Rinu Oduala, one of the
organisers of the #EndSARS protests, whose account has been frozen by the
Central Bank of Nigeria, has spoken out, wondering whether she no longer has a
right to protest or speak out.
In a message meant for President
Muhammadu Buhari and other political leaders of the country, the Lagos State
University chemistry student asked what has changed between the repression her
parents suffered under military rule, and what she is suffering now, in a
democracy.
“I am part of a generation of
Nigerians who have lived most of their adult lives under ‘democratic’ rule and
yet, I woke up today feeling there is no difference between the Nigeria I grew
up in, and the Nigeria my parents grew up in”, the 22 year-old wrote on
Twitter.
And in one tweet, she debunked accusations that the protest was intended to cause havoc in the society.
To underscore her point, she
quoted President Buhari, when he said: “Certainly, there is no way whatsoever
to connect these bad acts to legitimate expression of grievance of the youth of
our country”.
“Are you saying Baba is telling
lies?”, she asked the critics of #EndSARS and reiterated that the protest was
peaceful and legitimate.
#EndSARS was not the first time,
Rinu will get entangled in public affairs.
She was the convener of Operation
Sanitise movement during the heat of the pandemic, sharing hand sanitizers to
Nigerians.
She also joined the protest
against rape, after the murder of UNIBEN student, Uwavera Omozuwa and Tina
Ezekwe.
Read her thought provoking
submission, she titled: All I have is my VOICE
I am part of a generation of
Nigerians who have lived most of their adult lives under ‘democratic’ rule and
yet, I woke up today feeling there is no difference between the Nigeria I grew
up in, and the Nigeria my parents grew up in.
The sacrifices of the democrats
who bravely stood on the June 12 mandate to bring our democracy to life seem to
be in vain. Ironically, many of them are serving in this government and ruling
party.
Everywhere I turn, I am told that
I should be ‘grateful’ for a democracy that lives were lost, I should be
thankful that I have a voice and I can speak up for myself and my peers.
But how can I be grateful when
young men and women disappear every day, some killed recklessly without cause,
while others get scarred for life—physically, emotionally, or both?
When we began to protest, it was
because young Nigerians decided to speak up.
We spoke up – not because we
wanted to overthrow the government, the only agenda was getting the @PoliceNG
to stop killing us. We did not carry arms, or incite any insurrection.
Our only confidence was the
peaceful protests enshrined in Section 40 of our 1999 Constitution.
At every point, we maintained
calm and educated our followers – reiterating throughout the protests that we
were not there to fight the government but to ask for change and to follow
through to make sure that change was effected.
We believed that somehow we would
be spared from the systemic violence and breakdown of social order, the direct
result of the government’s actions.
Unfortunately we were mistaken.
I was nominated to receive
donations to the EndSARS cause by Nigerians at home and abroad who felt
helpless to personally protest but believed they could make a difference
through financial sacrifices.
Such was the passion of average
Nigerians to contribute how best they can to the #EndSARS cause, and sent in
what they could sacrifice towards the cause.
Some people even donated ₦500,
which I strongly believe meant a lot to them, as it could have been all they
could spare towards the cause.
To have their motives behind
their sacrificial efforts questioned is disheartening.
The funds in question here also
includes some of my personal hard earned money of over N200,000 naira.
These funds were earmarked for
disbursement towards the medical bills of injured protesters.
Amongst other demands, we called
for a probe into the killings and torture of people and the government agreed
to setting up judicial panels.
To assure young people of the
independence and fairness of the panel, also looking at the integrity &
reputation of the panelists on the @LagosSarsPanel, after nominations, I took
up the role as a youth representative at the detriment of my education,
personal life and family.
I did this to make PEACE. I did
to ensure our young people understood that the only way to create a better and
safer Nigeria is to do things lawfully. Why am I still being targeted for
lending the government my good will?
I am not a part of Nigeria’s
political or business elite—I have no relatives in government or family members
with enough wealth to sway powerful individuals. I am just an ordinary young
Nigerian.
I study, selling hoodies and
other clothing to pay my school fees. I also do the odd bit of freelancing,
taking on some brand influencing work to ensure my family doesn’t suffer.
Somehow, however, my existence
threatens my government, the fact that I have a voice is enough for them to try
to silence me.
In the Nigeria I am voicing out
for, it wouldn’t matter that I am a child of nobody coming from the average
Nigerian home. The Nigeria I am voicing out for is one that prioritizes every
voice, protects every inalienable right, even mine.
I decided to use the only
currency I have, my voice to speak up against extrajudicial killings, torture,
extortion and unjust harassment that is still happening in a democratic nation
in the 21st century!
The government also agreed that
reform is inevitable and promised us they were going to listen, however they
have refused to honor their promises while they continue to deny the lives lost
and also target the same people who spoke up.
I am not afraid—I am only
disappointed that this country will treat us this way. We are the soul of this
nation and no nation exists without her people.
Nigeria is all I have, and I have
a right to demand that it works for all of us, not just those with influence,
wealth, or a government position.
In a country that people have
been voiceless for a long time, people holding the government accountable is
being seen as too much?
How can we ensure that this sort
of thing will encourage people to build a new Nigeria?
A Nigeria that will be filled
with accountable government officials, where all forms of oppressions and
injustice is a thing of the past.
Rinu #EndSARSFireWater pistol
How do you expect me as a part of
the future of this country to still believe in a country who thinks they can
through CBN freeze my account for no just cause?
This is not fair. But we will
make it fair. Otherwise, there is no future for my generation & the
generations to come.
Lest you forget, #EndSARS !
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com