There were many things son of man did as a student and after graduation that one'll never repeat, again. We grow to learn. And, such experience ought to be downloaded to the younger ones for life to improve.

While at Idioro, Lagos, I cannot easily recall what the protest was about. But it was in those days when we had telephone booths along Agege Motor Road, beginning from Alakara through Babalosha to Oshodi. It was the ONLY means available for those who do not have a phone at home to make calls.

But in just one day during the protests, students from YABATECH and UNILAG, during a protest destroyed all these telephone booths installed by the defunct NITEL. We cheered them on as this destruction was taking place. They were courageous. They stood up to the Government. These were our words.

A few months later, it was tough making calls in my Adugbo. Of course, it was the same experience in all the places where such happened, because NITEL did not replace these telephone booths. Now, the rich and their friends in Government do not need these phone booths. They had phones at home.

Not until a few months later did son of man realised that the rampaging students did NOTHING to punish those in Government. It was those of us, whose parents were struggling to make ends meet ni won da l'oro. We were being punished for the sins of Government. It was a double punishment, because we were already suffering from Government neglect.

Fast-track to 1986, when son of man was a 100 Level Chemistry student at the University of Ilorin. There was no mobile phone or social media. But the activists and students' union leaders, who organised a protest against the then VC of ABU Zaria, Ango Abdullahi, did a thorough job of ensuring that along with colleagues from Kwaratech and the College of Education, not a single incident of harrassment of members of the public or violence of any sort was recorded (may the soul of Farida Mustapha continue to rest in peace).

As we moved from the permanent site to Post Office in town in order to join our colleagues, it was a sea of human heads that moved round Ilorin town massing through the Emir's palace in a show of strength and solidarity. We made our point and everybody dispersed as we came. Yes, some policemen were 'arrested' and detained by students on the permanent site. This was because some of our colleagues were arrested. Both sides later exchanged 'detainees' without any violence. Nobody was stopped from their daily activities, and despite the fact that we had the biggest market in Ilorin on our route, students did not disturb them.

Of course, things were not like that in other places. In fact, it got worse in later years in many other places. The Idioro experience always signpost most protests. And, son of man's concern remains: when roads are blocked and commuters prevented from going anywhere they want, how does that affect President Muhammadu Buhari and other Government officials? Our people are suffering already. You are adding to their hardship, claiming you are helping them!

If Buhari wants to go anywhere, he will be free to. But the man or woman, who wants to go out to eke out a living is prevented from doing so. Is that not double punishment? I feel we should have evolved. Why not lay siege to the offices of Governors, Houses of Assembly, The Villa and the National Assembly? Is it the ordinary people on the street who should pay for the sins of political office holders?

I saw some Northerners today having forced siesta on the Lagos - Ibadan Expressway by the Redemption Camp. They simply slept beside their lorries, with goods (possibly foodstuff) from up North on the road. Only God knows how long they've been there. Leaving my Lagos house near Berger this morning at 9am, I got to Ijebu Ode by 6.30pm. How does this affect Buhari?

As far back as 1964, Prof. Wole Soyinka acted instead of organising a crowd, when he stood up the radio station in Ibadan to protest election rigging. That action sent more than a message. Why not take the battle directly to those who should have acted instead of punishing ordinary people? There are persons out there, who if they fail to work in 24 hours their children will suffer further untold hardships. Why are we not concerned about them by thinking outside the box?

This protest started with #endsars as its goal. If we are shifting the goal post to a possible change of guards in the country's leadership, why not work on amassing loads of people to occupy the Three Arms Zone in Abuja? After all, that is where the 'culprits' are, not among those suffering from the incompetence of our Government at the Federal, State and Local Government levels?

Just my two cents!
By Wale Adedayo - Babalawo

Babalawo, this matter Don pass gentle man approach.

Gentleman approach has failed for 60 straight years.

If you fail to stand up to your rights, others will make you their foot mat.