By Godfree Matthew Esq

INTRODUCTION

Let me start by referring to one of the literary icons of Nigeria that inspires me the most, Albert Chinua Achebe. In the book the trouble with Nigeria 1983 he remarks that the problem with Nigeria is squarely and simply the problems of leadership. There is nothing wrong with Nigerian climate or weather. The problem is in the failure of the Nigerian leaders to live up to personal example, which is the hallmark of leadership.

Many decades after the book was written leadership deficit continues to becloud Nigeria. Many successive governments came with promises of bettering the lots of Nigerians but they ended up as aborted aspirations. The aspirations of these administrations did not make Nigerians “smile for real.”

Smile is a natural human expression associated with joy, happiness, celebrations, victories, fulfillments and hopefulness. In sheer contrast a crocodile is an animal that rarely smiles, and even if it does, it will hardly be noticed because of  the nature of its face. Good leadership ought to carry citizens to their destinations of joy and fulfillment where people will smile. However, in Nigeria, there appears to be exchange of dividends of   leadership – where Crocodiles (representing animals) smile more than the citizens. It is from this inspiration that this article is titled “Nigeria- a Country Where Crocodile Smiles and Citizens Cry: Paradox of Leadership”.

THE SMILING CROCODILE AND THE CRYING NIGERIANS 

The phrase smiling crocodile is not only attributed to the Code Name of military operation in quelling internal crises, it is also attributed to how animals are smiling more than Nigerians, in democracy that they did not build. In this context, the phrase smiling crocodile is used to refer to the general states of insecurity in Nigeria and extrajudicial killing perpetrated by Nigerian army under different names.

Crocodile is naturally a carnivorous animal- a flesh eater. For it to keep smiling it means that it must have filled its stomach with flesh. The next question to ask is what type of flesh does the crocodile feed on in Nigeria? It will not be out of place to say that the flesh that makes Crocodile smiling in Nigeria is human flesh; the flesh of innocent Nigerians.  For the Crocodile cannot feed on the flesh of Nigerian cows because may be cows are more sacred than humans in Nigeria.

The death of ENDSARS protesters in Lekki who were shot by military officers clearly show that in Nigeria the Crocodile has many cause to smile, but the citizens are left to cry. This further spurred the question on whether it is the duty of Nigerian government to make citizens cry and make crocodile smile? Was Nigerian government elected by Crocodiles? From these questions and the facts surrounding the ENDSARS protest it is clear that the crocodile benefits more than Nigerians in this government because while crocodile smile, Nigerians cry. This is because of the fact that Buhari’s leadership accord greater opportunity for animals to be happier than men. May be it will not be out of place for People for the Ethical Treatments of Animal (PETA) to give him an award, this will also be contested because it was not all animal that he treats equally in Nigeria. Some animals are more equal than others, as postulated by George Orwell.

The Crocodile is so happy and smiling in Nigeria’s democracy to the extent that it extended such gestures to his fellow animals. One may be right to think that in Nigeria, it appears that ‘animal farm’ is happier than “human family”.  Cows in Nigeria have special protection and security ‘apparatus’ than Nigerian citizens.  Despite the plethora of bad Road networks, poor housing schemes and dearth of portable water in Nigeria, the government appears to be interested in making the kindred of the crocodile to smile the more than its citizens. This is seen in the recent move and proactiveness to sink billion of naira to rediscover grazing routes (good roads network for cows), to establish ranching (housing estates for cows) and waterways for the crocodile and its kinsmen to smile further. It is pathetic that while animals can afford such necessities some Nigerians are yet to access such dividends of governance. It is quiet unfortunate that even Nigerians citizens takin care of the crocodiles and cows don’t have access to such benefits as these animals. Thus, while crocodile smile, Nigerians cry.

The Crocodile smiles after devouring a lot of innocent blood killed in Plateau, Adamawa, Taraba, Katsina Zamfara and other states in Nigeria. The reason is because the kindred of the crocodiles, the cows are affected as such many Nigerians farmers were killed by herdsmen, Fulani or unknown gunmen. In Nigeria, the crocodile is always ready to defend the cows but careless about the people.

Furthermore, crocodile as metaphor of insecurity in Nigeria, is smiling because   over the years, it served as abattoir of corruption where monies meant for securities were diverted into personal pocket. Thus, making crocodile an industrial venture of looted security funds and unaccountable “security votes” by government officials.

