Regrettably, what they promised would be a peaceful protest didn’t go peacefully in most parts of Nigeria at the end of the day. Only the eastern of the country enjoyed some relative peace. In most other states, government buildings were razed and private shops looted.
On the first day of the protest, we saw the good, the bad, and the ugly. In places like the ancient city of Kano, Jigawa state, Kaduna, Gombe, Katsina, and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, where there were pockets of incidents, people are already counting their losses. Many innocent business owners are gnashing their teeth at the loss of their hard-earned resources.
In a democracy, protests show people’s indignation against any unpopular policy of the government. At the same time, protesters also owe a duty to respect the rights of other innocent citizens who may wish to pursue their legitimate businesses. However, from our experience of protests, individual’s rights are often violated. In this case also, what should ordinarily be a legitimate means of holding the government accountable for its actions or inaction has suddenly turned awry.
In Kano State, for instance, reports have it that protesters set the gatehouse of the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC).ablaze. The hoodlums among them also looted furniture, rice bags, mattresses et cetera, belonging to some individuals. In a swift reaction to the looming disorder, however, the state government has declared a 24-hour curfew. The story is the same in Borno, Yobe, and Nasarawa states, among others.
In a way, the declaration of curfew is necessary, timely but it will unavoidably unleash chronic hunger on the majority of the people. By the nature of our economy, the majority of the populace makes a living out of a few Nara and kobo they can make daily from their petty trading. Until the curfew is lifted, the downtrodden at the lowest rung of the ladder will have to contend with more hardship staying at home without food. Sadly, nobody will be there to give them a handout.
Elsewhere, the gory incidents of violence recorded during the protest have left a sour taste in the mouths of relatives of the victims. In Abuja Kaduna, and Gombe, among others, there were incidents of unprovoked attacks on security personnel some of whom have been reportedly murdered and others seriously injured in the course of their duty to the nation.
Intelligence reports from the government and reputable organizations, including United Nations (UN) had warned that the protest would be hijacked by hoodlums. However, the organizers insisted that it must hold.
Now, let’s do a genuine and sincere introspection of the gains and losses of day one of the protest before it spills over. Those who lost their lives in the protest are now the collateral damages. At the end of the raging anger, their relatives will live with the wound for the rest part of their lives. Sad. Very sad, indeed.
On the flip side, hoodlums are the ultimate gainers of this crisis. While unfortunate traders and shop owners whose goods were carted away are there in the corners of their houses recounting their losses, these men of the underworld hiding under the guise of peaceful protests are hiding somewhere enjoying their illegal loots.
Those with pernicious minds can be happy as well that some government properties were also torched.
Ultimately, all of us as taxpayers will be the losers for it. When the dust settles, not a single member of the present government will use his or her money for the necessary repair works. Directly or indirectly, we will all pay for it.
I join other well-meaning Nigerians to plead for dialogue. Let’s join hands together and build a strong virile nation that will ensure greatest happiness for the greatest number of Nigerians.
Once again, I appeal to the youths to shun protest and embrace dialogue. They should give President Tinubu a chance to look into their demands. He has a listening ear. The socio-economic challenges the country is facing today are not his making. He inherited them from the previous administrations.
He is working very hard to change the narratives for the better and promote economic growth and development for Nigeria but he needs time to resolve them one after the other. It is not violent protest that will take us there, it is a collective effort and collaboration. Our past is but a story told, the future may be written in gold. This again, is my humble appeal.
Barrister Kayode Oladele, a human rights lawyer and former Lawmaker (Yewa North/Imeko-Afon Federal Constituency)
