PREAMBLE: The END-SARS protest began with the shooting of a young man in front of Wetland Hotel, Ughielli, Delta State on the 3rd of Ochtober 2020. Then the protest commenced online with twitters providing the coordinating valve. On Thursday October 8, a nationwide mass protest commenced. Within the weekend of October 9-11 the message had been tweeted 28 million times.
Its Development: Deriving from the odious perception of SARS by majority of the Nigerian people, particularly the youths, the protest, expectedly, assumed national spread. Its initial perspective was a biased anti-SARS position. Then, the argument complex was a call for the abrogation of SARS.
Giving a dialectical dimension: As it is historically, in any social order seized in apparent contradictions, the struggle attracted a dialectical appraisal from a conscious layer of our youths. The synthesis that evolved appreciated the indecorum of the SARS personnel. It, however, noted that focus on SARS is a reductionist fallacy. It appreciated our place in history as a country. it captured our need for a holistic perspective to our national question. It noted that all our institutions are appallingly perverted and begging for redemption. The synthesis thereto appreciated that only a total overhaul of the entire social order is desirable. To that effect, the integrals of engagement assumed a dimension in which END-SARS becomes an acronym.
END-SARS - an Ideological Dimension:
The struggle which began on an emotional template, drawing from articulation of diverse perspectives from a beleaguered people assumed an ideological template conveyed in the dialectics of political economy. To that effect, END SARS is presently the acronym of a seven point demand defined as herein outlined:
E = Education and Economic Reforms
N = Nigeria Constitution Reform
D = Debt Accountability
S= Security Reform
A = Anti- People Policies Cancellation
R = Restructuring
S = Save Cost Of Governance
The demented response of a docile and mentally inert superstructure: While the policy body of the Nigerian political superstructure caught the initial battle cry of END-SARS and well understood the opprobrium that attend upon the activities of SARS, it was too mentally redundant to appreciate the ideological thrust when END-SARS became an acronym. To that effect, the sack of SARS and replacement with SWAT was its "heroic" response . It lacked the mental and intellectual content to appreciate the displacement and incoherence that its solution conveyed. It was a solution that did not intuit into the demand of the protesters. Equally, the youths could not honour the call for dialogue with the Inspector General of Police as their demand for political, social and economic reforms structurally and functionally does not acquaint with the terms of reference of an Inspector General of Police.
The response capacity of a criminalized state: The slide of the Nigerian social order towards a revolutionary encounter is conveyed in the character of the state. Although Nigeria is rested upon abundant human and natural resources being classified as the 4th most endowed country in the world in human and natural resources, the innards of possessive individualism/accumulation, consumerism, nepotism among others, has engendered an appalling dimension in corruption, mismanagement and profligacy. The rulers have relied on subterfuge, blackmail, and other forms of intrigue to control and command the social order. The rulers of the country underestimated the connection and bounding that massive poverty and unemployment conveys. With a clear understanding of the implication of using the police to disperse the protesters, the Nigerian State has resorted to paying thugs to attack, maim or kill the protesters as a way of deterrence. Therefore, over 20 persons have been killed by suspected state hired thugs to deter very civil and non- violent protesters.
Sophistication in methods against an illiterate oligarchy: The protesters have elicited sophistication borrowing significantly from the Nonviolence perspective of Sir Henry Thoreau, Leo Tolstoy, Mohandas K. Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. They have, perhaps, been guided by the experiences of the Arab Spring which culminated in the Sudanese revolution. On method, the protest has elicited public approval and recon. The state is gradually being pushed into desperation. Against the better judgement of the state and its agencies, the army is being prepared for a street engagement with protesters. To provide credence for this option, the posters are deliberately being provoked to elicit violent resistance. Apart from using thugs to attack them towards achieving this, criminals are being sponsored for stealing and looting in the operational arena of the protesters to provide a basis for blackmailing the protest and protesters.
Our options: As a mass based organ, I urge CONGOs and other civil society groups to strengthen the youths by giving intellectual direction to the struggle. The struggle must remain nonviolent to sustain its credibility and focus. The drift of the Nigerian state towards massive killing of protesters must also be curtailed by preemptive warnings to the government. The case of the Bastilles in 1789 France and Romania in 1994, must be emphasized to deter the Nigerian state and its provocative beneficiaries. Strengthening and broadening the demands of the protesting youths is critical to our relevance as Civil Society groups.
Conclusion: Drawing from the historical justification of our existence, an urgent meeting of CONGOs is desired to provide the rudder for all stakeholders in Nigeria towards fostering minimum damage to our social order and maximum achievement pursuant to overhauling the Nigerian sociopolitical and economic order holistically. In other words, the meeting is expected to articulate the necessary programme of action relevant to our current national challenge
Aluta continua! Victoria Acerta!!.
Daisy Abiola I
President CONGOs.
Addendum
THE 7 POINT DEMANDS BY NIGERIA YOUTHS:
We recognize that this moment is the culmination of decades of dissatisfaction over the decay and corruption of our dear country, Nigeria.
We find the unhealthy haste to fashion a unit termed “SWAT” to be a misrepresentation of the 7 for7 demand. It is not enough.
This protest is beyond #EndSARS, #EndSWAT, #EndPoliceBrutality. This movement is for the soul of Nigeria. We are demanding a systemic overhaul of governance and institutional reforms as the barest minimum. We are better than what obtains presently; we demand progress.
