NORTHERN NIGERIA PROTEST REVOLUTION
Reviewing the protest in Northern Nigeria. Hunger is a unifying factor. Insecurity is also a unifying factor. When animals are frightened, they run together; they come together. Before now, anytime there was a protest in the southern part of Nigeria, like during the ANERS, the northern part of Nigeria did not participate. They listened to their leaders and followed whatever they were told in the mosque or their communities. However, hunger has provoked anger.
There were massive protests in several states, except for a few, in the northern part of Nigeria. Why? Number one: before now, we had these rich elites who captured money from the Commonwealth, either the states, local governments, or the federal government. The poor people would come to their houses, and they would cook for them daily, sometimes three meals a day. This was prevalent in the north. Today, the story has changed. Nobody can afford such generosity any longer. The reality has dawned on the northern young men. Before now, there was employment everywhere. Some of us in the southern part went to the north to work. Today, the jobs are not there.
Before now, some of these governors sponsored bandits and brought them to contest against Goodluck Jonathan. The evidence is there. The bandits they brought could not be settled. People came to Nigeria, saw good pastures, and realized that this country was far better than where they came from. They decided to settle, and to do so, they had to displace people, kill people, and commit crimes. This has affected everyone from Sokoto to Niger states to Zamfara, affecting the entire north. I was listening to a young man who said at least 20 people are killed daily. There is general insecurity in the north, and many have drifted towards the southern part of Nigeria.
Someone said during the elections that the northern part of Nigeria does not have access to the internet and that most people don’t use social media. That was a grave mistake. When I saw the protest, I saw Northern youth, most of them with phones, recording videos of what was happening. They have become more exposed to the criminality, the elite capture, and the corruption of their leaders. They are more affected than any other part of Nigeria. The average Northern youth does not fear anyone, not even death. When provoked to a certain point by the irritating situation in the country, that’s why you saw the massive protest. Ironically, it happened on a Friday, and the protest picked up most likely after they came from the mosque. The imams and clergymen could not pacify them.
It points to a great danger. When people say Nigeria is sitting on a keg of gunpowder and lighting a cigarette, Nigerian leaders think people are alarmists. In the next series of videos, I’m going to be talking about providing solutions to the challenges in this country. If you have common sense, listen. Nearly everything I have said concerning Nigeria has come to pass. Sometimes, I get discouraged and don’t want to say anything, but let’s put these things on record. The protest in the northern part of Nigeria is a strong warning to all who are currently in leadership in the country. It’s a sign that the people have had enough, and religion cannot be used as a weapon to pacify people anymore. Creating a common enemy between Christians and Muslims no longer works. I saw Christians surrounding and protecting Muslims during prayer, and I wept. This is the kind of country I had hoped for when I was growing up. There are particular issues prevalent in Northern Nigeria that I will not discuss now, but if you’ve been studying these issues, you will know what they are.
I remain your friend, Dr. Charles Apoki. God bless you.
