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“Government has done nothing” – The lazy slogan that almost End Nigeria instead of Ending SARS

The average Nigerian does not trust a politician. It is said that if a politician says good morning to you then you can be sure it is afternoon or even evening. While this, by itself, may be a generalization that is part of the problem, those who hold it to be true should not forget the lesson here and that is, take note of whatever a politician is not telling you.

Politicians will tell you that leadership is the problem. They will tell you that you, as a people, are deserving of better leadership. They will tell you the only problem is bad leadership. But all these may just be good mornings. Let us talk about the afternoon and evenings during which they get into power and fail just like the one before them. Let us talk about what they are not telling you because they cannot tell you. That is that NIGERIANS need to change for the Nation to change. Nigerians need to be unlike the politicians we say are the problem, as much as possible, for anything to change. Sadly, we are not and the End SARS campaign is an example in our face even as we try to shut our eyes to the truth. The similarities were as bold as they were embarrassing.

Just as our politicians run for office with no clear agenda, we saw an End SARS movement that had no clear demands. Initially the call was to end the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigerian Police, accused of extorting and murdering innocent Nigerians. A day after the call started online, arising from a video of a shooting in Ughelli, the Nigerian Police promptly banned all Tactical teams, including SARS, from routine patrol and other conventional low-risk duties – stop and search duties, checkpoints, mounting of roadblocks, traffic checks, etc. The Force did not stop there, it went ahead to specify that officers are warned to immediately “stop invasion of the privacy of citizens particularly through indiscriminate and unauthorized search of mobile phones, laptops and other smart devices.” as this was an act usually related to extortion and even deaths. It instructed its officers to only attend to cases of armed robbery, kidnapping and other violent crimes when the need arises. Note that this was just a day after the online outcry began a fresh wave in 2020.

Taking responsibility, the IGP condemned the actions of such personnel and ordered the Monitoring teams to promptly arrest, investigate and prosecute officers who err. Perhaps not wanting it to sound like the usual promises that were not kept, the IGP said that the Commissioner of Police in charge of FSARS, Commissioners of Police in charge of State Commands and the FCT as well as their supervisory Zonal Assistant Inspectors General of Police, will be held liable for any misconduct within their Area of Responsibility (AOR). Then he goes ahead to announce that two SARS officers had been arrested already, for oppression and intimidation. Their names were even mentioned.

None of these stopped or reduced the call to End SARS. But even more interestingly, none of these stopped the loudness of the claim that “Government has not done a single thing about the situation”

Ayo Balogun, popularly known as Wizkid, went two days back on President Buhari’s twitter handle to reply a tweet wherein the President wished the American President, Donald Trump, well. Wizkid tells the President to “do something!” The narrative continued that the government had done absolutely nothing about the situation. It was as though no order was given, no SARS operatives were arrested and no Commissioners of Police were made responsible for every operative in his area. The End SARS movement gained momentum.

By Friday October 8, the End SARS protest officially started. By Monday October 11, just 3 days later, the IGP announced the total disbandment of SARS “…in response to the yearnings of the Nigerian people”. The IGP accepted that some of his men were rogue and goes ahead to set up Citizens’ and Strategic Stakeholders’ Forum which is meant to ensure that the public can monitor the Police and ensure there is no repeat of what they had complained about. Not done, the Force announced that it is putting together an Investigation Team which shall include Civil Society Organizations and Human Rights Bodies to join the Police in investigating human rights violations as this “will enhance transparency and accountability in police services as well as providing a system of deterrence for erring police officers whose action clearly violates the rights of the citizenry.” The Press Conference ended with the Police thanking protesters for their sacrifice. But on Twitter the trend remained “government has not done anything. Na ogun go kee Buhari Papa”

At this point, it appeared as though DeRay Mckesson was talking about the End SARS movement when he admonished that “I am mindful that the goal of protest is not more protest, but the goal of protest is change.”