Crocodile also refers to the situation of insecurity bedeviling Nigeria. Crocodile in Hausa Language is called ‘Kada’ (singular). In plural, the word ‘crocodiles’ is called ‘Kaduna” in Hausa. It is from the word Kaduna that Kaduna State got its name (from a river called Kaduna because it was formerly filled with crocodiles).

When one noticed the level of the lives and property loss in Kaduna State under Buhari, it is factual to conclude that the crocodile has its field day in Kaduna state. The lives lost in Kaduna and the inability or unwillingness of the Government to address it, clearly shows that the crocodile smiles while Nigerians in Kaduna are crying. In Kaduna State Crocodiles are really smiling and Nigerians are in continuous mourning.  The plight of the wailing Nigerians and smiling crocodiles in Southern Kaduna is a scare to the conscience of humanity that the global community is highly interested to address in due time.

Another family of the crocodile that smiles and keep Nigerians weeping is Operation Python Dance. This operation led to the death of many political agitators in Nigeria as well as some innocent civilians.  Most of the victims of operation python dance are Biafran agitators and the innocent citizens of the Eastern Region of Nigeria. By killing the innocent Nigerians through extrajudicial killings the Python has caused its fellow crocodile (extrajudicial killing) happy as such they can smile and dance together, while the Nigerians can continue to weep in pains and count their losses.

However, it is important to note that a very good habitat and ecosystem that is friendly to Python is forest. Nigerians questioned the rational of assigning the Python to go for operation in East where there is less military engagement than Zambisa forest- the hub of Boko Haram. To them it is the misapplication of resources to send Python to operate or constricts its victims in a place where it is not mostly needed.  Even when, the ‘Crocodile’ was sent to Baga in 2014 to fight terrorist, the crocodiles smote Nigerians. As such crocodile smiled and Nigerians cry.

THE HYPOCRISY OF THE CROCODILE  

Crocodile as an animal has been used as metaphor to refer to pretence and   insincerity. For example, the word crocodile tears mean a pretence and expression of sorrow that is not sincere. The insincerity of the crocodile is to the extent that it affected the genuineness of its smile, hence, another phrase never smile with a crocodile. The phrase never smiles with a crocodile means that don’t trust the smile of the crocodile for it is deceptive as its tears. The phrase never smile at a crocodile is derived from a poem titled “Never Smile at a Crocodile” written by Jack Lawrence and Frank Churchill. The first stanza of the poem run as follows:

                           Never smile at a crocodile 

                           No you can’t get friendly with a crocodile 

                           Don’t be taken in by his welcome Grin

                           He’s imagining how well you’d fit within his skin 

The above poem depicts the hypocrisy of Crocodiles, that even when it smiles, it doesn’t mean that things are rosy. Its smile is sheer pretence and deception. Situating that within the context of Nigeria army’s Operation Crocodile smile, one may agree with the writer on whether Nigerian army are happy with the situation at hand. They are not happy with lack of equipment they need to perform their duties. They are not happy with the general security architecture of the nation at large. Facts abound in the instances of mutiny, killing of superiors by their subordinates, suicide and other ways of expressing their dissatisfaction.

Recently, in the ENSARS campaign Nigeria army officer, by name Lance Corporal Harrison Friday, expressed his solidarity with the protesters. This happens when he tweeted via Twitter to his colleagues on operation Crocodile Smile and pleading with them not to shoot ENDSARS protesters. Thus, while other crocodiles are ‘smiling’ on ENDSARS protesters, this ‘crocodile’ (Officer Harrison Friday) refused to smile, instead he cried alongside with other Nigerians. Consequently he was arrested by the Nigerian army on the allegation of cybercrime.

CONCLUSION

The aspiration of every good government is to make its citizens happy. This is done by ensuring the security and welfare of the citizens are prioritized by the government. This should be its ultimate goals. However, where the people are not happy with the government, they have the legitimate rights to express them and government has the corresponding duty to listen to their grievances and not use force on them. Doing so is a repression and crimes against democracy and humanity. It is the dream of this writer that one day in Nigerians will smile together in peace and unity.

The killing of protesters by Nigerian army in Lekki is unconstitutional, barbaric and reprehensible. It is affront to the sanctity of democracy. The use of military to quell civil protest was declared unlawful in the case of   YUSUF V BUHARI (2003) 14 NWLR (PT 841) 446 where the Court of Appeal that:

It is up to the police to protect our nascent democracy and not the military otherwise the democracy might be wittingly or unwittingly militarized. That is not what the citizens bargained for in wrestling power from the military in 1999. Conscious steps should be taken to civilianized the polity and thereby ensure the survival of and sustenance of our democracy.

