Crime
Why Buhari, Adamu, Dangote, Emefiele, 3 Governors and others are unable to tame #EndSars protest
By Ediale Kingsley
Slow In Action:
While the presidency, in a released statement, indicates the government’s readiness to activate the demands of the #ENDSARS protesters. The reality on the streets and online does show that the current trend of youthful protesters may not end anytime soon.
Although the IG of police, Adamu and the presidency may have delayed in adhering to the demands of millions of Nigerian youths who started a nation wide protest on Thursday 8th of October. They have since given ear to the plight of the protesters which include total abolishment of the use of force against protesters and the unconditional release of arrested citizens.
A statement by presidential spokesperson Femi Adesina on Tuesday clearly shows that the Government has bowed to pressure. Still, the Nigerian protesters would still take to the streets either for distrust for the Government or simply to stamp their enough-is-enough frustrations. And they do this in a new organised network that rebels against any single person that dares to front as a leader.
Different Leadership:
While Revolution Now convener and activist, Omoyele Sowore, is head and legs in the #EndSars protest. He is constantly reminded that this is not about him. A reality he has also bought.
In an Instagram Live Chat with musician cum blogger, Tunde Ednut, the former presidential aspirant explained that the protest is a movement that has no leader.
He explained that Naira Marley and Davido who attempted to front as leaders got embarrassed by their clout-chasing goofs that has exposed their incapacity.
Names like Dipo Awojide (Ogbeni Dipo), Adebola Williams, Bizzle Osikoya and others have been fingered for attempts to hijack leadership.
Information mogul, Adetutu Balogun said, “You can continue to lie to yourself, but the fact remains that @segalink is the ONLY convener of #EndSars. Where were you; when he started the movement? When he bailed out detainees? When he got lawyers to represent detainees? When he got money extorted from people back?”
Segalinks, himself, had this to say, “The attempt to hijack the #EndSARS #ReformPoliceNG Movement by known elements who were against it from day one and had to be a part now for fame & earnings is not surprising. They felt they can demonize me & take ownership by force. But they’ll fail again as always”.
@thebardogbarmola thinks the protesters are now getting getting carried away with heroics and quick fame and ignoring that fact that #EndSARS is a cause.
He believes that the movement is toeing the path of #BLM, “and whether we want to believe it or not, BLM losts it’s relevance after some time. Systemic issues are best handled with strategic. Shutting @segalink down is dangerous. The new heroes in town now, where were they 3 years ago when Sega started?”
“This #SarsMustGoNow #SARSMUSTENDNOW might just lose it’s relevance if we fail to think strategically. Protests are not always the solutions to anything, it is a means to an end. Why must we lose our heads and turn it to an end in itself? Learn from #ArabSpring learn from #BBOG #ArabSpring was a successful protest movement but how are the people faring today? It lost global relevance because it lacked strategy other than protest. What about #BBOG ? Has all the girls been found? Who is still talking about them? Let’s not do same to #SarsMustGoNow”
“The #EndSARS #ReformPoliceNG movement is not a tool against any group or individual. It wasn’t designed as a political weapon to demonize institutions or persons. We also are not in the habit of raising funds in the shadows. This was why they started with the attacks”.
Adebola Williams of Red Media said, “many have said the current protests is leaderless, not true. It has full leadership called anger and resolve to see clear action towards change. People want to not just be heard but action and government must take this opportunity to embrace a generation honestly yearning.”
The issue of leadership has made it difficult to halt the protests that is becoming unstoppable. The people’s gazzette tweeted that, “Last night, some #EndSARS protesters met with Emefiele, Dangote, three governors and businessmen. Adebola Williams acquiesced that protests should end. But Yesufu and Abudu insisted Nigerians will not back down until all outstanding issues around police brutality are resolved”.
Although Aisha Yusufu refuted the claim saying that, “dear Nigerian Youth, you have done it! The government is afraid. The business people who are unconcerned are also afraid. Dont allow them pitch you against each other. I repeat Adebola Williams insisted protest must go on until government do the needfull”.
Blogger and author, Japhet Omojuwa, also asked Samuel Ogundipe the brain behind the People’s Gazzette to unpublish the news againsg Adebola Williams since other parties involved spoke clearly that it wasn’t the case. The publisher refused. “People at the meeting have repeatedly told you Adebola Williams never called for an end to the protests but you have refused to delete this fake news. If you have an axe to grind with Debola, do it man to man, don’t hide behind this wuru wuru People’s Dem Gazette” stated Omojuwa.
