#ENDSARS PROTESTS: EXODUS 2.x: By Dr Ahmad Gumi

"An exodus is in the making. Exodus against the Pharaohs of the day".....Sheikh Ahmad Gumi. 

"Five years are enough for a nation to improve with the right combination of conscientious leadership and a united populace".

"Winning an election with about 3 million votes out of 80 million eligible voters shows that the nation is deeply divided, it requires a careful balance of power and a form of a unity government that can navigate and maneuver the national ship through the treacherous waters of politics and international interests".

There is hunger in the country as most Nigerians cannot put three square meals on the table. This hunger is proven by the exodus of Nigerians from across the country, looting warehouses in search of food items or valuables. 

How did the nation, deteriorate to this level of lawlessness and disorder? Are five years not enough to put back the nation on track? Or is there something inherently wrong with our leaders and the population they lead?

Certainly, five years are enough for a nation to improve with the right combination of conscientious leadership and a united populace. But the problem is that the nation was divided all along. Winning an election with about 3 million votes out of 80 million eligible voters shows that the nation is deeply divided, it requires a careful balance of power and a form of a unity government that can navigate and maneuver the national ship through the treacherous waters of politics and international interests.

Because this did not happen, there is no surprise then that an exodus is in the making. Exodus against the Pharaohs of the day. #ENDSARS was just a symptom of a deep-seated discontentment and despair over the affairs of the nation and diseases of having the wrong leadership over a divided nation. Why the leadership is wrong is because, it came not as a unifier but a divider, it’s not a pacifier but a provoker. It’s selective in the dispensation of justice and un-consultative in decisions.

Just as recently, in his speech on the 22nd October 2020, the President said:

“5. As a democratic government, we listened to, and carefully evaluated the five-point demands of the protesters. And, having accepted them, we immediately scrapped SARS, and put measures in place to address the other demands of our youth. 6. On approving the termination of SARS, I already made it clear that it was in line with our commitment to the implementation of extensive Police reforms. 7. Sadly, the promptness with which we have acted seemed to have been misconstrued as a sign of weakness and twisted by some for their selfish unpatriotic interests.”

I repeat: “promptness with which we have acted seemed to have been misconstrued as a sign of weakness”. 

Smart Psychologists can decipher from these words, that acting promptly to genuine demands was not the nature of this government and the underlying reason could just be a simple as the fear by the government for being misconstrued as a sign of weakness. When some youth in the north, Katsina state in particular, peacefully demonstrated in June 2020 against heinous atrocities committed against them by invading terrorists, their leader was arrested and the demonstrations silenced.

It shows the state of mind of the president. 

He still doesn’t understand that his position as a President is a position of weakness depending solely on the power of the people. When a president answers peoples’ legitimate demands, he’s doing that because there is no option but to obey. They put you up there to do their bidding. Even those that did not vote for you agreed with the constitutional provision that puts you up there to lead. You are there as a public servant to serve them all with equity. 

On 17-10-2014, almost 6 years back, I discouraged both GEJ and Buhari against contesting for fear of a divided nation. Most importantly, I saw the two as not fully understanding what it means to listen. I wrote: 

“Finally, what disqualifies the two is their recalcitrancy. It’s a popular view that nobody can approach them with what they don't want to hear. The 18-page open letter by a political mentor confirms it. I heard reliably through the grapevines Goodluck saying: ‘people think he is mumu, he will give out power to another person’. He has forgotten only great leaders do that for peace, stability, and tranquility. He is definitely not one, and that is what further disqualifies him. Buhari also cannot be advised. That is legendary. He believes in himself only. So if before ascending to power, he is unapproachable, when he gets power he will just turn into another Pharaoh as nobody has the monopoly of wisdom and no man is indispensable. If the two, will mutually step down for completely different people, then please spread the good tidings for a peaceful Nigeria. Otherwise, we pray for God’s indulgence.” https://web.facebook.com/AhmadAbubakarMahmudGumi/posts/640150959438730

The recent events have demonstrated very well that Nigeria is critically sick. The recently uncovered corruption in Katsina state security spendings leading to the near absence of security is just a tip of an iceberg of what is happening all over the nation. The storming of food warehouses by common people also demonstrates that the nation is starving. 

Now that people are aware and are out in the streets, it's never a sign of weakness, Mr. President to act promptly. 

With this exodus, the government has no option but to start listening to people. It must take prompt and immediate actions to answer their demands. No exodus has been reversible without results.

So, the way forward:

1. Food has to be immediately available and cheap even if it will add to the national debt. The deficit must be imported. People are hungry.

2. There is an absolute need for a surge in both military and police forces in numbers and equipment, even at the expense of halting all capital and structural developments. Without peace, farming, trading, and the economy have no place in the country. We need to secure our forest with a specialized force, call it National guards or rangers as a separate security outfit. The conscripting of locals in this force is very essential.

3. Educational reforms dictated by academicians, not politicians.

4. National conference for structural adjustment is mandatory.

At this junction, we hail Rivera state government for publicly dissociating itself from IPOB. This is what is required of the SW state to do for those clamoring for the ODUDUWA republic and the northern states also to dissociate itself from against militant Fulani herdsmen and BH insurgencies.

Nigeria is a blessed country and we pray it remains blessed. May Allah guide us all out of all tribulations. Amin