We are not vain agitators. We are clear-eyed youths and professionals in our respective fields who are tired of the way and manner our dear country has been run aground by successive administrations. We cannot idly stand by whilst our future and that of our children are mortgaged.
Below is the updated 7-point demand that concerned citizens are asking from the government.
1. INSTITUTIONAL REFORMS (SECURITY)
That the 7-point demand to release arrested protesters, compensate families of victims, investigate and prosecute all reports of misconduct, proscribe SARS and review the welfare of police be implemented immediately.
However, we believe the systemic rot in the police is widespread across Government institutions. Therefore, we urgently demand an immediate Institutional reform across all federal government institutions, agencies and parastatals, especially focused on national security.
Focus will be on improved welfare and terms of service for the police, military and all law enforcement agencies, provide body worn cameras for operation, refurbished housing, health, academic and pre- and post-retirement life insurance policy for the rank-and-file personnel.
Also reforms on adherence to the laws guiding discipline and prosecution of erring service men this should be aimed at extinguishing all notions of impunity.
2) COST OF GOVERNANCE
We have watched over the years the waste associated with governing Nigeria. We have noted the duplication and unprofessionalism in the civil service and across all strata.
We demand an urgent budgetary framework with 50% capital expenditure and 50% recurrent expenditure in all appropriation bill.
We demand a drastic reduction in the cost of governance. We also demand that the national assembly, be first by streamlined into a unicameral legislative and be further stripped down to become a part time job.
The huge salaries and benefits accorded them by the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) should be reduced to the barest minimum.
3) CONSTITUTION REFORMS
There had been several constitutional reviews where youths were obviously absent. Whether by omission or commission or both, the time has come for an informed and progressive participation by the youths.
The Nigerian constitution as it exists presently does not serve all Nigerians. A more robust and engaged constitution designed and approved by all Nigerians will serve the nation.
We demand an urgent referendum within 90 days to begin the line-by-line review, reconstruction and upgrade of the extant constitution to be more functional for a 21st Century nation. The selection process for this referendum will have 50% young people under 60 nominated by their peers in a transparent, judicious and fair process.
We demand that credence be given to terms of citizenship over indigeneship and state of residence over state of origin.
4) EDUCATION REFORMS
• One in every five of the world's out-of-school children is a Nigerian child. About 13.2 million Nigerian children aged 5-14 years are not in school. The impact of this numbers will be felt for generations.
• We demand that a state of emergency is declared in the education sector and demand increase in the budgetary allocation to educational sector by 50% and to double again within the next 24 months. This funds will be used to drive the education sector to provide affordable quality education to all citizens.
• A certain percentage of this allocation should be devoted to granting scholarship to outstanding Nigerians without recourse to the tribe, religious or sex.
• We demand a systemic overhaul in our curriculum and method of teaching to upgrade to a digital experience.
• We demand that teachers should be incentivized to attract the best brains and should be standardized and professionalized.
• We demand that the parent of any child not in primary school will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
• We demand that there be an Annual independent external Audit of Fund allocation and project execution: from Government approval to disbursement across the ministry, which would further be used to publish at least an abridged Financial statement available digitally to ensure transparency.
5) HEALTH REFORMS
• We demand that a state of emergency is declared in the health sector and demand increase in the budgetary allocation to health sector by 50%
• We demand mandatory health insurance for the vulnerable population in our society as NHIS is not doing enough to serve all Nigerians.
• We demand that adequate provision be put in place to protect the rights and privileges of physically challenged citizens in Nigeria.
• We demand urgent attention to mental health and a fund to set aside to create more professionals.
• We demand proper implementation of the National Health Act of 2014, including the Basic Health Care Provision Fund).
• We demand that there be an Annual independent external Audit of Fund allocation and project execution: from Government approval to disbursement across the ministry, which would further be used to publish at least an abridged financial statement available digitally to ensure transparency.
6) YOUTH AFFAIRS REFORM
We have noted the giant strides made by Gen Z and Millennials across the globe. Many multi-billion corporations where founded by both generations. In Nigeria, it is extremely difficult for such to occur. The enabling environment viz-a-viz investors and lenders confidence, stable interest rate and manageable inflation are deficit in our dear nation.
• We demand that a state of emergency be declared in the ministry of Youths and Sports, Ministry of Science and Technology and Ministry of National Planning. We demand that this should be adequately funded, sports academy should be revamped.
• We demand the creation of the Youth development funds dedicated to growing the creative industries and agriculture.
• We demand that the Not-Too-Young to run bill should be expanded to include–50% inclusion of youth under 40 in every cabinet in government.
• We demand that the youth inclusion be monitored by the FCC as they currently monitor state inclusion and the NCDMB and other stakeholders partake in this action to protect our future.
7) PUBLIC OFFICE REFORMS
• We demand code of conduct reforms for all elected public office holders to have themselves and their children use public schools and public hospitals ONLY. Violation of which is immediate impeachment and recall.
• We demand immediate removal of immunity clause from public office holders to make them answerable to investigations at all times when and where necessary.
• We demand immediate resignation of every public officer found guilty of any forms of crimes and corruption step aside during investigation also.
• Implementation of full digitization of the judicial process, prison decongestion reforms, with reforms drawn from past projects like the BBB Uwais Report, Keyamo’s ministerial screening address, strict time limits to determination of industries litigations, etc.
No comments:
Post a Comment