Where? In Nigeria.
There is no greater indictment of present-day Nigeria than that amidst the worst economic crisis in a generation, surrounded by rising insecurity and a mounting cost of governance, people would protest—get this—against their right to protest. It’s scarcely believable. They say there’s nothing new under the sun, but perhaps the sun simply doesn’t shine on the Giant of Africa. That name itself is more of a mockery with each passing day—the Netherparts of Africa if you will. But then again, people would do anything for a buck, more so when a dollar goes for a whopping N1,600 these days. It’s a painful watch.
While paid demonstrations have long been a fixture in the poverty capital of the world, to see our people used so cynically, to see our federal institutions support what can only be termed as insanity so openly, breaks our hearts once again. And indeed, the past two years have been a roller-coaster. Since presidential aspirants were nominated in mid-2022 and parties geared up for elections, it’s been one lesson after another. And now, only a year on from a disaster of an election marred by reports of vote buying, voter intimidation, violence, and electoral fraud by the supposedly Independent National Electoral Commission, clamours for protests have begun nationwide. Inspired by the recent Kenyan protests, some have taken it upon themselves to make things right, demanding an End to Bad Governance in Nigeria. And indeed fearing the fate of the Kenyan Government, our overlords here took it upon themselves to do everything to ensure any ensuing protests were nipped in the bud, bereft of fight right from the get-go. It’s proactive governance, we must say, and one must admire the ingenuity of Nigerian politicians when it’s time to consolidate their power.
This started with Kenya; The Finance Bill protests or the ‘Gen Z protests’, whatever you know it by. The fact is, these demonstrations in the Horn of Africa with their fervour and the ensuing reforms—Kenyan President, William Ruto was compelled to withdraw his Finance Bill and dissolve his cabinet—forced the rest of the world to sit up, and take notice. Nigerians were spurred by this, seeking to replicate the model, and hopefully its results. The End SARS protests of October 2020 remain a sore spot for many. With the strongest demonstrations in decades and scores martyred across the country, many thought it could be the needle-mover the country had been waiting for. But four years on, APC remains in power, and hope is even harder to come by. “Wait till the elections,” they had said, “Our voices would be heard then, if not now,” they had said, but a listening ear is hard to come by in this part of the world, and alas, everything was for naught. Yet, many bear the sentiment that those events were the closest we came to true change, and now seeing persistence pay off in East Africa, Nigerians are ready to return to the streets.
However, things are very different this time. While #EndSARS had Lagos and indeed, much of Southern Nigeria as a focal point, this recent protest is spearheaded by Northern Nigeria. So far, at least 13 protesters have been killed by security operatives according to Amnesty International, with hundreds injured, and over a thousand arrests. Yobe, Borno, Jigawa, and Kano, Northern states rocked by fervent protests have declared 24-hour curfews after authorities there accused hoodlums of hijacking protests, and perpetuating violence. Indeed, there’s been looting of public facilities including the newly built Nigeria Communication Commission Industrial Park, Kano. Bizarre images of young men carrying office chairs from the facility went viral on X. We cannot eat chairs perhaps, but pondering on one’s despair with ergonomic back support is always ideal. And of course, along with calls from the President to end the protests and humorous claims to understand the “pain and frustration” of Nigerian youths, bags of rice have been distributed to Northern Groups to appease them and get them off the streets. Rice, our beautiful national cuisine, our surgical gauze. Protests? Elections? Banditry? A failing Naira? Nigerian policy seems not to stretch beyond the distribution of palliatives. It’s all we can seemingly manage, appease the people a little bit, stem the bleeding, and the problems go away long enough for you to sit back, relax, and continue your business of siphoning funds and consolidating power. They harvest our organs on the table while stuffing us with gauze. In time, they’d wheel us out back, and dump Nigeria’s corpse in a landfill while our heart beats within their ribcage, our kidneys purify their lifeblood. One must imagine Ike Ekweremadu as a product of our times.
