Thread by @KolaOyeneyin

#EndSARS - What’s Next, Before You Relocate to Canada?

These were the main trending topics on Nigeria twitter last night, after the President’s speech:

1. It is finished
2. Passport; Canada
3. Visa

In a manner of speaking/joking, many Nigerians were/are ready to checkout.

It’s understandable! 1st, a big salute to all the incredibly awesome peaceful young people who woke up in the last 2weeks & awoken the nation’s consciousness to the brutality of #SARS. You’ve inspired us more than you realize. You were not hoodlums or thugs, but systemic victims.

It’s important to particularly recognize those “unlikely” leaders, who don’t make the headlines or get any public attention, but whose community organization work ensured that peace were kept at the local level. To the incredible women who have led the line, we thank you.

Now, while you may be working on Canada visa, we have a nation to rebuild & everyone is needed. So here are some things that I feel must be done immediately to ensure the gains of the last 2 weeks are not lost. Pls note that where you’re now is a familiar place to a number of us,

including our parents who at some point have been involved in some advocacy, protest or social action. Tanks, guns and violence are sadly not new in Nigeria. The deep hurt you have right now is of loss. This is a feeling that usually comes when something or someone has

been brutally and unjustly taken away from you. It’s the same feeling people have when you lose a loved one. Young Nigerians have been dealt a hard blow, but it’s not a knockout! My usual warnings before I share ideas:

1. Be careful of agendas - usually when this sort of things

happen, different people with different agendas will try to use you, avoid it.
2. Look after yourself - loss is a deep thing. It took me over a year to get over 2012, it will take you time to get over this.
3. Don’t blame yourself- you were not responsible for looting and

all; don’t carry the burden that is not yours! You exercised your right to protest as a citizen. I’ll break immediate direction into 3, sadly because I’m writing to the public, I will keep it very high level.

1.Political action
2.Policy & Reform
3.Social Impact

1. Policy & Reform - we got here because of SARS, but the bigger issue is Police Reform. Like I wrote a week ago, police reform is more than salary increase, it requires a constitutional amendment. Immediate action: (a.) youth must get on Judicial panels across states

(b.) Form a coalition with key power brokers, including governors - police reform should be their fight too (c.) Master the art of negotiations. Gains are made at the table, hardly away from it. and (d.) Make police reform front and center of the adopted demands

2. Social action
a. Justice - people died needless and painful deaths, those of us alive must now come together to honour their memory, by demanding justice.
b. Support for families of the dead
c. Retain & maintain the structures built during the last two weeks to deal with

future Policing issues (trust me it won’t end overnight, police brutality is a culture).
d. National dialogues; one thing that became clear through this protest is that we’re still deeply divided dangerously along ethic lines. This generation can bridge the divide.

e. Lift others - Seun Kuti said something very profound. Those many call thugs and hoodlums are largely the forgotten of the society. We must build a citizens-led social net, to feed, cloth, house and treat the poorest amongst us. It is now a matter of national security.

f. Support for businesses - we must rally behind the small and medium scale business owners who lost their livelihood overnight, to help them rebuild and regain their standing again. Lives depend on those businesses.

g. Rebuild cities - this idea is from a friend who I spoke to earlier today, I thought it was an important one. While the peaceful protesters didn’t loot or vandalize, rebuilding Lagos and other towns and cities is now a collective effort. We all must be involved.

3. Politics & political action, be careful not to fall for the usual narrative of “let’s form a new party” now. Again I’ve been here, done that. Try not to turn the energy into some kind of party formation energy, it’s a long shot. I’ll write more about this later.

Yes 2023 presents an opportunity to #EndBadGoverance in Nigeria. However, the mind that plans a peaceful protest is different from one that forms and runs a political party. It’s not impossible but please don’t rush into it. Think & plan, before you enter that space.

For instance, this same energy could be used to ensure that there are 774 youth leaders across all LGs in Nig; that’s a concrete action that could begin to throw up new leaders & emerging, positioning them for the new nation that we have now realized that it’s possible to build.

Having said this, heavy grassroots mobilization & sensitization could begin as soon as the honour of those that lost their lives is done. As sad as it may sound, some Politicians are already thinking of how to use this crisis towards 2023/2027. It’s the sad reality of Nigeria!

I’ve kept all these at a very high level. They’re not finite, and are far from perfect. I hope it can start some conversations. I’ll continue to share as the days and weeks go by, and remain connected to you. I’m here for those that need emotional support or have ideas to share.

But please note, as I have often said, I will not be front & center in any; I will support/guide from behind as I have tried to do in the last two weeks.

Please look after yourself and remain your brothers/sisters’ keeper at this very sensitive and delicate time.

Please suspend protests, for obvious reasons! It is not the end, it’s the beginning of Nigeria’s long journey to global prominence. Stay hopeful!

Our prayers & thoughts remain with the families & loved ones of everyone who lost loved ones. Your loss is an irreparable one.

Only God can comfort you at this time and we pray that He does. Amen!

May God bless & keep Nigeria.

P.S: please don’t relocate to Canada.

#EndSARS #NewNation #Nigeria