But M. M Obono, name behind Tap Initiative says,
“I spoke with two people at this meeting who said Debola wanted protests suspended. That aside, I am surprised he is threatening to sue and using friends to bully a platform that exposed their pally with billionaires. As a lawyer, I tell you he has no case against @GazetteNGR”
Adebola Williams is the CEO of RED, a Nigerian media and PR company that encompasses Red Media Africa, StateCraft Inc, The Future Awards Africa and YNaija.com. Through StateCraft he packaged and organised the PR around Mohammadu Buhari in the 2015 General Elections. And as such it was not tough to understand why some people also doubted allegiance to this course.
@DiamondAddict twitted, “Adebola Williams is the notorious PR king who helped packed Buhari in 2014. He was solely in charge for all those satchet milo pic of Buhari that went viral and swayed most people. This is not good at all”.
Some few other notable tweets were;
“He is the one that packaged change agenda in 2015.. Debola Williams of Red Media”.
‘Why is Adebola Williams in any meeting or conference call with anybody? What is Adebola? He will throw you under the bus for money and white kaftan”
But Dr Dipo Awojide who was part of the conference said, “I swear by God, Adebola Williams was 100% on the side of young Nigerians. Everyone that attended the meeting can attest. He never sided with the Governors and business leaders. I don’t know where this news of him calling for protest to end is coming from.”
Governors Are Bowing to Pressure:
Whatever the real situation turns out to be. One thing is clear, that the protest is becoming larger than the notable names in the spotlight.
And this is causing the Government of the day a sleepless night. No one seem.able to tame the protests. Not even the most powerful Governors could attempt halting it in the states. All attempt failed woefully.
After a failed attempt to ignore the Lagos protest. The Governor sets up N200m compensation fund for victims of police brutality. And after a brief march-protest with the youths he picked up a letter from the youths and took a flight to Abuja. To deliver to the president. The Lagos State number one citizen has managed to do all the protesters bidding with quite some stange humility.
Forinstance, while he was addressing the Lagos protesters, the crowd interrupted his speech and started blasting Davido’s new song, FEM. A notorious song that tells haters to shut up and stop talking. One would have thought that was too hash on the Governor but he even endured more humiliation from the crowd of angry protesters.
Omojuwa summary puts it in a better capsule, “I am generally indifferent about Sanwo-Olu’s admiration so far. And then he was nowhere to be found when the protests started but he has since made a great rebound. Got pushed, had water splashed on him but stayed cool and is obviously on board with #PoliceReforms.”
Another Governor that just had to bow to the power of the people was Nyesom Wike. Who at the eve of the planned protest in his state had outrightly placed a ban on #EndSars protests in Rivers but the youths came all out against his order. He ended up joining the protest.
Social Power:
As Twitter Nigeria users push the online protest from #EndSars to #SarsMustEnd, it is expected for more slogans to be generated around different hashtags. Given that Twitter doesn’t allow a single Hash Tag to dominate the number one spot for more than 24 hours.
Twitter prefers trends to last for a day or two at a maximum, and trends that go on for too long are no longer spikes in traffic, they’re a new baseline. There are hashtags that trend with 5,000 tweets in a day, while other tags are getting 50,000 per day every day and don’t trend. #EndSars started with over 60,000 in the first day.
Funding Meets Frustration:
The protest is becoming really enjoyable. What started as a way of protesting the youths frustrations has become a social past time for a lot of youths. And support has been coming from all quarters.
Funding, donations, and other welfare supports is available. The Feminist Coalition has raised over N25m as at Monday morning and disbursed over N8m for hospital bills, food and water supplies.
Protesters now enjoy financial and welfare support from @feminist_co. Volunteers are now recruiting @EndSarsResponse. And for legal support there are standby lawyers available to bail arrested protesters when they access with #EndSarsLegal. In the same vain, protesters are accessing medical support via #EndSarsHealth. There’s been available ambulances helping injured victims where ever the help is needed. Free dispatch support is also in the package from @funmioyatogun.
Resource support is being provided by @chefobubu. And even mental health support is available at @EmotionsCity and @MentallyAwareNG
In the center of these all is Burna Boy’s Protectng2020. Who has been providing money for internet data as well as supporting medical and other welfare bills.
And with all these it appears that Burna Boy is finally forgiven for this initial delay to jump on the protest. But after his reasons for the delay many just couldn’t fault his actions anymore. “I was Dealing with a Personal Family issue at the Beginning of these Protests . My mum Had Serious Surgery last week! We were all invested in making sure she recovers! i am not about that “put it all out on social media” life.We decided the focus must solely be on this protest” he tweeted.
He also tweeted that, “everyone that needs data to stay online please reach out to @protectng2020…”
Food and drinks are now constantly being dispatched to protest spots. See the pictures below to have a taste of what protesters have been enjoying: