Organizers to sue FG over killed protesters

One of the organizers of the national anti-hunger protest, Omoyelye Sowore, tells ISMAEEL UTHMAN what’s next for the organizers of the 10-day protest and what the government should do to address their agitations.

What inspired the #EndBadGovernance protest?

The protests were motivated by the enormous hardships facing the Nigerian people. Inflation has soared by more than 30% in a year. The currency has been devalued by more than 100%, from 550 naira when President Bola Tinubu took office to more than 1,500 naira to the dollar today. Banks are lending at interest rates of more than 30%, meaning entrepreneurs have to make profits of more than 30% to break even and repay their loans. School fees have increased. Subsidies that protected ordinary Nigerians from high fuel prices have been removed. Ordinary Nigerians have lurched from one calamity to another.

Meanwhile, the presidency has bought new yachts and planes, while the National Assembly has bought SUVs worth hundreds of millions of naira per MP. Anyone who expects Nigerians to remain silent in the face of all these atrocities committed by the government and elected officials must be thinking us fools.

How do you respond to critics who say the protest is politically motivated?

People are protesting at the local, state and federal levels against the policies and behaviour of elected officials who represent all the political parties in power. Hunger knows no political affiliation. The question we should ask ourselves is whether the Nigerian people are not suffering from all the problems that are being discussed in the protests.

We should ask ourselves why Nigerians have endured this disastrous governance so far. Even the so-called critics of the protest cannot afford to honestly say that they have not been negatively affected by the government’s policies.

Some people took advantage of the demonstration to loot and vandalize public and private property. How will you react to this group of protesters?

We called for a non-violent protest and encouraged all participants to avoid violence. However, the government’s authoritarianism triggered violence. It was the security forces who began using water cannons, tear gas, and live ammunition against unarmed and peaceful protesters.

Do you have the number of protesters killed and arrested during the demonstration?

So far, we know of 17 people who have been murdered in cold blood by the Nigerian police. We know of a police officer killed by a colleague who rammed his van with an armoured vehicle equipped with water cannons in Katsina State and an immigration officer who accidentally shot himself in Borno State.

We will never forget those who exposed themselves to fire for the country; those who were killed, maimed or injured simply because they came out to exercise their constitutional right to peacefully protest. The government was the first to resort to violence during the protests. It was the first to use steam water cannons against peaceful protesters in Kano State. The first to shoot protesters armed only with placards. We will seek redress for the actions of the government on behalf of these compatriots who were unjustly attacked and detained, and we will never forget. One day, all those who committed these heinous crimes against the Nigerian people will have to face the consequences of their crimes and the appropriate legal consequences for their actions.

Some protesters in Kano State demonstrated with Russian flags and a picture of the country’s president, Vladimir Putin. What is your reaction to this?

I understand that the government has arrested poor tailors in some parts of the North. I am eager to know more. It would be ridiculous for the government to believe that a group of tailors in Kano State are collaborating with the Russian government to foment protests in Nigeria.

Last week, there were allegations that Western funds were being diverted to support the protests. I challenged them to provide the names and bank accounts they claim are being used for such activities. I also made it clear that we will hear nothing more about this, because the government has made it all up.

Interestingly, it took them a day to arrest the tailors who were printing flags. Yet, not a single person whom the government has accused us of sponsoring the insurgency in Nigeria for decades has ever been arrested. The hypocrisy is astonishing. I must add that flying Russian flags at protests is not a crime; it is not treason. Christian leaders in Nigeria fly Israeli flags in churches, and many people fly Palestinian flags in solidarity with the Palestinian struggle.

The question we should ask the top brass of the Nigerian military is why they shot and killed #EndSARS protesters in Lagos on October 20, 2020, while they were waving the Nigerian flag and singing the national anthem if they really care about the sanctity of the Nigerian flag.

President Tinubu addressed the nation on Sunday and called for an end to the protests. But you continued to mobilise Nigerians for the continuation of the protests while you were away from the country. What are the reasons for your insistence on holding a 10-day nationwide protest?

