THE LEKKI TOLL GATE MASSACRE AND GOVERNMENT'S SKEWED REIVISIONISM AND APOSTACY (PART 2)
INTRODUCTION
Times have changed. It is no longer business as usual. The social media
showed its power over the orthodox media, as images of unarmed,
vulnerable and distressed youths were shown fighting for their dear lives,
even as the peaceful youths were being sporadically shot at.
SOME SALIENT QUESTIONS HERE
How did Lagos, Nigeria’s bustling commercial capital and a city for all
Nigerians, become a wild shooting range against defenceless protesting
young people, waving the National flag and singing the National anthem?
Why and how did state Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, declare a curfew,
publish same within hours and got it enforced? How come he was unable
to contain the resultant dire consequences? Why did he declare the curfew
after midday, in a heavily populated city of over 20 million people? Did he
think of the serious commuting challenges? Why are the Nigerian
authorities frantically attempting to cover up the Lekki Toll Gate massacre,
which was watched live by millions across the world?
Was Governor Sanwo-Olu under any intense and unseen pressure to
reopen the country’s commercial nerve centre for business; and thereby
desired to hurriedly clear the streets, especially the Lekki Toll Gate, which
is said to generate for the government over N220 million weekly?
Why did the Government bluntly refuse to secure genuine harmless
protesters, yet allow so called hoodlums to hijack the protests and turn
them into bloody looting spree? By the way, who are miscreants and
hoodlums? Are they not direct products of an unkind and unjust society that
incubated and delivered them to the streets?
Why did the IGP say SARS had been disbanded, yet announce the very
next day that a new SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) unit had been
created from the ashes of SARS? Why the plagiarism of America’s well
known SWAT? Why put old wine in a new bottle?
Did the authorities not appreciate the searing anger of deprived the youths,
who, after 12 days of continuous protests, still defied government’s fierce
terror, water cannons, teargas and live bullets?
Didn’t the government realize that #ENDSARS was merely a metaphor to
end the many ills of the society and make their voices heard? Were they
not worried that, like the “Occupy Wall Street” nine years ago,
#ENDSARS did not require pyramidal leaders to operate? The youths had
bluntly refused to crown so called “leaders” who would sell them off
Nicodemously at night. The protesters were shapeless and formless, like
amoeba proteus.
MY HUMBLE TAKE
On my part, I identify with the #ENDSARS peaceful protests. It was within
the youths’ constitutional right. I however unequivocally condemn the
wanton destruction of private and government property, media houses,
shopping malls, etc. I deplore the needless, heartless killing of innocent
people that later followed. These unnecessarily detracted from the nobility
and altruism of their cause.
Having said this, the #ENDSARS protests exposed the cluelessness and
incompetence of this government and the entire thieving political elite,
regarding our socio-economic problems. The government vainly tried to
muzzle protesters by blocking access to funds from commercial banks. But,
they resorted to cryptocurrency. Exploitative Senators, Ministers,
Honourables and even Governors, who hoarded palliatives meant for a
dying people, were roundly disgraced. Such edifices were pulled down and
the people possessed their possession.
THE BIG DIFERENCE
Where the Government hired thugs and soldiers, the protesters provided
their own security, using drones and apps. Where the government
infamously basked on ethnic and religious sentiments, the protesters united
across tribal and ethnic divides. They tasked themselves to provide
necessaries, food, water, medicare and prosthetic limbs for limbless
youths.
Where the government bribed grovelers with food and money, protesters
cooked their own food, swept and cleaned the highways. The youths
distrusted the orthodox main street media and provided their own radio
broadcast stations. They used the social media effectively.
Where the government resorted to unprovoked violence, the unarmed
protesters responded by waving the national flags and singing the National
anthem. These flags were later stained with youths’ innocent blood. A new
era and unimaginable vistas, had been charted by the youths. They even
marched on the Presidential Villa in their bloodied vests. Their spirits were
never conquered.
SOME EYE WITNESS ACCOUNTS
One Chukwu said they sat on the ground at the toll gate as it got darker. He
then noticed that the lights that were usually turned on at the area had
been switched off.
Later, Chukwu said he saw trucks arriving with soldiers. He said, thereafter,
national flags were distributed among those who had gathered there to
protest peacefully. They sang the national anthem, while waving the
national flags. They genuinely believed no soldier would shoot at them,
being peaceful and non-violent.
But, they were wrong: “At around 7pm, we started singing the national
anthem and waving the national flag when the soldiers started shooting at
us. I observed that they cornered us and mounted barricades before the
shooting. We did not upset them in any way. I was even joking with one of
the soldiers who looked young that he should join us in protesting against
bad governance. He did not laugh, though.
“Not long after was when the shooting started. The soldiers shot into the air
and then at protesters trying to flee because of panic. I thought I was going
to die but I hid behind some barricades with others, and luckily we were not
hit.
