Sir: The events of the Arab Spring started in Tunisia on December 17, 2010 when a 26-year-old Tunisian, Mohamed Bouazizi, set himself on fire in front of a municipal building in Sidi Bouzid, a rural town 200 miles south of Tunis, the capital. His action was best understood by many as a protest against the confiscation of his cart, which he used to sell fruits and vegetables, and the dismissal of his complaint. This is just one example of many revolutionists in the world that either killed themselves or mobilized people against injustice and bad governance.
Most of the countries that experienced revolution especially in Arabs didn’t get to where they are expected to reach; instead of achieving their core mandate, they ended up in a more serious situation. Take the case of Libya, where hundreds of thousands of lives were lost and millions displaced from their homes. To make it worse, the country has two power centres—an internationally recognized government based in Tripoli and an internationally recognized parliament based in the eastern city of Tobruk. The Sudanese fought their own war, overthrew the three decades of Omar Al-Bashir regime but their sweat ended in the hand of the military that seems unwilling to return the system to the people.
Coming down to Nigeria; this is a country of over 190 million people of diverse geographical backgrounds, faiths, and beliefs. The country is not united by a common goal; people have different voices for different purposes and consciousness. Some people will endure and turn their faces against bad governances so long their kinsmen are in charge. Only a few are prepared to set aside their ethnic and religious differences.
Ordinarily, if there is any country that needs a revolution now, it should be Nigeria. Almost everything in the country is upside down; there is injustice, bad governance, massive corruption, unemployment, killings everywhere, abuse of public office and many more problems that require a radical approach to bring the desired change. However, the timing and mode to carry out it are wrong especially now that the country is facing serious security challenges.
Moreover, political elites have succeeded in dividing the country along the ethnoreligious fault lines. Since independence, the country has been battling with issues of unity and peaceful coexistence among the diverse ethnic composition, Corruption, abuse of power and impunity have become the order of the day. People are no longer interested in merit or integrity when it comes to election or appointment. They are more preoccupied with where one comes from and the religion he/she practices. This has also compounded the problems
Omoyele Sowore may have had good intentions but as a partisan politician who contested and failed the last presidential election, his motive deserves scrutiny. Is it a case of some dark forces directing him to organize a revolution in order to take over the government as being speculated by the Presidency?
Nigeria is a funny country. Sometimes, people could organize a protest and recruit an unemployed youths for peanuts. Before you realize it, the fire they set could consume the whole country. After arresting Sowore, the federal government should urgently present him before a competent court of law. He should not be held as a political prisoner. Already, his arrest has continued to receive mixed reactions among the legal experts and civil society organizations. Nigerians do not want a replica of what happened to Shiite leader, El Zakzaky who was detained and granted bail by court order but refused to be released by the government. This has led to unnecessary confrontation and bloodshed between the government and the Shiite members.
The development should serve as a lesson to the government that all is not well in the country. There are frustration, hunger and mutual mistrust in the country. The swathe of refugees or internally displaced people in the length and breadth indicated that the government has not won the war against insecurity in the country. The government should continue to promote and implement people-centred policies geared towards accelerating socio-economy development.
- Idris Mohammed, Abuja.
Leave a Reply