It is unfortunate to note President Buhari was the beneficiary of the above judgement when he was a citizen. Now that he is the President he chose to neglect the sanctity of the institution that once protected, but deployed military to quell protest- which led to the death of innocent Nigerians. This act on its own is illegality that must investigated.

Nigeria is a democratic state where the rule of law and respect for human rights is supposed to prevail.  The killings of the Lekki Protesters must be investigated and prosecuted.  The culprit must equally be sanctioned for their wrong doing. It is better for President Buhari to deal with those who committed these extrajudicial killings now or the International Criminal Court (ICC) will help Nigerians to get justice.

It is the gamut of corruption that Lagos has become and must be sustained that the crowd at the Lekki Toll Gate must be dispersed to keep the money flowing.

Bola Ahmed Tinubu began his political career with an understanding that reflects the popular Yoruba saying: “eniyan bo ni lara ju aso lo,” meaning: “People cover nakedness far better than clothes.

That was the soil in which this political iroko seed was planted. His growth was rapid from Coker Street, Orile-Agege, Lagos, his branches spread across Lagos West and his senatorial leaves were plucked with ease. Bola Tinubu was in touch with the people. He connected with the streets and conquered the grassroots with the help of Iya loja Emeritus, his mother Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji.

He was really in the good book of the people.

He understands the enormity of the influence of the market unions and associations in the Nigerian politics and positioned his daughters to understudy his mother.
But after her demise, he singlehandedly imposed his daughter on persons who reserved the rights to step into the shoes of his mother, having served the interest of Oja along with the late mama before the daughter was even born.

For me this was the point at which Tinubu lost it. He tore the cloth that his mother bequeathed to him with his greedy approach to leadership. Today he is regaled with clothes on. Yet, he is unfortunately naked before the people.

Tinubu’s presence in the Senate during Babagida’s democratic experiment was exceptional. Exploits from his immediate constituency of corporate stewardship came on hand. He was the most literate expert in the ICT and he brought it to bear.

Bola Ahmed Tinubu was ahead of his peers so much that no one in his Senate class commanded the pedigree of his influence in Nigeria today.

His identification with the people when Babagida dashed our hope through the annulment of the only free and fairest election ever conducted in my lifetime, consolidated Tinubu’s political relevance among the people.

NADECO became a necessity and Tinubu was very much on ground to serve till our democracy dream became a reality in 1999.

His return to the country was rewarded by the Alliance for Democracy (AD) leadership which stepped down Lagos political juggernaut of that time in the person of Funso Williams.

Tinubu was smart and skilful in the game. Like the fig tree, his tentacles have spread across Lagos and interlocked with roots of other political shrubs and trees. As it now, he has, indeed, become a difficult tree to uproot.

In torrents, allegations came like storms which include running a drug cartel, “Toronto certificate” of his very questionable Chicago life style. But non could be used to pin nor nail him because before the court of the people, Tinubu stood guiltless.

But in the twinkling of an eye, the veil of deceptions that had covered a “sin full man” and made him look like the saviour of the masses is currently being torn to shreds before a court of competent jurisdiction.

Apara put his nails to the sinful garment of Bola Tinubu to unmask the bandits and his gang who have been ‘raping’ Lagos, the Centre of Excellence’ since two decades. The fleecing of Lagosians has been institutionalised with craftiness so much that the victims hail their oppressor to high heavens. They are even calling him out to come rape Nigeria in 2023.

Alpha Beta is a revelation, a conduit for Tinubu’s illegal empire. Through it, the emperor’s palace had remained connected and serviced directly with 10% of all the taxes that Lagos State Inland Revenue (LIRS) generates which go to this company’s fiat.

lt is after they had taken their own 15% share that they would then remit the rest to the Lagos State account.

A sad reminder were the days of Abacha in power when the duties of the Federal Inland Revenue were taken over by private companies and certain individuals were made billionaires over night. The ATM machine that Abacha has become in death is not unconnected to the impunity that was prevalent with our taxes and revenue generation.

The absurdity of Tinubu’s banditry is so embarrassing that the Lagos State Water Corporation is serving as their headquarters. It is left to imagination whose tenants they are and to whom their rents are being paid.

