The protest we must all support

Nigeria has experienced several dozens of protests since the Aba Women Riot of 1922. The first in her 60 years of independence was the ‘wetie’ violent protests that gave birth to the ‘wild wild west’ euphemism in the Western region. The longest of Nigeria’s cocktails of protests was the one that broke out after the criminal annulment of the June 12, 1993, election which was overwhelmingly won by Chief M.K.O. Abiola. The pain of that series of protests lasted for three months and the cost of government’s high-handedness and headiness in respect of the demands of the protesters will never be quantifiable till the end of time.

The most recent of Nigeria’s catalog of protests is the #EndSARS protests. Its sweet and sour memories will remain fresh in the minds of Nigerians for years to come. The needless loss of lives and the wanton destruction of properties in the wake of the Black Tuesday of that protest will forever remain a dent in the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari whose security strategists employed unsavory tactics to break the will of the protesters. Each of the numerous protests in the annals of Nigeria’s history was triggered by the age-long principle of cause and effect, but none of them has ever delivered the genuine expectations of the protesters or help to inspire better leadership across the nation.

I have never been a fan of protests in Nigeria. My stand against protests is not because I see protests as powerless or unnecessary in the pursuits of the people’s quest for better leadership and governance. I am not a fan of protests because I am convinced that Nigerian leaders are too obsessed with power and are terribly empty of the milk of kindness that enables leaders to feel the pulse of protesters. Wherever leaders are power-drunk and are ready to go to any length to preserve their offices above their names or legacies, protests are always born to fail.

There is however an unavoidable exception to my ‘find a better alternative to protests rule’. That vital exception has irrefutably proven to me that if Nigeria will ever be rescued from her fast trip towards collapse, there is an all-important protest we must individually and jointly agree to launch as a people.

This crucial protest is more difficult than any protest that has been embarked upon in Nigeria before. I found myself swayed in favour of this protest because it is totally different from the normal protests we are used to even though it is much more difficult in context and applications. But difficult as it is, it doesn’t require the protesters to file out on the streets and in the sun or rain to put their requests across. It doesn’t require them to wait on any President, National Assembly, governor, the army or the police for approval to launch.

Like all other protests, this protest has a purpose. The purpose is to bring real change to our lives and to our hemorrhaging country.

Like all other protests, there is an authority we are protesting against. The motif is equally to stir up positive responses and actions that will lead to the attainment of desired objectives. But unlike all other protests, the protester and the evils they are protesting against are both one and the same in every material particular.

What is this uncommon protest, you must be wondering? This powerful protest we must embark upon urgently is against the two demons bedeviling us as a people in Nigeria – the demons of indiscipline and impunity. These demons are king in Nigeria. They live, rule, reign amongst and within us. They are very influential in our lives as people. From the people on the thrones to the boys and girls on the roads, their command and control are incontrovertible.

Indiscipline is a lack of regard for discipline or control. It is a total abhorrence of respect for rules, law and order.

Impunity is the assurance that no repercussions, penalty or punishment will follow wrong actions or deeds done. Indiscipline and impunity are the joint undertakers of the destinies of failing and flailing nations. They are the burial grounds of greatness. They are the highways to individual and class ignominy.

The demons of indiscipline and impunity produced the SARS that the Nigerian youths have been speaking out against since 2017. They govern the powers that established the SARS ideology and the leaders who consistently discountenanced the cry of the masses on the horrors of the SARS’ officers and men. The leaders who unleashed the army on peaceful protesters as well as the hoodlums that took over the #EndSars protests looted public and private stores and warehouses and burnt down national assets were all directed by them. The demons of indiscipline and impunity have been the governors over most of the leaders who led Nigeria to this precarious and shameful place we are in now as a nation despite the promise of greatness that Nigeria has been professing for 60 wasted years. An X-ray of the stewardship of these leaders exposes clearly the tracks of greatness truncated by the bulldozers of indiscipline and impunity.

Many Nigerians know the character and traits of these demons but they love to live in denial of their influence over them. But the harder we try, the more the demons take deeper roots in homes, families, organizations, communities, societies and our country at large.

