It has been just about a year, that the world witnessed the longest 8 minutes in living colour, where George Floyd begged for his life, with cries of “I can’t breathe”, even as a policeman strangled him to death in a chokehold.

Perhaps, if Derek Chauvin and his partners in crime had foresight into the repercussions that would follow their dastardly act, they would have refrained. But how could they know? It was business as usual, to harass or murder a black person in broad daylight, under the guise of keeping the peace.

Was it not?

George Floyd was the final straw. That one hit different. Maybe it was the pandemic, with us all at home, allowing us to really see the evil breathing in what is supposed to be the home of the brave and the free. George Floyd led to a global reckoning in the #BlackLivesMatter movement, and for the first time, black people all over the world stood up with one voice and spoke against ills targeted at black people.

Corporate North America was not left out of the movement, as many of us also took a stand and (for some of us) for the first time, openly spoke about prejudices and bias against black people, which in the short run kept us out of corridors of power, and in the long run, perpetuated generational subjugation.

One year later, we cannot say in entirety that the issues raised have all been resolved. Yes, there have still been murders of black people by the police. But things are a bit different now.

Conversations continue to be held openly, such that there cannot be any gas-lighting when a black person is wrongly arrested, assaulted or murdered even. Things will no longer be swept under the carpet. This has also crossed into corporate North America (and some other parts of the West), where diversity efforts are still at an all-time high, to see black and other people of colour being represented in corporate organisations.

Sadly, while one may say that things may be looking brighter at the moment for black people this side of the globe, it has never dimmed darker for their sisters and brothers on the other side; in the ‘motherland’.

In Nigeria for example, human rights abuses in the past year have gone to an all-time high for any democratically elected government, culminating in massacre of #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki toll-gate in Lagos, with a number of other protesters still missing or having their account numbers blocked for supporting in the protests.

Then, there is the very rampant kidnapping of people in droves (particularly schoolchildren) in the Northern region. Ransom for kidnapping appears to have morphed into some sort of enterprise, as the government wrings its hands, while distressed parents and family members have to run from pillar to post to raise the ransom fees (which seem to go higher by the day).

This is even as the Northern region still grapples with the terrorist organization Boko Haram, and never ending clashes between herdsmen and farmers. More recently, the South – East is being invaded with random shootings by unknown gunmen and destruction of government-owned infrastructure.

In the meantime, the value of the naira has dropped drastically, inflation is at an all time high and people are struggling more than ever to make ends meet.

It would appear that the Nigerian people have been left to their own devices, even as the Federal Government has adopted a general attitude of ‘unlooking’, and silence. The President is not rarely inclined to give media statements, and less bothered to seek help from other countries in resolving the insecurity issues in Nigeria.

Which is worrisome, that of all the foregoing issues facing the Nigerian people, the Federal Government only acted with lightning speed, when it came to banning the social platform Twitter, for Twitter’s deletion of a tweet from the President of Nigeria.

(Petty much?)

The said tweet breached Twitter’s terms of use, as it triggered memories of the 1967 genocide against the Igbos in the South-East region, and the subsequent starvation of their children as a means of ending the Civil War.

While subsequent statements from the Presidency have failed in attempts to whitewash the deleted tweet as meaning that the government aims to stop terrorist activities in the South-East, it is surprising that a nation of 200 million people has been denied access to a social media platform, due to the bruised ego from the deleted tweet of a lone individual.

This is not the first time that the administration has used its powers to execute personal vendettas of the President, or the people in government. Earlier, the random and rushed requirement for the people to link their national identity numbers with their sim cards and the ban on the use of cryptocurrency can be directly linked to the activities of the #EndSARS protesters, as people donated funds for the protests through crypto currency when their regular bank accounts got blocked.

And early into his administration, the President had brazenly made it clear that he would favour the regions whose people voted for him up to 97%, above those who had only 5% voted for him.

True to his word, his appointments and projects have shown his unhidden bias towards certain regions, and against the others. Similarly, policies have been introduced to curb future protests of such an organized nature as the #EndSARS protests. Just so as to save face for the government of the day, which has failed the Nigerian people woefully, but would rather no one says it as it is.

To protect the President’s fragile ego.

