Maverick entertainer, Charles Chukwuemeka Oputa, popularly known as Charlyboy, was almost killed during the week for his advocacy for the return of President Muhammadu Buhari when violent
Excerpts…
Each time there is a major
national issue that requires advocacy and open discourse, you are always seen
championing the course of the masses. Why is that so?
Well, for the past 40 years of my
life, I have done various forms of advocacy for the entertainment industry.
What they are enjoying now is as a result of the few of us who brought respect
and the ‘big’ money into the industry. One dominant group that I have always
tried to inspire and motivate is the Nigerian youths.
I have always said that this
country will be saved by exceptional youths. I felt very sad and discomfort
knowing the fact that it just seemed like everybody has gone to sleep,
especially the Nigerian youths; of which I represent. It’s beginning to look
like all this while they have been docile.
I understand the dynamics. They
were born into this rot. Most of them don’t know any better. I have often said
that my generation and the ones before me are to be held responsible for not
sticking to our guns; been able to create an enabling environment where the
youths can grow.
You understand that the
#ourmumudondo is also a coalition of different groups who believe in the dream
of a united Nigeria; who believe that we deserve a better country than what we
presently have; who believe that our resources are not handled properly. The
result of it is the poverty that you see, the hopelessness, the frustration;
everybody is angry because when you hear about people stealing money that they
can never finish in four life times, you wonder whether it is madness.
Is it the same passion you have
brought to the recent ‘resume or resign’ protest?
Yes, it is clear to all and
sundry that nothing appears to be working; the nation seems to be retrogressing
and nobody is aware of where the government is leading the masses to, and how
it intends to get there. The cabal in the Buhari administration is not really
telling us what it is that is going on within the Presidency.
Of course there are a lot of
issues and problems plaguing Nigeria but you know that it starts from the top.
The top in this context of course the Presidency. We are wondering, we are
saying to ourselves, ‘we know about the lies people in government often tell
the masses just to keep doing whatever it is that they do’ that is why we
decided to join forces as the ‘resume or resign’, because we wanted to, by
speaking out, try to compel the few individuals, excluding President Buhari
himself, who are responsible for the deep secrecy that has shrouded this
administration, to reveal what is wrong with the President so we can do the
needful from an informed angle..
We were only seeking for the
truth; that is why we did the everyday to sit-out. During our sit-outs, we only
sit together at the Unity Fountain and talk, and express our frustrations
especially with where Nigeria is today.
But why did you take the protest
or daily sit-out to Wuse market, many blame you for the fiasco that broke out
there last Tuesday?
A few days ago, we decided to go
to Wuse market to deliver public talks and mobilize young Nigerians for nation
building because as I said earlier; I have done my advocacy for over four
decades through the media and directly in public places such as schools, motor
parks, market, and the streets.
What we wanted to push to the
people we would see in Wuse market was the idea of change not coming from
heaven unless masses especially the youths take the bull by the horn and engage
one another on key issues.
They can’t continue to be staying
at the corridors, hoping to receive handouts. No, the youths need to be inside
where political meetings take place, it concerns their future. To achieve that,
one needs to engage; you need to be part of it. So we are saying the youths
must go let your voices be heard.
You must start to build groups
since INEC has opened up the electoral processes, so that in 2019, the masses
will not start to agonize again that unscrupulous politicians have taken over
power again and spoilt everything.
When I see people who agonize
over government maltreatment and injustice, I ask: where were you when they
were spoiling it? You need to be in there. So, that was part of our advocacy
apart from the ‘resume or resign.’
Then, how did the fiasco begin?
Everything was going well inside
the market. We had finished our advocacy. We had done our own little small
talks. It was as we were going that all hell broke loose before we could get
out of the market. We were surprised. It was like an ambush because our movement
is that of peace. We were not advocating violence.
Was that why you suspended the
‘resume or resign’ protests?
After that attack at the market,
the resume or resign protesters were more determined. They wanted to continue
coming out. About one or two of my people were injured. However, I looked at it
and thought to myself, ‘if these were my children, will I put them in harm’s
way like that?’