Mr Dapo Apara, a Nigerian chartered accountant, opened the can of worms when he accused the former governor of Lagos State (Tinubu), a consulting firm, Alpha-beta, and a former commissioner in the state, Akin Doherty, of money laundering, fraud, tax evasion and sundry corrupt practices.

In a writ of summons deposed to at a Lagos high court, Apara had claimed that Tinubu and Alpha-beta reneged on certain agreements reached in the past about the management and control of the consulting firm.
The silence on this issue by the masses in Lagos is the justification of the sophistication of Edo over Lagos which resonated with the “Edo No be Lagos slogan.

Witnessing a protest from the state against church tithe, that silence greeted payment of 10% of our commonwealth to an individual and his cronies is a hard one to swallow.

But things took a dramatic turn for the emperor and his empire after the Edo election. If Lagosians had chosen to look away from his humongous financial fraud allegations against their state, would they do same against the blood of their children being gruesomely murdered in the wake of the endSARS protest?

Apara’s allegations were not unconnected with the fraud that Lagos Concession Company is to Lagos. The company which runs Lekki Toll Gate was said to be making N12 million naira a day. Even if you are poor in Arithmetic, a simple multiplication of that figure by 365 days will leave you with N4,380,000,000; reason our children must be evacuated with the barrel of gun to keep their business running.

Tinubu, who couldn’t appear before the court to respond to Apara’s allegations tweeted that the protest would be met with fierce force if the protesters refused to call off the protest.
But a reliable source said he was in Abuja on Monday, 19th of October, 2020.
This translates to a Yoruba saying: “Aje ke lana omo ku leni, tani omo pe aje ana lo pa omo je,” which means: “The witch cried yesterday and the child died today. And who would not conclude that the witch that cried killed the child?

If Tinubu tweeted from Abuja about a fierce force, and Sanwo-Olu declared a 24 hour curfew in less than 4 hours and warned strongly; “nobody must be found outside”, that for me is a shoot at sight order. Preparing ground for the order, LCC removed the CCTV camera and put out the light, Buhari as the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces completed the job, turned guns at innocent youths, that moment the legitimacy of Sanwo-Olu as Governor and Buhari as President was lost. Reacting, Sanwo-Olu said the evil was perpetrated by forces beyond his control. Official Buhari is beyond his control, unofficially Tinubu as the Emperor of Lagos also is. We need not ask for clarification the forces beyond his control are known.

To one of the youths made a call, and told him they learnt he was out of the country to France to be precise and asked how true it was, Tinubu responded: “IT IS ALMOST TRUE.”

It is left to Lagosians what to make out of the response. Tinubu seems to be inferring that he is neither on the FALSE nor TRUE lane. This is a reminiscence of Babagida’s principle of maradona leadership … a little to the left and to the right. Tinubu’s maradonic spell blinded the people. He was almost always true that 150 billion naira as a part of our collective commonwealth is paid as tithes to a man who is neither a pastor or our general Overseer.

The conspiracy that has cemented Lagos’ loyalty to Tinubu needs to be visited. Why did erstwhile Lagos governor, Babatunde Raji Fasola (SAN), looked away from this embarrassing illegality during his eight years tenure?

The role of vice president and man of God, the then attorney general of Lagos State drafted and supervised all legal agreements and frameworks, while all these were being perpetrated should be made clear.

It is the gamut of corruption that Lagos has become and must be sustained that the crowd at the Lekki Toll Gate must be dispersed to keep the money flowing.

But his hope of ever ruling this country was buried at the toll gate on Tuesday 20: 10: 2020.

In memory and honour of our children that were gruesomely murdered, I think #endTollgatecollection at the Lekki Toll Gate should be declared. May I further propose the renaming of the toll gate as ‘Gate of Blood’ so that our unborn generations may know that it was at that ‘jungle’ that the shackles were broken upon the legs of Lagos and the yoke of Buhari’s brutality upon the neck of our nation was removed.

Upon the blood of our slain, a new Nigeria will rise.

By Muiz-Banire, SAN

For more than a week now, the youths in the country have taken to the streets for one reason or the other, ranging from the excesses of the defunct police squad, code-named, Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) to the insecurity in some parts of the country; the most prominent aspect of the struggle being the campaign against the retention of SARS in the country. Recall that, after some procrastination by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Muhammed Adamu, there was presidential intervention, leading to the disbandment of the squad. This disbandment, it was thought, would lead to the cessation of the protest but, alas, it appeared to be the commencement.