You see, in countries like the USA with very strong and independent institutions, one can afford to make jokes and wise cracks about a leader with a fragile ego. I mean, worst case scenario, the leader gets voted out in a democratically conducted election, with voters crossing party lines for the greater good.

But Nigeria is NOT the USA, and the last appearance of an institution in the Judiciary was destroyed by the present administration, in the unceremonious removal of the erstwhile Chief Justice of the nation, and the installation of a sympathetic figurehead.

Having a leader like the present one with a fragile ego, in Nigeria is a VERY dangerous thing. This is because issues are not considered through rational or economic indices, like international trade, stock price, or human rights. Rather, vendettas are fought and won purely on the altar of an individual’s feelings, while the larger populace is left to suffer the repercussions.

As we speak, the nation is losing millions daily, due to the twitter ban. Because the President’s feelings were hurt.

Nigeria is too diverse and heterogeneous to be run like a personal fiefdom, particularly in the 21^st Century. Battles (real or digital) cannot be fought, on the basis that the President’s ego has been bruised.

Nigerians have never had it this bad, and this is coming from those of us who survived the gestapo-styled military era of the 80s-90s, where people were picked off the streets and thrown into black marias, never to be seen again. When sawdust was the alternative to kerosene and cooking gas, due to wide-spread poverty.

The devaluation of the naira and the constant destruction of farmlands by herders and their herds has resulted into widespread inflation, with costs of living in the country soaring high. I would know this, because I am part of that diaspora carrying the economy of the nation. Lately, the requests for assistance have soared. This is even as folks are scared to travel between towns, for fear of kidnappers, bandits, “unknown gunmen”, and/or Boko Haram.

This is not the time to cuddle the fragile ego of the President by banning Twitter or regulating media platforms, to ensure they sing only the praises of the Nigerian Presidency.

I know that this particular ban will eventually be removed, but it is a dangerous precedent that is being set, that national policies can be determined solely based on one man’s fragile feelings.

If Nigeria is to emerge from the pit it is in, the President will have to (among other things) grow a pair rather thick skin, and be open to all criticism, for it is often in criticisms that truth is heard, and genuine solutions can be sought.

It is a ticking time bomb, for a nation like Nigeria to be strung willy-nilly based on fragile egos, while the rest of the world buries its head in the sand. This should not be happening in the 21^st Century.

This should not be happening at all. (Period)

Paz,

Meg.

P.s: Remember all the sexist ‘jokes’ from back in the day, about how women would blow up the world if they were leaders, based on their emotions? Remember all the wise-cracks made when Hilary ran for President, and how women are too emotional to be at the helm of power?

Oh well...

Photo-Credits: www.pmnewsnigeria.com

As I type, my fingers are still delightfully feverish. 

The past weekend will go down in history as one of the most suspense-filled globally, for a long time to come. This also serves as a reminder, that whatever happens in United States of America affect millions globally.

Which was why the past four years has been a nightmare in living colour, for us all.

Waking up each day, to multiple, spurious tweets from the person supposed to be the most powerful human in the world.

Cussing out one person or the other. Or blowing dog-whistles to civilians to carry arms. Stoking tensions and divisions amongst brothers and sisters, and gaslighting black people who mourned police brutality and killings of their own.

It can never be enough that “jobs are being created” or “the economy is booming”. If we all blow ourselves up as a result of infighting sanctioned by the ‘leader’, who will be left to enjoy the economy?

I personally felt the height of it this year, when the US President unilaterally began threatening war with Iran, at the start of this year. Despite all the bad drama he had occasioned between Canada and US in the past four year – particularly unnecessary trade-wars - we still were officially allies with the US. This would mean we would inadvertently be drawn into a war which we had no business getting involved in.

Brothers and sisters would be sent off to die, because one human could not check their ego, and seek alternative peaceful options to international tension.

And then, there is the domino effect on the world of the chaos that had been going on in the US.

With big brother, busy putting his own house on fire, governments around the world had taken the liberty to wield power as they wish. The authority of the United Nations had been demystified by the US President; who would be there to challenge authoritarianism?

An example was in the 20^th October 2020 massacre of innocent and peaceful #EndSARS protesters in Nigeria, by security personnel of the government, without as much an acknowledgement from the US President.

Ironically, reprimand had come from the present President-elect, while the sitting President did “eyes-right”.

