Keeping Sowore in detention for more than 48 hours is lawlessness

I do not know why any right thinking Nigerian will want to either get shot or be imprisoned for the poor and oppressed Nigerians. I opine that if anyone is tired of anemic, anodyne and lackluster leadership in our clime, it is better for him or her to relocate to saner climes, where people are being appropriately valued—than to be shot by trigger happy men—those who are being paid to protect him. Right from the days of “Pen Atalata,” politicians have been using our police men and soldiers, and it is likely going to continue till we all exhaust out stay on earth.

Nigh on every Nigerian loves their oppressors, but hates their saviors. I have only protested since I left campus many years ago and will never do it again, except there is a departure from the norm of hypocrisy, ethnicity and lethargy. Why did I join them to march in those days? I did join them to march because I saw that a few self-seeking folks were trying to hold the whole nation to ransom and did not want Dr. Goodluck Ebele to occupy the space created as an effect of the death of the best president to have led Nigeria, late Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua. What I saw that day made me change my mind never to march again as long as I live in Nigeria. I will come back to this issue in the days to come.

We agitated for GEJ to get to power, thinking that we all love Nigeria; I did not know that people do have different agendas and plans for doing what they do. When Goodluck got to power, they lampooned him for being “weak” and for wanting to set Nigeria ablaze. I thought they were abusing him because they love Nigeria, but I never knew they were only trying to unseat him, so they could install their own man in power. Now, their candidate has done shoddier things, but they are still as early morning water. What made them screamed as a day-old-baby then now sends them to bed snoring! They have been trying to explain away everything that has been happening on the watch of Baba. This is why it is almost unfeasible and unattainable to have good role-models in our clime.

Nigeria is not going to truly move forward until we start esteeming the values of justice and equality. What Northerners would do and say, and nothing would happen, if people from other tribes say and do it, those who are being paid to protect our people would descend on them and sweep them from the streets like dirt. Some Northern youths came on air to threaten the Federal Government if “Ruga” is not implemented and till today, not one of them has been incarcerated. Please, do not misconstrue me. I do not believe in any “RevolutionNow.” No revolution can take place in Nigeria in the next fifty (50) years! Nigerians are too lethargic and divided to start any move, let alone sustain it for a day. I am only passionate about justice and equality. We need a president who has — strength of character — to love all of us equally. For now, Baba is clearly sectional.

In 2011, Baba praised the Egyptian military for refusing to attack “the forces of change.” He said and I quote through his spokesman: “the military in Egypt showed exemplary conduct with the way they refused to attack the forces of change…” What Baba endorsed eight (8) years ago is now wrong. Egyptians clearly value their people more than we do. The way some Nigerians were manhandled yesterday says a lot about who we are as a people. When I saw on “Channels” how some young-men were dragged and pulled by some soldiers and policemen, tears welled up in my eyes. We cannot treat our people as animals, thinking that we are raising decent citizens. We are sitting on a time bomb in this nation.

If Baba does not know, he needs to be told that peaceful protests are an integral part of democracy and Nigerians do not need to take permission from anyone before embarking on them. In fact, people protesting against an administration does not mean that the administration in question is hated by them. What is pushing them to protest maybe patriotism and burning love for the only country they only can call theirs. Baba should not let belly-ache-people lie to him that everyone who protests against his administration hates him.

What happened yesterday was not violent at all. It was peaceful. And I expected our policemen and soldiers to protect those who came to protest and not manhandle them as we all saw yesterday. This is not how things are being done in developed countries.

As I begin to coast home, Omoyele Sowore was supposed to be taken to court either yesterday or today. He has now spent more than 48 hours in detention! This is contrary to what the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria says. As it is right now, both Baba and Sowore are lawless! Sowore spoke carelessly while Baba is acting against what our constitution says by keeping him in detention beyond 48 hours! For the umpteenth time, there can never be any revolution in Nigeria of today, because our people are religious, divided, sectional and docile!