It is in the nature of men to agitate for the betterment of their lives. That is why peaceful protests are enshrined in our constitution and worthy of the support of any progressive.
However, when protests are politically motivated or can lead breakdown of law and order, it is also the duty of every progressive to condemn them. A day of anarchy, it is said, is worse than forty years of oppression.
During anarchy, within few minutes, innocent lives are lost while property and businesses that took decades of hard work to build are destroyed. The dead never returns, and the property is often lost forever. In the end, life returns to normal. Nothing changes. Instead, things only get worse.
Yesterday, I watched some unfortunate clips of the recently conducted protests in Kenya. Thousands of businesses were destroyed forever, not to mention the dozens of lives lost. I read the apologies of the organisers and another one written by a parliamentarian whose speech contributed in instigating the protests. Mhmm. Apologies!
Protests in Nigeria usually follow the Kenyan pattern. Belonging to the boomers generation, I witnessed different protests in the country since independence. In my teens, I participated in some as an undergraduate in the late 1970s to early 1980s. Oh. Forgive me Lord!
But since 1981, I have realised that protests in the country produce only misery and further deterioration of affairs. What was the result of End-SARS protests, for example? Did JAMB go after our protests in December 1978? In the same year, did meal tickets return to 15k from 50k despite the loss of 8 lives on ABU Main Campus? Did we eat more rice after May 1981 before students’ feeding and laundry services were even completely abolished in 1984? Did June 12 protests make Abiola the President?
Did the violent protests of 2011 elections—which saw even innocent NYSC members killed in my state—then make Buhari the President? And when he became one in 2015, did the condition of Nigerians improve or worsen? Which of his promises did he fulfil? Opposition politicians often use protests to discredit someone they could not defeat at the polls.
The worst of it is that nobody ever claimed responsibility for the loss of lives and livelihoods during those protests. None of the instigators could carry the cross. They melted away when relatives mourned their dead and owners of business sank in their sorrow.
Some conveners are naturally anarchists. Among the promoters of the August 1 protest is someone I watched during the End-SARS protests saying, “we must bring down this country.” How can anyone, other than a born anarchist, organize a protest to bring down his country, not just its government? I was not surprised to watch another clip yesterday where a Peter-Obi supporter was calling for anarchy to prevail if petrol is not reduced to N100 a litre! Chai.
I sincerely sympathise with those who will lose their lives or business should the anarchists have their way during the upcoming protest. The bad omen is already there: Nobody is bold enough to claim responsibility should any loss of life or property take place, as usual. It will be a mob. Government must stand firm and protect lives and property using whatever instrument of law possible.
Like many, while I do not support any protest that will evidently lead to breakdown of law and order, I believe that federal and state governments must continue to address grievances of citizens seriously. The governments know better what sacrifices to make, what wastes to cut, which officials to sack and what policies to review in order to bring succour.
To you the law abiding Gen-Z and younger citizens, I say stay clear of trouble. You have not seen hunger yet. Resolve to engage in something productive. That is your saviour—not protests—in a country whose population will hit 470 million in 25 years to come when you will still be very active.
For now, say no to anarchy.
* Dr. Aliyu U. Tilde is a public affairs commentator