“Actually, I had thought to leave the scene by 8pm since the curfew was
postponed to 9pm. But seeing soldiers at past 6pm was what I could not
understand. I even thought they would disperse us with whips or teargas. I
had been protesting daily at the tollgate and we had been law-abiding. If
they had requested us to leave, I’m sure people would have left gently.”
THE ARMY V. SAMWO-OLU
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army has denied deploying soldiers to the Lekki
Tollgate and even described the videos of the killings as “photoshopped.”
But, Governor Sanwo-Olu insisted soldiers were deployed and that 30
persons were injured and being treated in hospitals. He also said only one
person died as a result of the gunshot injuries. He later recanted, and said
more died.
Amnesty International said at least 12 protesters were killed at Lekki,
adding that it received “credible but disturbing evidence of excessive
use of force occasioning deaths of protesters at Lekki tollgate.”
But, live video streams on social media showed some wounded people
lying in the streets, or being carried by others into hospital emergency
wards.
The Lagos State Governor has since announced the terms of reference of
a seven-member Judicial Panel of Enquiry and Restitution for victims of
SARS-related abuses. It would also look into the Lekki toll gate incident.
The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), later addressed
the country, but failed to mention the Lekki shootings.
Buhari even berated people he tagged subversive elements, as using
#EndSARS protesters to cause chaos and truncate the country’s
democracy. He commiserated with the Police, but said nothing about the
innocent youths that were massacred at the toll gate.
The President’s snubbing of the #LekkiMassacre, has since generated
public outrage and international condemnation from the United States, the
United Kingdom, the International Criminal Court, and the African Union,
among others.
HOW AMERICANS USED THE BALLOT TO EXPEL A BULL
FROM THE CHINA SHOP
INTRODUCTION
A bull in a China shop is an extremely clumsy person, one who is careless,
and who inflicts damage, whether literally or figuratively, on himself, other
persons, or the China ware-shop. Such a bull has to be carefully exited
from the China shop in such a most delicate way, as to prevent the bull
from doing extensive damage. That was exactly what the Americans just
overwhelmingly did, by tossing Donald Trump out with their ballot paper,
whether physically, or by mail. It was time this was done to save Americans
from themselves, and save the world from itself. It was time to put an end
to brazen racism, the “I can’t breathe” impunity, and sheer demagoguery.
I heartily congratulate Mr. Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris, on their
election as president-elect and vice president-elect of the United States of
America, respectively. Their resounding defeat of President Donald Trump
and his vice, Mr. Michael Richard Pence, is both momentous and
phenomenal in more ways than one. It is the end of a nightmarish era. It
the closure of an ugly chapter of Trump’s narcism, self-glorification, early
morning false tweets, and diminution of the exalted office of the presidency
of the American people. This is a presidency which the founding fathers of
the American nation used their precious sweat, blood, pains and pangs to
found, as far back as 1776. Biden’s victory signifies good news and a great
relief to a world nearly subsumed under one man’s over-bloated ego, crass
disrespect for women and coloured people; and untrammelled derision for,
and mocking of the disabled and the disadvantaged.
The victory closes a negative chapter of flip-flop policies that continually set
the world on edge and made America a humbled and greatly divided and
fractured country. Biden’s victory signposts a new refreshing dawn of
respectable international engagement and rapprochement; not sheer
bullying and intimidation of other nations, especially African nations. That
he, a white, who was vice president to Mr. Barack Obama, a black African-
American, also chose a black woman of Southern American pedigree, is
quite significant. That Biden is the oldest president ever (at almost 78
years), after two earlier failed attempts, is a record in itself.
That Biden garnered over 70 million votes, the highest in the history of
American democracy, is historic and epochal. But some piece of advice
here for Mr. Biden, sir, on some very touching issues. And these are the
very few reasons some Americans and African nations still prefer and
believe in Trump more than you. Mr. President-elect sir, run, run, run very
fast; far, far away, as if the devil is pursuing you, from recognising and
accepting gay, abortion and such ungodly and anti-Christian practices.
Trump kicked against them, which was a very big plus him. You are not just
a Christian but a Catholic like I am. The Catholic faith abhors these bestial
and sodomic practices. Remember the biblical story of Sodom and
Gomorrah. I wish you duo, a successful tenure of office as president and
vice president of the greatest democracy in the world.
THOUGHTS FOR THE WEEK
“Inspiring scenes of people taking the future of their countries into their own
hands will ignite greater demands for good governance and political reform
elsewhere in the world, including in Asia and in Africa”. (William Hague).
“Governments that block the aspirations of their people, that steal or are
corrupt, that oppress and torture or that deny freedom of expression and
human rights should bear in mind that they will find it increasingly hard to
escape the judgement of their own people, or where warranted, the reach
of international law”. (William Hague)
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