A day after disbanding SARS, being just four days after the whole protest started, President Buhari addressed the Nation promising that the government will not stop at ending SARS, it will go further to reform the whole Police. He admitted there were excess use of force and unlawful killings and promised to ensure the Police protects rather than take life. He promised justice and ordered investigation into the death of a protester. Again the reaction to this was “when will Buhari address the Nation, he has not done anything since we have been protesting”. Those who admitted he gave a broadcast preferred to analyze his accent. Videos were made were these words of his were removed and replaced with ramblings. Those videos trended more than his actual speech.

Almost immediately after this, while the protest was still less than a week, a 5 for 5 Demand came from nowhere and trended on the internet. These were five things the protesters, who at this point insisted that they have no leader, say they want. Promptly the Presidential Panel for Police Reforms accepted all 5 conditions without any question. Part of the demands was the unconditional release of protesters who were arrested, no questions asked. The Police did this promptly and even kept asking for more names. Another request was that there should be psychological evaluation for operatives of the defunct SARS, this too was promptly granted as the IGP ordered all operatives to Abuja for the test. Yet the protest got worse, the anger increased, there were a lot of “the government is doing nothing”. A prominent lawyer and social media influencer who is known for helping victims of Police brutality get justice, Segalink, was practically mobbed online for daring to say the government had done some things. Other influencers “respected themselves” and played along.

Yet the Government kept responding. Police officers were told at this point to stand down and allow protesters protest. This led to even more protest without incidents. The Presidential Panel reported promptly, indicting tens of SARS operatives, recommending some for dismissal, others for prosecution – to the average Nigerian, government was still doing nothing. The Police set up a new team it called SWAT. SWAT was not to patrol but to act on intelligence. The IGP engaged celebrities and influencers, some of whom shunned him last minute. He told them they will be invited to come and witness the training of the new team, he promised that no SARS operative is allowed in it, but the government was still doing nothing as far as the “informed young Nigerian” was concerned.

All of these were done within two weeks of the protest but the government was not satisfied. The Federal Government liaised with the States and an order to constitute a Judicial Panel of Inquiry was given. Each State was to get a Panel of youth, activists and civil society that will look into each case of SARS brutality, and it gets better, these hearings were to be done publicly. But on Twitter the government was still doing nothing. The protest gained momentum and youths were screaming “End SARS” even though SARS had ended. Social media influencers were urging them on saying “this is not the time to relent, we must end SARS, we have no leader, we are all leaders” But the Federal Government was not done.

It ordered a Victim Relief Fund and Lagos State immediately set up a 200 million Naira Fund. The famous Vice President, fondly called StarBoy, tweets about all these progress in such short time, but the shouts that the government is doing nothing became even louder. Anytime the shouter is asked what the government should do, he mentions something they are already doing and when told they are already doing it he says “are you comfortable with the country the way it is” The demand, the narrative, the whole idea or the lack of it just kept changing.

At this point, States started announcing their Panel members, youth representatives were being chosen, Governors joined the protesters. The Governor of Lagos came out dressed to protest, raised the flag of End SARS and tried to address the Youths. Before his address could get anywhere the shouts of “Sorosoke, werey” (Speak up, mad man) and "you done dey talk too much" rents the air to shut him up. This was the slogan for everyone who said ok can we at this point get to the negotiation table or at least know what exactly we want? Not deterred the Governor takes the demand of the Youths and heads to Abuja on the same day. He meets with President Buhari and then with the IGP and presented what “the Youths” want. But on announcing this, the replies were filled with more “Sorosoke, werey. Government is doing nothing” It was as though Government is either perfect or they are doing nothing; an attitude that kills progressiveness and growth.