They said all sorts of things before the protest started in a bid to demobilise Nigerians but when the protest started, they still had excuses. The revolt is centrally coordinated by the central nervous system known as hunger and poverty, plus insecurity, corruption and unemployment.

In his speech, the president must ask himself: has he announced a single action that would reverse the trend of the people’s suffering? No.

The demonstration seems to have lost momentum, why?

How many people believed that there would be a single day of protest, given the government’s propaganda and security war? If the government thought the protests were running out of steam, it would not have threatened unarmed civilians with the army after flooding the country with police.

Some people think that you are condemning the APC-led federal government because you did not win the 2023 presidential election and that you and other defeated presidential candidates want to come to power through the back door. How will you respond to this?

This is ridiculous. I have been a political activist for 35 years, starting as a student leader at the University of Lagos and as a senator of the National Association of Nigerian Students. Was I a candidate for the presidency of Nigeria when I participated in the anti-SAP riots of 1989? Was I a candidate for the presidency when I led the student and youth protests against the annulment of the June 12, 1993 elections? Was I a candidate for the presidency when I participated in and led the opposition to the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida, General Sani Abacha and General Abdulsalam Abubakar? Was I a candidate for the elections when I fiercely opposed the third term agenda of General Olusegun Obasanjo? Was I a candidate to succeed Umara Yar’adua when we fought to dismantle his cabal that held Nigeria hostage while Yar’adua lay brain dead in Saudi Arabia? I have been consistent in my actions for over 30 years, so those who make such statements have no idea of my history and background. I would advise them to learn more about who I am and what I have stood for and continue to stand for over the past three decades.

There were divisions in the demonstration: some organizations withdrew, others disavowed you. What caused this?

We have not experienced or have not experienced division. Since the announcement of this #Endbadgovernance revolt, we have been told stories about those who continue to claim they are stepping down, but they were never part of the planners of this global uprising. It is just a ruse. I do not know them; you are the ones talking about them. I do not think they are our priority. Of course, people would do what they want in times like this. Talking costs nothing.

What do you think about the current state of governance in Nigeria?

It is pathetic, self-centred and uninteresting to the people. That is why we find ourselves in this sad situation where the Nigerian people are poorer, hungrier and more discouraged by their economic conditions than at any time in our history.

How do you think the government can respond to the widespread discontent among Nigerians?

They should start taking the right steps to improve the quality of life of the Nigerian people. They should tackle corruption, create economic opportunities and ensure decent wages for workers. They should engage in massive youth employment and solve the energy crisis in one go. They should engage in massive public works and reduce public expenditure.

They know what needs to be done but refuse to do it. As I have always said, no member of government today is equipped or willing to do what is needed for Nigerians until they unite to fight for their existence.

What role do you think citizens should play in holding their leaders to account?

The current uprising is the only way for citizens to express their opinion on the direction of governance. The #EndBadGovernance protest is a testament to the strength of the Nigerian people.

How do you plan to collaborate with government officials and other stakeholders to address the country’s challenges?

I have spent more than half my life working to improve the lives of Nigerians by fighting for good governance. I will continue to do so. I will continue to work with like-minded people who are dedicated to moving the nation forward and improving the lives of ordinary Nigerians. If any organization or government is committed to these ideals, I will gladly partner with them to move this nation forward. This government and the political class in general have demonstrated that they have no capacity or interest in the masses. Working for the common good is not in their DNA.

Some of the organizers of the national protest based abroad have been placed on a watch list by the Nigerian government. Doesn’t that worry you?

I have been on the Nigerian government watch list since my student activism days. I consider it a national privilege; this latest revelation is an honourable mention that I am still on the right track. I must demand that other subversive and dangerous elements like hunger, insecurity, corruption, poverty and unemployment be immediately placed on the watch list.

Do you think the demonstration achieved its goal?

Absolutely, it has awakened the sleeping tiger in Nigerians. For the first time in a long time, the instruments of division have betrayed the narrative of the ruling class. It has allowed the oppressed to unite behind a common goal across Nigeria. The path is now paved towards true freedom.

What is the next line of action after the demonstration?

No more revolt, a new series of dates will be announced by the organizers, and we will not stop until we win.