Which was why as at November 3, I was already stressed out by the US elections (as I am sure a lot of other non-US citizens were). I could not imagine the concept of a further four years of the kind of chaos that even my 10 year old niece had come to associate Mr. Trump with.

I turned to food for solace. [Yes, I’m a stress-feeder; judge me.]

As the votes started coming in, coupled with the continuous barrage of cocky tweets from Mr. Trump, it appeared that the sitting President was winning. I began to emotionally checkout, to protect my mental health, and steady myself for the horror of the next four years.

It was looking like America had given up on itself.

I decided I was going to check out of social media, until all the drama was over, and the winner called.

And then, I saw the tweet from the President-elect. Calm, but assertive. Encouraging people all over the world not to lose hope. It was reminiscent of the calm wave, in the midst of a raging sea.

The next morning, I woke up, prayed for the elections, then picked my phone up.

Mail-in ballots had begun to be counted, and Mr. Biden was leading!

(Dare we hope??)

My heart started racing fast, and I began checking the stats more often. As Mr. Biden’s votes increased, so did my excitement.

The thought that decency would return to the White House. That Twitter would finally not wake up to gutter-language – in all caps - gushing out of the tweets of the American President.

(Ugggh)

By Friday, there was a spring in my step. What a time to be alive! In anticipation, my sweetheart and I bought wine, ready to be popped once Mr. Biden was finally projected the winner.

But the count was loooooooooong! Seeing the same figures on the television screen for the longest time ever.

In faith, we popped the wine nevertheless, and went to bed.

By morning, our faith had paid off.

Mr. Biden had clinched the remaining electoral votes required to be projected winner, even as Mr. Trump continues to allege fraud, inadequate access, and all sorts of irregularities. Lawsuits have been threatened and filed. However, election officials have disputed these claims, even as the lawsuits have begun to be thrown out of the courts.

And then, my Prime Minister gave his felicitations to Mr. Biden.

I finally broke down in tears, wept for joy. I remembered when we watched in disbelief, as Hillary lost the election. As we shuffled like a world in a trance, while the American President traded words with every and anyone who would give him the opportunity.

Even 16 year-old Greta Thunberg.

Agbaya.

But the work is farrrrrrr from done. If anything, it is about to begin.

It is a very fragmented USA that Mr. Biden is inheriting, far more fragmented than when even Obama became President. The past four years has brought out the worst in people.

The outgoing administration rode on the tensions, fear and division, in building a base.

That base is about 70 million people strong, as the votes show.

No doubt, Mr. Biden has his work cut out for him. Good thing is he has repeated severally, that while having campaigned on a democratic platform, he will be President to ALL Americans.

Unity is indeed a good place to start.

Congratulations to the people, and God bless America. 

Paz,

Meg.

If you have ever visited Nigeria, you will notice an antithesis of sorts. And by visit, I do not mean only downtown Abuja or Lagos island, while being ferreted between locations in air-conditioned vehicles.

I mean the streets of Amuwo-Odofin, Lagos. The creeks of Warri, Delta State. The hills of Enugu. The city of Kano.

Like I said, you would notice an anti-thesis of sorts. Even in the most ‘developed’ parts of the country.

Pothole-ridden roads. Poor water supply. Epileptic electricity. Run-down government buildings.

A sea of people at the bus-stops, waiting to pile into the insufficient transportation vehicles. People suffering and smiling.

Yet… you would equally also notice the sheer (and arrogant) opulence being displayed by the few, mainly top government officials and politicians. The ones entrusted with the nation’s common wealth, often living as kings and queens, at the expense of the masses.

The majority with hearts full of pain at unmet potentials, juxtaposed against the splendour enjoyed by the few feeding off the fat of the land. That is the antithesis.

I would know this, because I too was once a part of the majority. Born and bred in Nigeria, having lived there for over thirty years, I too was once one of those frustrated youths.

Like a people in a trance, year in year out, we trudged on in our individual struggles, while muttering in the quietness of our homes at the blatant inequalities in the system.

Luckily, my adoptive country came through for me. Like a foster bird-mom swooping in to save its own, I was taken. And gladly so.

But the rest of the youths who were not so lucky??? This weekend, they had enough.

The frustrations bubbled up and poured out. And #EndSARS was the perfect vehicle.

