#EndSARS Protests Open Doors For Nigerians To Check Politicians’ Excesses

TAIWO ADELU

The month of October witnessed series of events that would forever be remembered in the history of Nigeria. This was a period that saw a nationwide protest that shook the brim of the nation; a protest that took the Nigerian youths to the streets, agitating for a stop to brutality and excesses of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police.

The #EndSARS protest was a turning point /for the Nigerian youths to call on the government of President Muhammadu Buhari, state governors, lawmakers and all political office holders to address the issues of corruption, maladministration and wasteful in government.

Initially, the government ignored the protesters, but when this protest, with no clear leadership structure, continued for days, it dawn on the authorities that these youths meant business.

“I can say the Movement started a long time, but not as we saw it now. Many people have been calling on the authorities to curb the excesses of Nigerian security agents, not necessarily the Nigeria Police. In recent time, things have gone beyond control. We are having a lot of people falling victims of these brutalities in one form or the other. So, I was not surprised to see many Nigerians buying into the #EndSARS agitations and like wildfire, the protest spread across the nation,” said Ms Oluyemi Adetiba Orija, a lawyer, who is the Managing Partner at Headfort Chambers in Lagos.

Headfort Chambers is an innovative law and training firm, which focuses on providing top quality legal services and solutions to its diverse clients in the private and public sectors, most especially the less privileged whose rights have been breached by the Nigerian security system.

Orija told Timescape magazine that she hailed the enthusiasm of the Nigerian youths during the protest and the energy they deployed in staying on the streets, adding “I hope that this won’t stop at the protest, the movement should keep on going to become a force to be reckoned with, which will force the government to do the right things, and more importantly, I hope this #EndSARS agitations will reflect in our voting patterns in 2023 general election when a new government will be decided through the ballots.”

She, however, faulted the attitude of Nigerian government to people’s demands in the past, a situation that led the protesting youths to disregard President Buhari’s pleas to end the protest.

“Nigerians cannot trust the government again. There is no structural change in the system that will make people trust this government. Having said this, I strongly believe that the #EndSARS protest has been an eye opener that Nigerians won’t tolerate bad governance again, and I want to advise the youths to go back to the drawing board and strategise ahead of the 2023 election. They can form political parties or other kind of democratic platforms to keep the politicians on their toes.  They must look for trusted people to drive this cause. It is not good for them to go about these agitations without a clear leadership structure. I must confess, the EndSARS movement was amazing, no one could think of a situation in this country where we would have a large number of people rising up against police brutality. It showed that Nigerians are waking up. If #EndSARS protests could be organised without leadership structure, you could imagine what would happen if there are leaders in place for such a movement in the future. The youths need well planned out strategies,” Orija, who heads an all-women law firm in Lagos said.

To Comrade Yahaya Majeed, a social critic and labour leader, who is based in Oshogbo in Osun State, southwest Nigeria, the political class has been playing politics with governance over the years, hence the emergence of #EndSARS movement that crippled the nation for many days.

“Playing politics with governance is an antidote to anarchy and destruction of existence of good government and life of citizens. What is happening now was created by the politicians who are looking for votes and they believe that turning the youths to unpleasant things such as thuggery, hooliganism are the best ways for them to oil their political machines. 

“This is a big lesson for the youths whose job is to continue praising the politicians who are looting and rewriting the people’s destinies and put them to sorry state. I think it is high time the youths begin to look inward and take their destinies into their hands by making use of genuine opportunities around them without violating the right of others,” Comrade Yahaya said.

Dr. Abiodun Duyile, a senior lecturer at the Department of History, Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti in Ekiti State, southwest Nigeria, was not happy with the violence and destruction of public and private property in the wake of the protest. To him, it is high time Nigeria is restructured.

“There is no doubt that sincerity of government is in doubt. What the youths should have asked for is restructuring. I believe the police should belong to the states and local governments. These should also be replicated in other para military agencies. The welfare of the police should be adequate. The federal government’s police should be the National Guards. Members of the National Guards should protect infrastructures that belong to the federal government. The government at the centre should also forgo the Ministry of Works, Housing, Power and others. The Army, Navy and Air Force should remain with the federal government,” he said.

A Lagos-based public affairs analyst, Mr. Bashiru Akinade Agunloye, traced the genesis of #EndSARS protest to what he described as fundamental problems living with Nigerians as a people. He said: “What was responsible for the outcry was because of insensitivity of the present administration to find lasting solutions to the myriad of insecurity in Nigeria, most especially, the unprofessional behaviour of the disbanded Special Anti Robbery Squad and other police killings and harassment of innocent Nigerians who are mostly youths coupled with other security challenges.

“The Nigerian government, since over four years now, has not been living up to expectations in terms of fulfilling its promises to the people. It has always been failed promises. So nobody trusts the government again.

‘The protests have one advantage that Nigerians won’t allow the government to take them for a ride again.”

Pastor Dickson Ayorinde Oshin, the General Overseer of Christ Healing Apostolic Ministries (CHAM) believes the protest was far beyond agitation to end police brutality, “but the youths are trying to end bad administration and corruption in our country. #EndSARS movement was a voice against the suffering of Nigerians. Our politicians are better listened and watch their steps henceforth. They should face governance and begin to take steps to develop the nation,” he said.