The police, during our second
daily sit-out, had already tear-gassed us; sent attack dogs at us; and harassed
us. May be that was what gave the people at Wuse market the morale to attack
us. But I just felt it was wrong.
If they were more determined,
that means the decision to suspend the protest was yours.
They didn’t know I was going to
call for the suspension of the protest. The day I did. They didn’t see the
announcement I made suspending the protest coming.
But I knew I had to make that
announcement to save our lives. Okay, we have made our point. Let’s relax.
Let’s re-strategize because there is a lot to be done to salvage this country.
The issue of Muhammadu Buhari,
his health and the cover-up to prevent the citizens from knowing what is wrong
with their president is just one in the many issues that we need to deal with.
So, to be fair to them as a
father, I can’t let them be more harmed. I am even feeling guilty and bad that
some of them were injured during the Wuse market attack.
But when it comes to outright
violence and hatred that is not what I preach. I am not a violent person. So, I
rather have them live and fight another day.
Some victims alleged that you
provoked the attack by forcing your way into the market
I did not force my way into the
market. I am not a ‘by force’ kind of person. Yes, they had said; ‘no’ we would
not enter that we should take our advocacy to somewhere else. But later, Head
of the Market Task Force called Musa was the same person that opened the gate
for us. Looking back at how the thing played out, we are thinking, he must have
let us in as an ambush. We reliably gathered that he was the one who organized
the group that attacked us. He obviously knows all those kind of people around
the market in his capacity as Head of Task Force.
How will you react to allegations
that you were sponsored with about N200m to stage the aborted protest?
From the ‘resume of resign group’
how many people do you see? You see just few people about 10 or thereabout
because nobody is paying them to do that thing that they are doing. When you
come to their side you don’t see pure water. You don’t see wraps of paper money
littered all over. They believe in that thing that they are doing. Obviously,
the ‘resume or resign’ protest was not sponsored. It was born out of
conviction.
The first time that they went out
was Monday last week. It was on Tuesday that even the Unity Fountain was
engulfed with more than over 150 policemen because of how that first coming out
went viral all over the world.
How many people showed up there?
Less than eight people who just sat there. They didn’t want us to be there.
They wanted us to leave. But Unity Fountain is a public place. So, we said we
are not going to leave because we are not causing any harm. We only sat there
and were singing. So, why do they want us to leave?
When they knew that we were
determined to stay, they now sent their attack dogs and started spraying us
with water cannons and started shooting us tear gas. Later in the evening, they
came to defend their actions on television that it was miscreants who were
coming. Then, you wonder who are the miscreants.
Obviously from all the videos
that were there, it was obviously that it was us that they were spraying. But
the few young protesters kept coming out. It was that seven or eight people
that caused the government to pack their publicity and media team to London to
go and get a video tape of our president. Before then, they were showing us
pictures. This is what only eight Nigerians where able to achieve.
Your crowd… [Cuts in]
Oh, they say ‘he does not have
crowd’. How do we get crowd when Nigerians are sleeping? So you can imagine
what 20 or 30 people can do once they are tenacious.
The people controlling this
country, the cabals are not up to 40 in number. That is why I believe those
that will kick-start the process to save this country are not up to 20 out of
200 million people.
Asari Dokubo lampooned your
efforts and described them as laughable after news concerning your being
tear-gassed at the Unity Fountain broke. What’s your response to him?
I don’t have any response to
Asari Dokubo. It’s Just like when I started Charly Boy Show. I am sure that you
that have come here and seen have seen how I am talking will be shocked. Everything
just crashes all your perceptions about me.
It is only the person acting that fully understands what he is doing. Other
people can give it different interpretations. So for me to be answering Asari
Dokubo is meaningless. Apparently, he doesn’t understand what I do.
And for him to make an informed
criticism is for him to understand what I am doing and for him to know that I
may be a dreamer but I still believe in the unity of Nigeria.
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