It comes as no surprise that somehow, Nigeria's greatest weakness has been once again exploited by the elites to bring to naught, Nigerians legitimate struggle to hold government accountable for decades of bad governance in the country.
Although the whole thing began as a struggle to end police brutality in the country, it was only a vehicle to achieve a more greater cause, which is the inhumane treatment the masses have had to endure for many years.
Nigerians were so tolerant of bad leadership, that for many years, never truly attempted to instill fear and command respect from those they cued under extreme conditions to put into power. As a result, things continue to get worse.
Previous attempts to force change, failed as the sorry state of the nation wasn't enough to overcome that which has for many years, divided the people, and which the elites continually use to their advantage.
But since Buhari became president, the level of damage inflicted on a country already on life-support, was enough to push Nigerians to the edge.
Last year, the country had a #RevolutionNow movement meant to test the waters. Government's response empowered Nigerians on how to go about the next protest knowing exactly what to expect from a government of dictatorship adorned with democratic garment.
The year 2020 may not have gone the way we all had hoped, thanks to the covid-19 pandemic, but it did plaster upon the masses, the hard and bitter reality that the country will never get better until like Ayodele Fayose puts it, "Leaders in the country begin to fear the people."
Nigerians were already languishing in poverty when covid-19 hit the country despite the Buhari administration's claims that it had everything in place to keep Nigerians safe from the deadly rampaging virus.
However, somewhere along the line, Nigerians were forced indoors for months, without anything being done to ensure their survival since they are no longer able to make ends meat from their daily hustle.
We heard of billions spent on palliatives by the Buhari government, but that was shared exclusively to virtual beneficiaries, while the real people waited in vain.
Strikingly though, after managing to survive months of anguish, our caring government appreciated our resilience by hiking the prices of fuel and electricity, while the little change left in our famished bank accounts continued to disappear via dubious Bank charges. Add that to the insecurity in the country and you have a situation more than enough to unite the people for a legitimate struggle.
Then come the #EndSARS protest which although did not last as long as last year's #RevolutionNow protest, but was able to grab international attention. This surely, was something the Buhari administration had feared, and quickly began work to quell the struggle from morphing into something bigger.
As the #EndSARS struggle gained more momentum and traction, the hashtag soon changed from #EndSARS, to #EndBadGovernance, #CutCostOfGovernance, #ResignBuhari. This was enough for the Presidency and members of the National Assembly who feel threatened, to unite against the struggle by first, using thugs to undermine the struggle by painting the #EndSARS protest black, which would then justify the use of force in the guise of restoring order. Then Lekki happened.
It did turned out that the use of thugs and military only drew more international attention to the struggle. What now? Let's use religion and ethnicity. This is what is currently happening, and government is doing everything possible to make this one work.
Since Lagos is more of Yoruba and Igbos than Hausa, it makes sense for our leaders to pit the Igbos against the Yorubas, using an audio message credited to IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who is said to have instigated the attacks on Yoruba assets in Lagos State.
Whether this strategy by the government would work is yet to be seen, but eminent Yoruba Leaders of thought under the platform of Yoruba World Congress (YWC), understood the situation and said the failure of security agencies to resist those specifically carrying out the wanton destruction of properties and monuments across Yoruba land in the last 48 hours, was evidence that the amalgamation of 1914 between the South and the North has already expired.
YWC's statement was made available after a virtual emergency meeting on Friday morning and signed by the President-General of the group, Emeritus President Banji Akintoye.
YWC called on the international communities, especially, the British and American Governments, United Nations, European Union, African Union and the Commonwealth of Nations to, as a matter of urgency, come forward to be part of the renegotiation team to discuss the existence of Nigeria.
Similarly, Igbo leaders in Lagos have reacted to the narrative about Igbo being behind the attacks on public and private properties in the state, stating that they are not at war with the Yoruba whom they said are their landlords.
The president of the pan Igbo socio-cultural group, the Ohaneze Indigbo, Lagos State Chapter, Chief Solomon Ogbonna Aguene, described the statement credited to the leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, as a political gimmick targeted at causing a tribal war between the Indigbos and the Yorubas.
Aguene said, though the statement had been refuted by Nnamdi Kanu, he wondered what those allegedly behind the statement stand to achieve.
“I charge security agencies to fish out those behind it so as to use them as an example for others who may want to create confusion or tribal war. I assure my Yoruba brothers to disregard the statement. You are our landlords and we have enjoyed living among you,” he said.