for a true and sincere progressive government. In other countries, rather than see such #EndSARS protest as anti- Government, true progressive leaders see it as a good opportunity to carry out their progressive and developmental agenda over the resistance of corrupt reactionary leaders. Such issues based protests are usually an opportunity for the progressives to push their agenda on the basis of the people’s demands and agitations.
For me, embracing and identifying with the #EndSARS protest would have been the smartest move by the Buhari led government. Because it’s only by so doing that it could sufficiently engage the protesters and then, through its solidarity draw-up an all-inclusive stakeholders’ dialogue that would consist of a carefully selected representatives of the #EndSARSprotesters, the President, his Vice, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Reps, Speakers and Majority Leaders of all State Assemblies for negotiation. Truth be told, whether the Buhari government likes it or not, the #EndSARS protest is the biggest national issue and or crisis in the country right now, and the earlier it's resolved the better and peaceful the country would be.
I believe this government does not have anything to lose by identifying with the plights of these young Nigerians. Rather, it has so much to gain if truly it’s a progressive. Imagine if the president had invited the #EndSARS protesters to the Presidential Villa and had sat with them along with other top government officials to listen to their demands like a thoughtful father would have done. This singular act of common sense and intuition would have not only stabilized the country, it would have also given these young Nigerians a sense of belonging in their father’s land. After all, an adage says a father who tries to evict his son from the house, risks expulsion himself.
Frankly who says the president cannot carry plaque in solidarity with the #EndSARS protesters. I think there’s nothing wrong if a truly progressive president carries plaque to show that he feels the plight of the people, and then use their demands as a yardstick to push and bring about the much desired developmental reforms and “Change” in the country. After all, they say every true progressive sees governance from the perspective of the people.
I must say the APC has again missed another opportunity to secure 2023 with the #EndSARSprotest. And sadly so, this is the second time the APC government is forfeiting such golden opportunity in the last one year. First, it was the Covid-19 lockdown palliatives. In an effort to cushion the effect of the pandemic, over ₦25billion was reportedly donated by well-meaning Nigerians to provide palliatives for the people. Rather than ensuring that every Nigerian benefitted from the donation, the Buhari-led government came up with a ₦20,000 conditional cash transfer, excluding any Nigerian who has more than ₦5,000 in his/her bank accounts as well as anyone, who could afford ₦100 naira recharge card on his/her phone. For me, this is far from a progressive manner of thinking. In fact, I described it as being penny wise, pound foolish. Because common sense tells us that targeting all and sundry with this donation would have been more profiting to the people and the country even if it was just ₦5,000 per head. The other smart move any reformist government would have done was to add ₦15,000 balance to the accounts of those who have over ₦5,000 naira in their accounts to ensure every Nigerian benefitted
from the palliatives. This, if not for anything, at least, tells a lot about the crops of people, who are claiming to be progressive, today.
The #EndSARS protest may be many things to many people; but to me, it’s a clear signal to the entire world that Nigerian youths are not cowards, after all. Soro Soke!
Georges Macnobleson-Idowu is a professional journalist and a result driven media content analyst. He writes from Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.
