#EndSARS is one of the major highlights of the year 2020 for many Nigerians.
The protest united the youths united in the call for an end to police brutality and bad governance.
Freedom of speech is the right of every individual. However, freedom after speech can prove to be a luxury.
Promises made but unfulfilled
The people made demands and the government promised to fulfil them. However, nothing has happened to that effect.
Rather, the government asked for the protesters to bring a leader to represent them at a meeting.
Read Also: 6 groups of people in the #EndSARS protest
The #EndSARS protest was an organic one and so there was no leader to present.
Moe (@mochievous) – an advocate of #EndSARS – had her passport seized. The reason remains unclear. Blankets statements such as “the passport belongs to the federal government and can be withheld at any point” does nothing to shed light on the situation.
Although it has since been released to her, we cannot ignore the fact that the seizure of her passport appears to be a penalty for her involvement in the protests.
Likewise, 19 other individuals and a company ā Gatefield- who supported the protests had their accounts frozen.
Government & CBN’s misplaced priorities
It is the duty of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to ensure that the Nigerian currency is strengthened. However, it has shifted from its duties into oppressive activities and tactics against citizens.
Protesting of any kind is not a crime in a democratic system of government. Moreso, one that focuses on ending police brutality.
It is alleged that the Central Bank froze accounts before seeking a court order. In one statement, CBN tagged the protesters as terrorists. How does asking the government to allow its citizens live peacefully without the fear of being harmed by the police, an act of terrorism?!
Some Nigerians were convicted in the United Arab Emirates of sending money to Boko Haram – a terrorist organization. Yet Nigeria is still yet to identify the sponsors of Boko Haram. This is most shameful for a country that boasts of sophisticated intelligence.
The government appears helpless in its fight against terrorism but unashamedly chooses to flex its muscle of oppression against peaceful protesters.
If the government is serious about the herculean task of winning the confidence of the populace, it must be objective in all things. This isn’t too much to ask.
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