Regrettably, the IGP, hastily, in my view, announced a new outfit called Special Weapons and Tactics team (SWAT). Days after the announcement of the scrapping of the squad and the establishment of the new outfit, five new demands were made by the protesters. The government, in response, accepted all the demands of the youths. Still, the protests persisted. The question on the lips of all, therefore, is how the protests can be stopped or brought to an end.

Let me state, as reflected in my several write-ups in the past, the state of the nation could largely be attributed to the docility of Nigerians generally. This is not strange, however, if we countenance the warning of one of my favourite philosophers, John Stuart Mills, when he said, “All it takes for a nation to decay is for the good people there to keep quiet.”

The Yoruba replica says, Aile s’oro ni ipile oriburuku. The replica in Igbo language being, Okooha fu Elwupuhu Ona aza OKPURUKPU, which means, if an elder keeps quiet when things go wrong, he also suffers from same leprosy and will pay the price too.

Thus, the state of the country today cannot be divorced from the docility of Nigerians generally. While the rising up of the youths is commendable, particularly in the face of the impotence of the labour movement and the death of student movement in the country, a lot is still desired from the protesters. Let me confess that, prior to the protest, I seemed to have lost hope in the system, thinking the Nigeria situation was irredeemable. With the singular act of the youths in the past few days, I believe that there is now hope. I am not too sure that there is any nation that progresses where the citizens are docile. By the protest, the youths have succeeded in re-establishing the sovereignty of the people.

This is a clear demonstration of the fact that power belongs to the people and not the leaders. The donated power can always be recalled anytime the people deem fit. The signs for my optimism range from the acceptance of the protest by the government as genuine, to the civil manner of handling it, except for the latest Lagos massacre, which I shall address in my next column. In fact, the Presidency continues to acknowledge the right of Nigerians to peaceful protest. This, to my mind, is commendable and a good omen for the nation. Protest, as a feature of democracy, enhances the delivery by the leaders, as they cannot claim monopoly of wisdom. Citizens add value to the act of governance through the expression of their views. Secondly, the tendency of leaders to abuse power is often checked by the people in this manner. As a British historian of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Lord Acton, said, “Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

Against this background, therefore, there must always be a check against the intoxicant nature of power, if society must not descend into authoritarianism. This underscores the pre-eminence of the rule of law in society.

There cannot be institutions, much less, strong institutions, in the absence of the rule of law. The alternative to the rule of law is the rule of man, which breeds nothing other than anarchy. The role of the followers or the governed, consequently, ought to be checks on the system, particularly in terms of accountability and probity. Beyond this demand for accountability for the mandate given to the leaders, citizens must continuously engage the government to ensure transparency. Peaceful protest is a tenet of democracy and a right that cannot be circumscribed. In fact, in some climes, it leads mostly to conduct of referendum over issues. Unfortunately, the right of protest, as pivotal to democracy as it is, has been stifled in NIgeria, thereby crippling the growth of the country. Democracy demands the triumph of the majority’s position over that of the minority, no matter how unsound and uninformed such opinion is.

This is because democracy is a popularity contest and not an intellectual debate. It is a fault of the system but it is still recognized as the best form of government so far despite its imperfections. That the Nigerian youths are not doing anything extraordinary or unusual can best be appreciated if we recall the experiences of other nations in recent times.

We are all living witnesses of the events that started in Tunisia, which, subsequently, spread to Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Syria, Bahrain and other Middle East countries, today known as the Arab Spring. The youths in those countries were the triggers in what today changed the complexions of their nations. Remember the struggle in those countries were against oppressive governments, police corruption, economic struggle and widespread human rights violations. Also, remember the International Indigenous Youth Council in Dakota, where the young activists altered the course of events in that country. A recent instance is also the Black Lives Matter movement in Ferguson, Missouri, which culminated into a country-wide protest in the United States of America against the aggression of the police against Blacks.

Sam Brannen, in his article, ‘The Age of Leaderless Revolution,” had this to say, ‘citizens’ grievances are many but share a common theme: the failure of ruling elites and political institutions to meet expectations of dignity and betterment.

