By Tahir Ibrahim Tahir Talban Bauchi
A protest is defined as a statement or action expressing disapproval of or objection to something. Mayhem is a rowdy and violent disturbance. A riot is a noisy violent public disorder caused by a group or crowd or persons.
The inflation that has set in, has brought about the nationwide condemnation of government policies, followed by the slow speed in which counter measures to reduce inflation and cushion the effects of the high cost of living are being implemented. The Nigerian people have lost their patience and a lot are of the opinion that nationwide protests are the way to go. NLC has held various kinds of protests in the form of strikes and marches a few times, to protest the minimum wage. That particular policy is in the works and certainly, a consensus is more than likely around the corner. A stabilisation fund is in motion to assuage the economic downturn as Mr. President is taking on the situation head on and this is definitely in response to the cries of the populace.
The question here is; are we having protests that are scheduled to be held from 1st to 5th August, 2024, or are we having riots? In retrospect, one needs not search too far in prophesying what is likely to happen, if the proposed nationwide protest takes place. The endsars protests of 2020 which was supposed to be a gathering of youths who felt oppressed by the Special Anti-robbery Squad of the police morphed into a riot. Violence was unleashed on the people especially in the South West. The destruction of property was huge and on a very large scale. Both public and private properties were looted and burnt. Palaces of traditional institutions were desecrated and destroyed. People were killed. In some very heinous situation, a policeman was killed, horrifically ‘roasted’ and literally eaten in a South western state. Up here In the North, food reserves were looted as the people discovered covid items that ought to have been distributed, but were left to rot in government warehouses. It was the most barbaric protest I have witnessed in my life as a Nigerian. The protest was hijacked by so many elements. Hooligans, ipobians, political hoodlums, armed robbers, and even LGBTQ covens. The protesters turned riotous, and swapped roles with the supposed oppressive police officers, turning out to be even more barbaric and heartless. From endsars it became a full fledged civilian coup action and the slogan shifted gear to ‘end the government’.
This has hatched a huge debate now in the North about the Islamic position of joining protests. The scholars have always preached against it, and are now doing so. Some are of the varied opinion that Islam does not proscribe or forbid it, and neither does it prescribe or encourage it. Actually, scholars have the duty of decifering whether a deed is encouraged or forbidden if there aren’t any defined or explicit qur’anic or hadith proclamations. It is this duty that the scholars are basing their castigations on, to proscribe or prohibit the protests. They express their fears of the endsars like scenario, that turned violent and destructive. These are clearly unislamic deeds. Just last week, in the heat of the Samoa agreement debate, the scholars preachings were rife against it, as they believed that there were hidden LGBTQ implications to certain clauses in the agreement. They were widely hailed for there sermons of condemnation by their congregations. In a sharp twist, their sermons against the protests have now earned them vociferous condemnations from the same congregations that hailed them and they’ve been de-robed of the ‘pulpit & street credibility’ they enjoyed just a week ago. As people remain vexed by the high costs of living, it is reasonable to want to embark on a protest. The kind of protest that was defined earlier. The type of protests that have brought NLC and the Federal Government conversing almost on a daily. The only appeasement to these vexed nerves that can assuage sufferings is lower cost of living, and reduced inflation as top of the list.
However, it is also reasonable to understand the fear of discerning minds, over the nature of these protests that turn riotous and violent. The protests that are usually hijacked by all the undesirable elements in our society, camouflaging as nationalists asking questions about better governance. Armed robbers, cultists, hoodlums, touts, ipob elements and even LGBTQ covens are all rolled up in the sleeves of activism, unleashing their thirst for the destruction and ruination of the Nigerian state. They would thrive where anarchy reigns supreme so as to perpetrate their individual groups’ ideologies and activities. Money changes hands, dollars are cashed in and out from crypto accounts without traces, and your protests for good governance are bought up by local and foreign paymasters. You are fooled into marching for their rights, with hoodlums having a field day looting individual businesses into bankruptcy and penury.
If Lagos can absorb the destruction of the endsarsers and recover within a year or two, I don’t think there is a state in the North that can survive that kind of protest. Government houses, houses of assembly, malls and even hospitals and schools can be burnt and vandalised. No matter the success of the protests, the North stands to lose more as it is more indisposed financially and infrastructurally. How much would it take to recover from such a loss that can run into trillions? The scholars have said their scholarly advices and in my opinion, they are correct. Protests which are usually riotous and visit violence upon the society are not in the traditions of our culture and our religion. If we say we have become democratic in culture, then we must stay the path of true democracy. Those that want a change of government should galvanise themselves into political movements and political parties. Youths clamouring for this can indulge in peaceful democratic endeavors to achieve this. Nigerians should learn from Congo, Libya and Sudan. An organised protest to last 5 days is unquestionably a movement for mayhem and destruction. It will be hijacked eventually after turning violent and destructive.
I pray that we do not live or die to regret losing the nation we have and are struggling to make it work. When prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) prayed for the people of Mecca, his first prayer was for peace, before even food, and prosperity. This protest is a covert operation. It has been for decades, coming in different forms, shapes and sizes. Samoa last week, protest this week, what next after? The approaches are covered up in protests as we have seen from various African neighbours. The Obama prediction for the disintegration of Nigeria was put at 2015. We have leap-frogged that prophecy or approximation. The fight by World super powers for the control of territories are presently at a climax and the more disintegrated we are, the easier we are for the taking. Our diversity has helped us more than a bit, and so have our numbers. If we were smaller or had lesser numbers of tribes and cultures, we would have been properly re-colonised by now. Getting everyone or the majority to board the ship of anarchy has been tedious and that has saved us this far. As a true Nigerian, I put Nigeria first and I always find that true grit to voice out against what is not good for the country. This protest can be hijacked. It is has been a long time game plan.
Tahir is Talban Bauchi.
