#EndSARS Protest: My appeal- Bello Sani Yahuza

Salam to my brothers and sisters both in Nigeria and abroad. These days we (are) witness (ing) the beginning of social unrest, disorder, and anarchy.

This started with the #ENDSARS protest in the south-west geopolitical region which eventually metamorphosed into violence and destruction of lives and properties. It is indeed, a sad and unfortunate thing to happen to our dear country.

A supposedly peaceful protest has been hijacked and taken over by hoodlums and criminals. This has caused the loss of countless lives and properties of the citizens particularly at this hard time of economic downturn amid COVID-19 pandemic crises.

In fact, this could be worse than the COVID-19 pandemic if, God forbids, this spreads all over the country.

Propaganda and fake news are circulating everywhere on social media platforms. Differing opinions, viewpoints, and narrations are being shared. Some information are valid but misleadingly twisted, instigating, and insightful to deceive our youths to achieve a hidden agenda. Some violent, disgusting, and horrifying videos are being posted on daily basis. I found that very little of this information is peaceful, useful, and truthful.

At this juncture, we the good citizens of Nigeria within and outside the country need to pause, look inwardly and think deeply to bring any possible, positive and peaceful solution to the present and future of our country. The solution to our problems is within not outside ourselves.

No country from the international community will care for us, and why would they? The problem is ours, not theirs. After all who cater to their own problems.

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And if we fail our country why will somebody develop it for us. Our predecessors leave behind for us a great nation that we should not destroy. As such, I hereby forward my appeal:

1. MY APPEAL, to the leaders, is just one, DO JUSTICE TO ALL NIGERIANS. With justice, nothing of this sort will ever happen. I fully remember a late nationalist, Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule of blessed memory saying: “…do justice to all and sundry…” his admonition to PMB back in 2015.

Surely, justice is the solution and I hope our leaders will strive at all costs to establish social justice and good governance.

2. MY CONDOLENCES, to the friends and families of those whose lives and properties are lost. I console them to exercise patience and have trust in God, more fortunes, and success in the future await them. May Allah give them spiritual support to recover mental psychological trauma.
3. MY ADVICE, to the Nigerians wherever they are, shun violence with all your overt and covert actions or inactions. It is our own brothers and sisters who supper this destruction, not the leaders. It is ourselves we punish not them. We, whether from north, south or east, Muslims or Christians, and Hausa, Yoruba or Igbo are all victims of injustice in one way or the other. But why do we punish ourselves for someone else’s wrong? This is a double punishment. Please, let’s regain our senses, calm our minds, and control our actions. Of course, with injustice, no country will develop. But also, surely, no country will develop with violence and disorder. So, let’s the leaders do justice and the masses live peacefully.
4. MY CALL, to the clergies, is to proactively work to calm the situation and restore peace. Let our Muslim and Christian organizations come together for the common good of our country. At this time, our clerics should actively engage themselves to clear misconceptions and sensitize our youth. History will not count us by doing anything to rescue our own country. We on our own do the needful at the time needed most.
5. MY SUPPORT, to the Nigerian securities for their selfless duty of protecting the country, without their tireless efforts, Nigeria cannot survive these crises, with the country just recently celebrates 60th independence anniversary, the journey so far should not end this way.
6. MY COMMENDATION goes to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). Since March 23, 2020, ASUU has been on a nationwide industrial strike for seven months from now. The intellectual body struggling with their unsuccessful negotiation, re-negotiation, MoU, MoA, etc, with the Federal Government of Nigeria, suffering on the process a lot of disappointment, blackmail, and intimidation from the Government side, but never resort to violence. Problems ranging from the infamous IPPIS saga to the stoppage of salaries amid COVID-19 lockdown, to violation of university autonomy, to the disrespectful go-back-to-farming comment are just too little to instigate the intellectual sages of Nigeria. Of course, lest one should expect from the calibre of an intellectual organization such as ASUU. In all of this, ASUU has remained dogged, steadfast, committed, and resolute to its mission, i.e. rescuing the Nigerian education system from unholy destruction. There I say KUDOS! To you ASUU, you have set a good example for Nigerians to follow. ASUU’s role does not stop only just at this, but more than that, The ASUU-Kano Zone in her effort to curb the spread of the crises, proactively went ahead to postpone an important town hall meeting with the general public on 22/10/2020. Due to the current situation, a well-scheduled meeting will now be rescheduled for another date. The meeting aims to enlighten people on the current struggle in defense of Nigerian Public Universities. Thus, I urge the agitators and aggrieved Nigerians to copy from ASUU’s peaceful struggle to achieve success.
7. MY CALL, to the agitators and other aggrieved citizens of Nigeria, this is a democratic system of government where freedom of speech and freedom of expression are generally considered and duly recognized by the law. Let’s follow the legal way and method in expressing our grievances, and not a violent one.
8. MY HOPE, this will open more room for understanding and allow our leaders to think more deeply in listening to people when they cry out for help and care for the poor citizens more. Reduce corruption, inequality, and bad governance, so that good governance prevails with responsiveness, transparency, and accountability.
9. MY PRAYER is that this should cease to continue and not to escalate to any further violence so that peace will prevail in every nook and cranny of our country.
10. Finally, pluralism and diversity have been a curse to a country, it is a blessing. Unfortunately, we, the citizens of Nigeria are working hard to make it becomes a curse. If not so, why can’t we be honest and sincere to ourselves? Do we have any place other than Nigeria? May Allah bless and protect my DEAR NIGERIA! May He also give our leaders wisdom and commitment to the development of our dear NAIJA, Amen!

Always remember: …One nation bound in freedom, peace and unity!” That is Nigeria for you.

Bello Sani Yahuza, a Nigerian writes from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia