#EndSARS: The Tragedy of a Nation

By – Tunde Fadipe

This is perhaps the first time the youth of Nigeria will agree there is a problem in their nation. Usually, even this one too, like many other cases they see everyday, they must have gotten beyond the yielding point to the breaking point, hence the national protest.

I have never seen a country where young people are confronted with this magnitude of problem. The chances of survival in this country, especially, for young people from an average home is virtually close to zero but not an absolute zero. They will have to struggle to be educated, turn prayer warriors to get opportunity to live a good life while also working hard to protect their future.

The magnitude of daily uncertainties is so much that life expectancy has dropped to the lowest. In Nigeria today, if you are not killed by a trigger happy police officer, you might be locked up for years for no offence or have your right stolen from you without an opportunity for justice. Nigerians are used to the Nigerian life of failure, poverty and disappointment.

The Nigeria Police is a reflection of our society where corruption is the sole business and enterprise. The opportune class in Nigeria wakes up everyday looking to earn money from another illegal means and looking for an opportunity to dupe those who they are supposed to serve and protect with the instrumentality of the law. I have been a victim of this several times.

I have been robbed by the police at gunpoint before, just because I bought a laptop and I was illegally detained by police for several hours just because I refused to give them bribe. My bad experience in the hands of the police, either SARS or other units is the reason I will always support any genuine protest against them. Fantastic efforts by the young people to cleanse their land. Kudos, but can we just go before police to see that #PoliceReform is the smallest of all our challenges in the country.

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Can we look at our education sector and move to the streets to task our leaders on zero corruption? Can we look at the system that made teachers move their children from the school they are teaching to private schools? How can any reasonable parent put their child in a school where the teacher has passed a vote of no confidence on himself?

Can we look further to compare the University education in the sixties and early seventies to this present day where a graduate of today cannot write an application letter seeking for jobs without support? Can we take the argument to the point that there will be equality in quality and quantity of basic education in Nigeria across the country? Can we all say that #equalbasiceducation for every Nigerian child? Ditto to our health system. Can we demand we all stay here to get quality health services and no to medical tourism by our able and capable leaders?

This is a country where anyone in military or paramilitary uniform sees that as an opportunity to cheat others. Those who are given guns to protect the vulnerables see that as opportunity to subject them to torture and oppress them. Can we all say enough is enough to those that are calling us “bloody civilians everyday”? Can we go a little beyond Nigeria Police and send signals to all the people in the uniforms to respect employers and stop all forms of corruption and Social Injustice we see on our roads? Can we just say enough is enough and return this country to the path of sanity? Can we all agree to stop all forms of extortions in this country?

Nigeria Civil Service is a house of corruption. Can we demand for accountability in our ministries, departments and agencies? Can we rise up to say the leakages in our daily government businesses must stop and stop the government officials and politicians from destroying this country through stealing and execution of substandard projects? Can we all look at the judiciary and demand that the application of law and dispensation of Justice must reflect equality and equity? Can a Nigerian wake up and see himself in a country where his right and privileges as a citizen is not a luxury?

The younger generation must lead a protest to task government agencies to come alive and stop betraying those who are paying their wages. Like police, so many institutions that are supposed to hold the pillars of the nation are doing nothing. Can we just say, where are those who suppose to provide the leadership meant for the growth of this country? Can we check the books of NNPC and other revenue generating ministries and match them with what is available? Can we retrieve our senses to balance our account? Can we demand that EFCC should be a truly anti-corruption agency and stop being selective and being a tool in the hands of our corrupt leaders?

Can we rise up to stop those who see Nigeria as their family property and continue to share the opportunity within the top one-percent of the one-percent? Can Nigerians wake up to stop those who are selling civil service jobs to fellow Nigerians? Some people have personalised this country to the level that jobs are being shared amongst very few and sold at exorbitant fees to desperate unemployed Nigerians. If the president is not aware, I think we should tell him.

The younger generation should be able to demand good governance and push this nation to greatness. It’s for them to present another brand new nation to the coming generation. It’s very obvious that Nigeria has become an embarrassment to herself for not being able to maintain the institutions given to her at Independence. This generation of failure must be retired as soon as possible and that’s the way to go. Congratulations to young Nigerians for bringing new hope. The next assignment should be #RefornNigeria, demanding for restructuring, accountability and good governance.

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