While we must not discount the starvation and deplorable living conditions that force our citizens to take the wide gate, the broad road, it raises questions on just how pervasive stomach infrastructure is in this part of the world. Take it from former Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayo Fayose, domestic fowls, rice and cash are what it takes to affirm yourself as a man of the people. Christening this program “Stomach Infrastructure”, and comically appointing a “Special Aide on Stomach Infrastructure”, the man who in his own words, made a covenant with God to ensure that the people were liberated from the shackles of poverty did so by ensuring they were at least well fed (by their own tax money) for a few weeks without implementing any long-lasting economic reform. Since, Ayo Fayose has been alleged by the EFCC to have misappropriated funds totaling twenty million dollars meant for the purchase of arms to fight Boko Haram in the build-up to the 2014 Ekiti State Gubernatorial Elections, and has been accused by Army Intelligence Officer, Captain Sagir Koli of the Nigerian Army 32nd Artillery Brigade of bribing his then commanding officer, Army Brigadier General Aliyu Momoh with a rank promotion for his assistance in carrying out electoral fraud in Ekiti State.
It is then beyond ludicrous that the University of Ibadan Students’ Union chose to copy this political model and even its name. Behold, Project Stomach Infrastructure 1.0! Our ever-so-intellectual Union aimed to alleviate hunger in the University of Ibadan by partnering with SBJ Foods to feed 1,200 students monthly at the cost of the restaurant. And it would appear they value their student populace so little that they would term such a thoughtful program, “Stomach Infrastructure”, as though we were horses to follow whoever we ate from the hands of. It would seem stomach infrastructure permeates not just the wider political sphere, but the university scene too—so much for the future of Nigeria. And in keeping with their burgeoning reputation for Jagabanic manoeuvres, the Students’ Union takes advantage of the National Protests to forestall a Congress. In an August 2nd release, they claimed to “temporarily lay plans for a Congress on the table,” and promised to announce a date when “normalcy” had resumed. It’s another indefinite postponement. At a time when more than ever, the student community must make their voices heard, our leaders now stifle our voices. The first time came in the form of crude excuses from Aweda Bolaji, the SU President. “I’m in Abuja. The Congress cannot hold in my absence.” Objection, my Lord. As rightly pointed out by SRC faction, Egbe Majeobaje, the Congress was directed by the Students’ Representative Council to hold, and the Executive Council had no right to stop this. According to Articles VII and XIII of the 2019 Students’ Union Constitution, the absence of the SU President did not warrant the postponement of the Congress. Yet, June 29th came and went—no congress. Some banged doors and yelled, “Mobilise for the Congress!”. Oluwadamilare ‘Fadaca’ Fabiyi, the Nnamdi Azikiwe Hall Chairman typed on WhatsApp, “Anything that holds today is not a Congress, and myself and the Executive Council completely dissociates (sic) from it… Anybody that attends anything called Congress today is on their own.” It begins to look eerily similar to events today, citizens call for National Protests, and friends of the Government beg or alternately threaten people to stay inside. One must then wonder whose side the Union was on at the time of the failed Congress, just who they needed to get approval from for that Congress to hold. And if things weren’t so clear before, they just might be now that it’s happened twice. Just whose side exactly is the Student Union on? If the Congress does hold, as is expected, it should be interesting to see what role Executives and the Leadership of the SRC play in communicating the resolutions. More importantly, Congress calls for much-needed solidarity from students in the spirit of all that is still left on the bargaining table.
UIMSAites also appear to be directly affected by current protests. An August 4th release saw the NiMSA Games 2024 Local Organising Committee issue a dreaded postponement notice. As anticipated by many, the Association of Medical Students, University of Lagos were unable to host the Games at the initially slated timeframe of August 11th-17th due to scheduling issues arising from the nationwide demonstrations. Now seemingly committing the event to late September, one must hope this adjournment does not dampen too many spirits, and that the games still are successful. Following the African University Games also held at the University of Lagos in early September, UIMSAites may yet hope for a much-needed getaway, and another chance to exhibit their dominance far from home. We hope that these games do not prove just another distraction from the crumbling country around us. Beyond the Games, there have been complaints of major to minor discomfort from lecturers and hospital workers alike, who have had to find alternative routes to work on protest days. For the residents of the famed Alexander Brown Hall, the #EndBadGovernance protests hit closer to home. Students have spent the better part of six days shuttling between seminar rooms and taps outside the hall; power for devices, lacking, and power for much-needed water, equally lacking. The education that takes place during school hours has become a distraction from the living situation. Whereas, both should be functional parts of a whole.
From the Students’ Union to the Federal Government, it is our hope that we truly end bad governance in Nigeria. So that soon, we may sing our Anthem as a prayer from the past.
O God of all creation,
Grant this our one request.
Help us to build a nation
Where no man is oppressed,
And so with peace and plenty,
Nigeria may be blessed.