STRIKER: Easy Does It Across Board

At the time that the #EndSars Protest of 2020 took an ugly turn due to poor management, Striker reiterated to the state actors of those days and the protesters that “more democracy is the solution to any and all democratic challenges.” As we are into Day 2 of the much talked about nationwide #EndHunger #EndBadGovernance Protest, it is worth emphasising again to all that the solution to any and all governance and development problems occasioned by democracy remains deepening and adoption of democratic culture and solutions. The alternative is anarchy.

Democracy has limitless capacity in terms of processes for civic engagement even in war situation as to guarantee the fulfilment by government of its basic functions: security of lives and property of the citizens. A protracted protest for good governance is among the least challenges for a committed democratic government and people to handle.

Understandably, the present sad realities are products of history. In pre-independent times, the mode of government common across Nigeria and most of Africa is Monarchy. The monarchs are next in rank only to the Almighty God and had powers of life and death and engaged citizens according to their whims and caprices, with mechanism for checks and balances almost non-existent. This went on for hundreds of years before the colonial masters came.

The colonial masters, of course, came with forceful domination of the citizens (natives) for the achievement of their colonial interests, political, economic, and social; and that lasted for another hundred years before Independence. The narrative, therefore, for hundreds of years is that whosoever is in power is Almighty and has his way, against the will of the people.

Independence then came through hard struggles and Democracy was adopted as the mode of government along with a federation and republic structure to deliver its dividends. The failure by our elites from the onset to understand this transition and new concept, and their continuation in carrying on with the attitudinal hangovers of monarchy and colonialism in governance, quickly led to the collapse of the republic and democratic governance. Long years of military rule, replica of monarchy, only more brutal through the force of gun, followed, with attempts to return to democratic rule twice aborted; until finally a stable return to democracy was achieved in 1999.

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For the last 25 years, civil society, rights and democracy organisations; the ruling elite in politics and the professionals; society leaders in cultural and community organisations had the golden opportunity to first of all retrain their minds and become compliant with democracy and rule of law, republicanism and federalism, and then spread the compliance down the citizenry through enlightenment and great examples, in and out of government. Rather than achieve that, majority of persons mentioned in the classes above only reinforced their authoritarian dispositions within all organisations and within occupied offices. Not only did the country consequently stagnate in development, the gap between the rich and the poor widened, deep-seated anger and animosities across all Nigeria’s fault lines (religious, ethnic, class) developed until an unacceptable level of poverty, ignorance and insecurity came in place.

The occasion of Nigeria’s Independence Anniversary (amidst Covid-19 management at that time) presented opportunity to re-evaluate the past and recommits ourselves, from leadership down to citizenry, to democratic values and a genuine federal republic, and at least begin a restructuring process accordingly. We missed it yet again, then came #EndSars. Now, the bad taste left in everyone’s mouth by the tragic ending to that protest is instrumental to misgivings on protests in general and it is the hope that rather than reinforce strong-arm and authoritarian handlings, the management and aftermath of this protest will deepen leadership orientation, strategy and tactics in democratic mode of handling popular agitations.

Clearly, both leadership and the led have a lot to learn and imbibe as per democratic culture, rights and responsibilities, and good governance. While hoping for a peaceful resolution and happy ending to the current protest, let us all go about it easy and the democratic way – devoid of violence on the part of all parties, realising that every contestation must inevitably end with dialogue.