You see, it is one thing for the people to suffer bad governance and irresponsible leadership. That they have to create their own electricity supply, water supply, build their own roads, and grow their own food despite paying taxes is one thing.

To add to these frustrations daily and random extortions, sometimes killings even, by the people being paid to protect, was (definitely) poking the bear too hard.

This is the grievance against the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigerian Police Force. Originally formed as a distinct unit of the police force to combat violent crimes like armed robbery and kidnapping – comparable as an equivalent of sorts to the SWAT in the United States of America.

Over time however, SARS devolved into a unit, renowned for serial extortion of the citizens (mainly in Southern Nigeria), and sometimes culminating into fatal shootings of victims.

Not that extortion by the Nigerian Police Force was a new thing, or something the people had not gotten conditioned to (albeit wrongly). But over the past three years, the effrontery with which innocent citizens were randomly stopped, robbed and brutalised sharply increased, with news of killings of innocent people by SARS beginning to seem “normal”.

It was as though they fed fat on the continued silence of the people.

They justified random searches at which these impunities were committed, with claims of combating internet fraudsters (a.k.a Yahoo boys). The only thing: there is a special unit called the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, responsible for focusing solely on financial crimes.

Meanwhile, armed robbers continued to terrorize communities, without the SARS officials’ intervention, while young people continued being extorted, and killed by SARS.

Driving a good-looking car, having a laptop or an iphone, putting on dreads, or looking ‘expensive’ was usually prima-facie ‘evidence’ that a young person was a ‘Yahoo boy”. This would lead to arrests and detention, unless requested sums of money were paid. Sometimes, as high as N500,000.

Complaints fell on deaf ears. Performative pronouncements were made by the government officials at different times. Meanwhile, the brutality of the SARS increased with a frenzy.

It became almost a daily cry on Twitter of young persons being marched to an ATM by men of the SARS unit, to pay their way out of detention.

Little wonder that the battle cry to #EndSARS began on Twitter, eventually pouring into the streets of the cities.

Protesters have physically rallied in groups across major cities in Nigeria, and even in other countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada, while young Nigerians have continued to use their online platforms to draw global attention and ire to the rising protests,

Aisha Yesufu - renowned Nigerian human rights activist - leading a protest in Abuja, Nigeria

Despite assurances from the President of Nigeria via a video address about twenty-four hours ago that the rogue unit has been disbanded, the youths are not relenting. More protests are being put together, and the young people appear to just be getting revved up.

Maybe it is because the Head of State took forever to react and calm the nation down, by which time the anger had bubbled beyond mere placation.

Maybe it is because notwithstanding the announcement, men of the police force and SARS are still brutalising Nigerians, having shot at least five protesters in the past few days and imprisoning some others.

Maybe it is because there are specific demands expected by the people to be met by the Government. The people will not be swindled again with performative pronouncements.

Nigerian actor and rapper 'Falz' Folarin Falana weighs in on #EndSARS via Twitter

Or… maybe the youths are just fed up with decades of poor governance, with #EndSARS simply being the outlet. Perhaps with time, the protests will move to other aspects of governance.

In a country where 61% of its population lives in abject poverty, the majority of its populace survive on less than 2% a day, the exchange rate is currently US$1 = N450 (in the black market) yet, its lawmakers are among the highest paid in the world, it is only a matter of time before the people raise their voices in demanding for true change.

Not the type of ‘change’ that has seen the same set of leaders being recycled and recircled over time. But true change, which would reflect the power of the people, and ensure that the youths are not cut short in their prime.

Perhaps, the time is now. To demand – and receive – true leadership.

Responsible governance is not rocket science, as countries like Norway, Singapore, Canada and even Ghana have shown.

All that is required is true patriotism; the commitment to leave an inheritance for future citizens, and rather than the gobbling up of all its resources by the few presently in power.

To achieve this for Nigeria, government of the day must cut the cost of governance.

Fix the roads. Fix the electricity supply. Create equal opportunities for jobs and growth.

Reform the police, and all the security institutions. Retrain their personnel to understand that they serve the people, and not the other way round.

End banditry in the North. End Kidnappings.

End Boko Haram, once and for all. Not technically. Or futuristically. But fully.

Do all the things promised to the people, and on the basis of which the people voted.

If not, with time, we will see that #EndSARS is simply a rallying cry of the people, for the people, and by the people.

Paz,

Meg.