This attitude of "we will keep going because no matter what the government does it is doing nothing" continued until the protest began to turn violent or, as the protesters and government officials who do not wish to be seen as unpopular, will put it, hoodlums started hijacking the protest. Governors Fayemi and Oyetola’s entourage were attacked. Then the protest came to Benin and went wide. There was no End SARS leader to call it off because “we are all leaders” and all these leaders did nothing to create the needed structure of command. By this time it was beginning to sound ridiculous to keep saying End SARS, weeks after it ended, so “End Buhari” was introduced. “Kill Buhari” also emerged, at least in Benin. Protesters or hoodlums were cheered on the streets because “Government has not done anything” even though it had been at least weeks and no one has been stopped by SARS across the Federation, no one’s phone was checked and not one, from 200 million Nigerians, was asked what he does with his laptop and of course nobody had been extorted or murdered, but the protest gained momentum until robbery, deaths from reckless driving and others came in. In Benin, protesters, or hoodlums, had tried to chase a vehicle and the driver drove into about 9 persons, and that was the beginning. The Police was told to stand down, remember? So protesters, or hoodlums, freed thousands of prisoners, including notorious hardened criminals, in two Federal Prisons, barricaded roads and extorted drivers who dared to move and burnt down about 7 Police Stations, destroying documents and carting away weapons and Police uniforms. Government Institutions were also not spared. At this point, of course, government was actually doing nothing. If the hoodlums are confronted they become protesters that “government is killing” If they are not confronted then activist Aisha Yusufu will say, as she did say in Edo, “Where is Governor Obaseki that Edo people put their lives on the line for?” Always remember that Government is doing nothing. But in few hours the same Governor declared a curfew and Journalist Fisayo Soyombo tweeted “The Obaseki that some of you wanted to kill yourselves over when his ex-godfather Oshiomhole shoved him aside in APC, see how he hurriedly announced a curfew to curb your #EndSARS protests”

The idea that the government, which banned SARS patrol before a protest, arrested rogue SARS operatives, disbanded SARS 3 days into the protest, setup victim fund, set up panel of inquiry with public hearing across the 36 States, released arrested protesters, among other things, "did nothing" to respond to the End SARS protest highlights a bigger problem with our thinking process.

We think Nigeria will change without hard work. Everyone wants to do the soft work of lamenting the problems, no one wants to do the hard work of talking about why these problems exist and how to solve them. So when government does something and we are still not Canada, it means government is doing nothing.

It has become a taboo to accept government did anything good and the question is if we can’t praise the good how can we criticize the evil? You need to show how good good is to show how evil evil is. We should celebrate goodness if truly we want evil to go out of fashion.

We need to know why, in the same country, we have a largely morally challenged Police Force yet a comparatively disciplined Military. We need to know how in a country where “nothing works” NAFDAC has made fake drugs scarce at least when compared to some time in the near past. We need to learn to acknowledge good even in people we may dislike, so that goodness will be fashionable. Had the protesters called off the protest when they had these wins and worked with government to ensure government keeps its end of the bargain to the letter, government would have seen the need to continue to impress, at least on this issue, to prevent another protest. But then those who say government does nothing did nothing to organize themselves into a progressive structure. In the end everyone lost something they should not have.

Government is doing nothing is a lie that undermines the problem with Nigeria. We need to find out what government has done, know the ones they did right so we can replicate it, then know the ones they did wrong and avoid it. That is how we fix Nigeria. Not by a lazy generalization which we copy and paste in all situations.

Eseoghene Al-Faruq Ohwojeheri
Co-Founder, Observe Nigeria

This is what is termed political taqqiyya.

Mr man, you have to realise that all you Northerner's plans is now known. We already know what is happening in Sweden, Germany, even France and ironically U.K. You have to realise everybody don wake and you and your cronies Islamist aggressive expansionist ideology is bound to fail in this country. Eye don open. Fake people who have not a single brain to run a country assuming all key and strategic positions of the failed zoo.

Either prove it or shut up!

Babzrockman:
But must everything be audio?

Which one be audio , you don't use to get light?

Help! My Phone Has Gone Mad


Please IT gurus in the house kindly help me out of this. Yesterday evening my Samsung galaxy s6 battery died on my way home. I was hoping the 1% it was showing you last till I get home. Now, when I got I, I connected the phone to my power bank. After some minutes, I powered it on. From that time till now, it has refused to accept any Sim. It rejected the Airtel I have been using on it and every other Sim I have.
It is saying I should input Network Unlock Pin.
Wetin be that?
Guys please help out.