Indiscipline and impunity are at the root of the majority of our problems as people. From refusing to obey traffic rules and traffic lights to all forms of cutting corners to gain an advantage over others, the demons guide our actions. From preferring to open opportunities to only people of our faith, tribe, and tongue, greasing palms to gain favour or escape retribution, to flagrantly denying others of their rights because we feel their destinies are under our whims, these demons govern our character and behaviour. Impunity and indiscipline are the reasons for lack of excellence in any aspect of the Nigerian life. They are the brains behind infrastructure budgeted for but not built at all or built way below the agreed quality. They are the reasons for the inefficient civil service driving corruption astronomically in Nigeria. They are the ones that blinded our political and bureaucracy leaders from seeing the possible greatness Nigeria can achieve and committing totally to it.

Nigeria is reputed to be a nation of religious people. But the spirits of indiscipline and impunity do not have any regard for our claim to be religious. When we go to Mecca and Jerusalem in our many annual pilgrimages, the demons follow us to laugh at us knowing fully well that we lack the courage to divorce them and live lawfully, orderly and truly godly life.

They are not bothered whether we go to our churches and mosques every day and pray a dozen times each hour. They know in them we live and move and have our existence as a people. They are the ones who strengthen our hands to kill and shed the blood of our fellow citizens without any modicum of compassion. They are the power behind our fight against common sense and reasoning in all our deeds. They are the inspiration behind the banditry, terrorism, armed robberies and pen robberies in our land and high offices. They are the ones who harden the hearts of kidnappers across our land as well as deaden the emotions of the kingpins that are the power behind their blood business.

The activities of the demons of indiscipline and impunity in our lives and societies are not difficult to discover. From the international airport, they rudely welcome every visitor into our country with their manifestations in our performances. The gatekeepers at every entry point into our country reveal these demons to visitors in their acts and deeds. The public, private and commercial drivers on our roads no matter their level of education or experience confirm their dominance in their behaviour. Our government offices and officials expose the grip of these demons over them through their lack of professionalism and sense of duty in their conducts. These demons roam freely in the lodge of our governors and the villas of our presidents and is never afraid to bear its fangs on anyone in sight. The tribalism and nepotism that has destroyed the administration of the Federal Character policy in governmental affairs is a product of indiscipline and impunity.

The demons of indiscipline and impunity are the engine and accelerator of corruption in Nigeria. They are the cause of greed, avarice, malpractices and the culture of mediocrity ravaging us as a people. If we do not show the requisite concern, interest and passion to dethrone the reign of indiscipline and impunity in Nigeria, they will both sulk life out of the country in no time through their offsprings and siblings. And if and when they do, we will all suffer the consequences of sitting on the fence.

Who shall separate us from indiscipline and impunity in Nigeria? Only 2 (two) people can perform the miracle or magic. These two people hold the key to Nigeria’s survival. Who are these two powerful people? I call them the saviour of Nigeria and I am sure you are eager to know and meet them. The good news is that you have met both of them before without taking notice of their awesome potentials to be the change we need. These amazing twins who are the long-awaited messiahs of our national deliverance are ‘You &  Me’. Yes! You & Me. Only You & Me can pluck Nigeria from the grip of indiscipline and impunity. If you would consciously resolve to deliver yourself from the demons of indiscipline and impunity in the interest of our country and her generations unborn. If I also simultaneously and consciously resolve to deliver myself from these demons, then we can jointly start to build a truly great nation.

We have lost so many grounds to these demons already to the point that we can’t afford to delay anymore. The best time for You and Me to make our resolve to kill indiscipline and impunity in our lives and nation is now. To fuel our protests to success, you and I must shun every form of indiscipline and impunity consciously, courageously, sincerely and permanently. We must understand that waging this protest individually is not going to give us the desired outcome and victory. Each one must tell someone close to them about these demons and open their eyes to how important they are in achieving the set out objectives. You must tell someone dear to you about the mission.

You must encourage them to tell everyone who is precious to them that Nigeria’s victory over the greatest enemies of our nation (the demons of indiscipline and impunity) is You & Me. Let the protest begin now! You don’t have to be afraid of the police, army or DSS because these demons also hurt them as it hurts you. They know it even though they will not easily admit. You don’t have to be afraid of the Presidency and the National Assembly because they know they are also in danger on the long run because the demons also dwell amongst their ranks. Boldly we must all march out, indiscipline and impunity to stamp out of our dear own native land.  We can conquer these demons if we try. We can exorcise them out of our beings if we are determined and united in our protests. God will not move until we are ready.

Olanrewaju Osho is a development advocate, change architect, UN road safety advocate, author and international relations expert. He was a senatorial candidate for FCT in the 2019 elections on the platform of ANRP. He is also a member of the New Nigeria Project.