Afrobeat musician and activist, Seun Kuti has said that the
protests going on across the country is no longer about the Special
Anti-Robbery Squad and reformation of the entire police.
He said the protests have gone beyond that as new agenda
against government’s anti-people activities has emerged
The protests have continued across the country despite the
government’s announcement of the scrapping of SARS and agreeing to meet the
demands of the protesting youths.
The music artist noted it was necessary that the government
addressed the protesters.
“People should not sit in their high offices in Abuja. Bring
yourself off your high horse. Come and relate with the people that just voted
for you. Come and really hear what is going on,” he said.
Speaking on the alleged hijack of the protest as some
government officials may have believed, the Afrobeat star dismissed the claims
and urged those in authority to rather view it as an opportunity.
“Don’t feel victimized, don’t think there is somebody trying
to get you. No. These are your people trying to talk to you,” he said.
“This is actually a moment that we can actually build a
bridge (between the government and the people), but they don’t want to hear
that.
“The slogan might be EndSars but the mission is to change in
the relationship we have with the government in this country.
“As soon as the government starts to really hear the people
in terms of those things that we are demanding – in terms of good governance,
in terms of bringing the things that really matter to us, to the front of their
own preoccupation,” Seun Kuti said.
“We have a government in place and we believe that they
should do the job; as some of the highest paid politicians in the world, they
should be the hardest workers for their people. But we tend to have a country
where the people continue to work to make things easier for those in government
and it shouldn’t be that way; a country should work for the benefit of the
people.
“So, what we are saying is that there must be a change in
the relationship between the people, the government and our commonwealth; how
it is distributed and those that benefit from it. This is what we the people
are saying, and this is what we have always been saying.
“It is not just about police reforms; that is not all you
owe us. You owe us good schools, livable wages, high standard of living – all
the quality things that you and your family members enjoy in this country and
outside of it. We, at least, deserve to enjoy it here.
“For me, personally I don’t want to back down and I think
the people of Nigeria also don’t want to back down. I am a servant of the
people and I follow the people,” he said.
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