Protesters are frustrated with perceived corruption and economic inequality. Often young, angry, and urban, protesters are not an organised opposition proposing the substitution of their party or ideology for an existing one but a leaderless movement demanding their voices are heard. In some cases, protesters’ demands are clear; more often they are muddled. Across the board, the aggrieved want change in systems that feel outdated, broken, or non-responsive’. This mission of the Nigerian youths, however, suffers from the affliction of absence of leadership. Although leaderless movement is a recent strategy in revolutionary warfare dictated by the social media, it, however, cannot work in a situation like Nigeria, where the tendency of other elements such as politicians and hoodlums hijacking protest is highly probable. This gap has actually led to the latest developments in several parts of the country, particularly Osun State, where the Governor alleged the political opponents to have been responsible for the attacks unleashed on him; in Benin where a similar insinuation was drawn, coupled with the activities of hoodlums; in Lagos and in Abuja, where there are accusations and counter-accusations between the government and protesters as who engaged hoodlums to disrupt the protests. These are simply consequences of lack of leadership. Leadership could have enabled the protesters to guard their flanks from the hoodlums and would have enabled them situate their demands properly.

After war-war, it is jaw-jaw. Hence, no matter how long the protests persist, the end result will still be dialogue. Inevitably, this will require the representatives of the protesters as leaders to marshal their thoughts in a deliberative atmosphere with the government. As remarked above, there is nothing strange in leaderless struggles as aptly captured by Sam Brannen,, “…It is a question of when, not if, the digital flash mob comes for those in power. Leaderless movements are a tidal wave washing over our planet. The energy that creates them does not dissipate even when they are crushed by authoritarian governments. Rather it re-gathers strength. It cannot be ignored, but it can be co-opted for harm or good”.

Existence of leadership would have led to the creation of structures essential to the immediate and future agitation of grievances.

The lack of leadership is usually costly, as currently witnessed in the country where the undue mayhem and violence, not intended, are being perpetrated by miscreants attributing same to genuine activists. What this reveals is the imperfection in the leadership capacity of the youth. Indisputably, they demonstrated some measure of leadership capacity before the hijack. Unfortunately, attempts by some elders to give some guidance were rebuffed, suspiciously for good reason.

Elders have not over time shown why they should be trusted, hence the fear of seeking or taking advice from them.

Notwithstanding, the saying is, Ti omode ba n ge igi ni’gbo, agba lo maa mo ibi ti o maa wo si (where a child fells a tree in the forest, it is the elders that know the direction of its landing). The adult counsel could have helped to direct the fledgling protests. In some states, curfew has been imposed, and more states possibly will follow suit. By the time the majority or all the states are under curfew, the country would have been shut down. How does this help the country that is just struggling to recover from the compelling COVID-19 lockdown?

At the end of the day, is the country not dangerously heading towards failure? This is why I believe that the imposition of curfew might not be the best solution in the circumstances.

One would have thought that the government would first accelerate the full and actual resumption of the tertiary institutions at all levels. These young ones have been at home for seven months with the attendant boredom, waiting for government to fashion out the necessary protocols for them to resume. In other climes, schools have for long resumed in one form or the other, thereby engaging the youths and enabling them positively channel their youthful energy into productive ventures. That is not so in Nigeria. Hence, when the protest started, the youth saw relaxation opportunity in it and resumed daily at the various centres.

This is further aided by the provision of all basic needs at the venues, food, drinks, medical andlegal support, in a few instances, financial support. Do you then blame them for seeking happiness in those venues? The youths are practically visiting the relaxation parks in Lagos for pleasure and not really out to disrupt anything. Can the government, therefore, fast-track the resumption into campuses of these youths and take time to attend to the grievances of the youths in a manner that provides reasonable solutions to their challenges?

The other category of those involved in the protests are the jobless. They are in multitudes. Government needs to urgently create an engagement scheme for them. Without any form of engagement, the devil will continue to find job for idle hands. Addressing the new seven-point demands might be insufficient.

The ongoing protest is a wakeup call to Nigerian leaders and it is hoped that the opportunity will not be allowed to slip in adjusting their traditional posture of being nonchalant. Should the Nigerian government survive this, the strong warning by Sam Brannen must be borne in mind that, ‘Leaderless revolutions grow in perceived voids of leadership at the national and international levels around the globe. Social media is accelerating and enabling them. We are in a new age of leaderless revolution. The accelerating trendline is clear, and we would be wise to look for its further intensification in years and perhaps decades ahead’.

A word is enough for the wise, as the country may not be this lucky next time.