Hol up !!

You can generate 13,000 megawatts all you want but if you can only distribute 5,000 then it is just audio generation. This is just playing with figures to deceive Nigerians.

13,000 megawatt?? With a population of 200million and you think that's an achievement?

South africa with a Population of just 50million generates nothing less than 50,000 megawatts

BELIEVE AT YOUR OWN MUMU.

we don wise, Mumu minister, Light that cannot power Computer and Mixer at the same time for my studio,

were u people. Tueeh

OhBiafra:
Only Yoruba Muslims will believe this rubbish

Yes, Igbos will never believe, because they are the enemy of the land

OhBiafra:
Only Yoruba muslims will believe this rubbish

They love Taqqiya so much, 13,000MW when no new power plant has been built and commissioned by Buhari in the last 5 years

OhBiafra:
Only Yoruba muslims will believe this rubbish

Which one be only Yoruba Muslim. Be calming down

E never reach my estate o

OhBiafra:
Only Yoruba muslims will believe this rubbish

You are not even an igbo man, don't divide us again if u don't want to die before your time

Everything is audio we are not feeling it pity cannot pity pity!

Where the light?

ogododo:


https://www.independent.ng/nigeria-now-generates-13000mw-of-power-says-minister/

OhBiafra:
Only Yoruba muslims will believe this rubbish

Stop this nonsense

#EndEpilepticPowerSupply


If dem born una momma well make una no sit up!

Our next movement go be mother of all protest worldwide.

No threat oh!

Na democracy!

OhBiafra:
Only Yoruba muslims will believe this rubbish

Who do you people even take your coined Yoruba Muslim to be?
You need spiritual brain resetting and re-evaluating slap

Raydos:
13,000 megawatt?? With a population of 200million and you think that's an achievement?

South africa with a Population of just 50million generates nothing less than 50,000 megawatts

South Africa began investing in power infrastructure as far back as the early 19th century (the 1820s).

Nigeria's first power plant was commissioned in 1964. Kainji Dam.

Nigeria is not South Africa's mate in terms of development.

OhBiafra:
Only Yoruba muslims will believe this rubbish

this is not necessary

Racoon:
The only refreshing aspect of Buhari government or any one under its authority is the frankness of their dishonesty.Tueh!

The question is, have you fee any changes? You do not know anything than discrediting APC Because of your party affiliation, PDP.

I have seen changes in our electricity here, it's more stable than it was in 2018.

No wonder they hardly take light in side again.

I don't believe it.

How many generating stations has this government completed?

Where is the light

Charmingrascal:



Of what use when the nation is still in darkness and many communities don't have Two hours electricity.








Kelebe tueh!!!

bro at least am having 18-20 hr light in my area here in Kaduna

OhBiafra:
Only Yoruba muslims will believe this rubbish

Na taqqiyaa na. My brethren form sophisticated but are turning into fulltime slaves to the North without realising it. Some of them that tie and wear all these things on their head will support them or have a soft spot for them and the likes of Tinubu, Lai Mohammed etc., just the way the Northerners have sympathy towards killed Boko Haram terrorists.

No wonder my steady light supply have increased from 24 hrs a day to 48 hrs a day

Nothing concern me, up Man Utd! 5-0, with an hat-trick , E NO EASY

NinjaMetahuman:
I can testify.

20 solid hours of light. 10hrs used to be miracle here.


My gen gas been out of work for a while now..


The bill is too much though.



I hope it has nothing to do with rain though. Before their power station will crash to 200mw again when there is no rain again.

Bro there has not been any power outage on our side for the past 2 days

mustmust:
Joker of all time....joke of the melenium...

The man is the greatest joker that ever lived.. in fact the biggest joker of all buhari ministers.

13,000 mega watt in deed and in need

How did the supply grow to more than double when the generating stations are still the same number?