A concerned Nigerian, Mac Latunji has dropped a
compelling piece against the planned nationwide
protest convened by legendary Nigerian singer, Innocent
Idibia.
African Queen crooner and frontline Nigerian Musician,
Innocent Idibia formerly known as 2Face now 2Baba
has decided that ‘enough is enough’ in Nigeria and he
wants to protest. However, before you decide to join
bandwagon of this ‘popular’ protest, these are 10 points
to note:
1. With all Due Respect, 2Face is Part of the Problem
It is said that ‘he who comes to equity must come with
clean hands’. 2Face by coindence had his wedding
during the tenure of Goodluck Jonathan and the then
Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio took it
upon himself to present exotic cars and other lavish
gifts to the couple.
Now, unless you can assure me that at least the
majority of Akwa Ibom indigenes getting married under
the Akpabio administration in Akwa Ibom got the same
treatment, you can easily see how 2Baba and Annie
Idibia not rejecting such gifts is just part of the culture
of waste and abuse of power that Nigeria suffers from
till today.
2. 2Face Had Access to Power and Did Little Advocacy
With It
2Face is from Otukpo, the same town with former
Senate President, David Mark. He is very close to the
Distinguished Senator. For all the time Senator David
Mark was President of the Senate between 2007-2015,
2Face never put it on record that Nigerians deserved
more than they were getting.
He simply hobnobbed with the No.3 citizen, often
present at Senator Mark’s Otukpo home. Like he
identified in his statement, Nigerians have been
suffering since 1999 but when he had the opportunity to
influence the country’s leadership, he did next to
nothing to help create change. His newly found zeal for
advocacy is coming rather late and conveniently too,
Senator Mark is no longer Senate President.
Remember that Nigeria earned its highest revenues ever
estimated to be at least N51 trillion under former
President Goodluck Jonathan, a great part of which was
wasted or outrightly stolen by members of that
administration. This kind of advocacy and activism
would have helped at the time when ‘stealing was not
corruption’. Holding it at this point is a bit suspect
especially when it is clear that wholesale reforms are
needed in Nigeria.
3. There are Smarter Ways to Engage Our Leaders to
Make Change
There are a lot of public hearings held by the National
Assembly on issues before bills are passed and signed
into law, the same with public hearings on different
issues. Curiously, 2Face has never thought it a good
idea to engage with the system. Other young Nigerians
are working to form their own political parties to contest
elections and take power because they feel they can do
better. These are constructive means of engaging the
system to create change or influence.
4. We Do Not Need Disruptive Street Protests for the
Government to Know Nigerians are Suffering
Does 2Face listen to the radio, watch TV or read the
comments of Nigerians on online fora? I say this not to
undermine his right to protest peacefully with his
supporters but to puncture his argument that the street
protest is required to bring issues facing Nigerians to
government’s attention.
5. A Good Way to Get Change is to Create It
I really do not think 2Face is a strategic thinker because
for someone with his international acclaim and success,
he has not created any major platform through which he
can affect a large number of people. He is from Benue
State, a state famed as the ‘food basket of the nation’.
Yet 2Face has not thought it fit to key into the current
government’s programme to promote agriculture but
actively investing in it.
This is a simple and powerful signal 2Face could have
used to mobilize his teeming followers to change their
mindset about agriculture with great multiplier effect on
the economy and helping to improve the life of youths.
You say that is the job of government? I do not dispute
that government has the duty primarily to do this but as
we see across the world, individuals can help bring
about positive change as well. At the very least they do
not increase tension in an already tense society.
6. After the Protest What Next?
After the ‘fun and games’ of the protest, what next?
The government will still go ahead to try to implement
its plans for the country as best it can as nations are
not developed on the basis of contrived protests but on
proper planning and implementation of sound strategies.
If 2Face and his supporters are not presenting strategic
plans to the government and engaging with it for their
implementation, they are just embarking on a disruptive
jamboree in the name of protest.
7. Where are We Coming From?
We are coming from a period of recklessness which I
have already pointed out in the early part of this article,
from Boko Haram holding large chunks of territory to
unending fuel scarcity as well as impunity in our daily
life. These and other problems will not disappear in a
day especially when saboteurs are still trying to retain
the entrenched status quo. It helps not to distract an
already overburdened government with more issues that
can be replaced with more constructive and patriotic
activities.
8. What is 2Face’s End Game?
You might believe he just wants good governance but if
you are good at deductive reasoning you will
understand that if 2Face truly wanted good governance
that badly, he would have taken some steps at certain
critical points in time, he did not. Now that he is, do you
really understand why he is coming out to protest?
Unless you do not mind being a tool in a grand plot, you
might want to ‘look before you leap’ (in protest).
9. Do your Parents or Loved Ones Know Where You are
Going?
It is only irresponsible people that think solely of
themselves in taking decisions. Have you discussed
your plans to protest with your parents if you are still
under them, your spouse if you are married or those
close to you if you are single and living alone? Why do I
ask this question? You would expect them to help get
you out of trouble if the police and other security
agencies decide that you should be arrested? If you do
not mind being arrested, are you sure they do not mind
the stress of trying to get you released if arrested?
10. You Could Lose Your Life
I am not attempting to scare you with death here
because we will all die one way or the other. However,
what I am pointing out is the fact that you could lose
your life in this protest and then ask you if you think
Nigeria’s problems are so great that they are worth
dying for? 2Face has recognition by the different
security agencies, some of them may even be fans, they
are unlikely to ‘accidentally discharge’ bulllets towards
him, the same does not apply to you.
If it gets ugly, you are more exposed. If you think the
issues and the risk is worth it, go ahead but if you do
not think so, find other ways of expressing your
unhappiness or concerns about the state of the nation.
