As the controversy surrounding the naira redesign and the strict implementation of the new cashless policy of the present administration continues to cause anxiety and the February 25, 2023 date for the beginning of the general elections draws near, I have watched with dismay, shock and disappointment as irate youths attacked bank buildings, ATMs, fuel stations and vehicles in some cities across the country. This is very condemnable.
Peaceful protests have long been a way for citizens to demand change, to make their voices heard and to hold their governments accountable, especially in democratic systems like ours. The right to protest is essential in a democracy as it is a means for people to express dissatisfaction with current situations and assert demands for social, political, and economic change. Protests often make change happen and throughout the course of Nigeria’s history, it has taken sustained protests over long periods of time to bring about substantive change in governmental policies and the lives of people.
However, as good as they are, when such demonstrations turn violent they can cause more harm than good, not only to the demonstrators themselves but also to the wider community. We are still scarred by the unfortunate end to one of the most organic protests that Nigeria ever faced in the #ENDSARS movement and how it was taken over by an orchestrated brutal segment, which gave the government the excuse to use military force to quell the entire movement.
In recent weeks, Nigeria has witnessed a surge in protests sparked by the scarcity of the redesigned naira notes and a seemingly unending and frustrating fuel shortage. While the grievances behind these combustible acts of protests are not only understandable and in some instances, valid means of letting the authorities feel the pulse of the streets, the violent and disruptive tactics used by some of the protesters have caused damage to public and private property while apparently disrupting the lives of ordinary citizens, most of whom are simply going about their lives and trying to earn their daily bread.
One such protest took place on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, where demonstrators set up roadblocks at several junctions. The roadblocks caused traffic congestion and disruption to commercial activities, with motorists being turned back on their way to Lagos and Ibadan last Tuesday. As the day wore on, the protesters became increasingly violent, setting fire to tires at each junction and causing damage to the newly constructed expressway, which had taken longer than forecasted to complete in full. Some motorists caught in the middle of the protest were understandably frustrated. It was not out of place to feel that their overall support for the demands of the protesters and their right to express their grievances were genuine, but most of these road users conceded that the violent protests, including the burning of tyres and defacing of the new roads were counterproductive.
Still, these protesters persisted in their demonstration for over seven hours until soldiers arrived on the scene to disperse them and clear the roadblocks. It took the intervention of the soldiers to disperse the protesters, restore order to the areas affected and clear the way for motorists to resume their movement.
The Lagos-Ibadan protest was just one of many that have taken place in recent weeks, with thousands of residents of Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, taking to the streets to peacefully protest the shortage of new naira notes and fuel scarcity in the state. The protests spread from Gerin Alimi to other areas, including Oloje, Ogidi, Oja Oba, and UITH, among other adjoining roads in the state capital.
The irony is that although the initial Ilorin protest was peaceful in nature, it did not take long before the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state urged the residents to direct their anger toward rejecting the All Progressives Congress (APC) and all its candidates at the polls as a way of showing their displeasure with a government that has failed the people. It was an unambiguous indication of the readiness of the political class to curry favour and selfishly benefit from what was clearly an unnecessary state of frustration for the average Nigerian. It also pointed to what many alluded to be a case of politically sponsored crises to gain popular favour while causing disaffection between the people and one political rival or the other. This became more obvious in Delta State and in Edo State.
After the Ibadan and Ilorin crises, sponsored violent protests were recorded in Delta State. Irate youths in the State took to the streets to express their frustration over the continued shortage of new naira notes and the rejection of the old ones, by setting fire to two commercial banks in the Orhuwhorun area of Udu. The First Bank of Nigeria and an Access Bank branch were the unfortunate targets of the enraged protesters. These sponsored demonstrators, largely comprising tricycle and motorcycle operators, were reportedly incensed by the banks’ refusal to accept the old 200, 500, and 1000 naira notes, which they claimed was causing significant hardship for the local population. Trouble reportedly began in the early hours of the day when customers waiting in long queues were unable to access new notes.
As the day wore on and frustration mounted, the protesters became increasingly belligerent, attacking the ATM outlets of the banks before ultimately setting them on fire. In addition to the banks, a local fuel station was also set ablaze for refusing to accept the old notes from residents. The furious demonstrators then blocked a section of the road before turning their attention to the ATMs and banks.
Although President Muhammadu and the Governor of the Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele, have been trying to find ways to make more cash available without compromising their bid to rid the electoral system of vote buying, the scarcity of the notes remains mostly because of the greed and underhand tactics of some bank officials and politicians.
Some governors of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), who appear most hurt by the currency redesign, have through their utterances fueled the violent protests whilst also promoting instability.
While there are fears that the situation may escalate further if the underlying issues are not addressed in the days that follow, and with no definitive resolution of the situation, things have not actually escalated as initially feared. This has fuelled the growing suspicion that these acts of violence and vandalism are not truly organic of themselves but actions of puppets dancing to the promptings of their puppeteers. This was directly pointed out in Edo State by the Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, who fingered former governor and Edo North senatorial candidate, Adams Oshiomhole, to be behind the violence protests in the state. Nehikhare’s action was based on a viral video in which the ex-governor was seen telling supporters of the APC to intimidate the opposition.
The protests in Ibadan, Warri, Ilorin and Benin were not the only ones that took place in Nigeria in recent weeks. In Abuja, the capital city, there were also reports of protests against the government’s handling of the economy and the general state of the nation. In Lagos, a couple of acts of vandalism took place, with some miscreants taking advantage of the unrest to damage bank property, including ATMs and staff vehicles.
The protests have highlighted the deep-seated grievances and frustrations of ordinary citizens, who are struggling to make ends meet in the face of economic hardship, insecurity and corruption. But, they have also revealed the dangers of violent and disruptive protests, which can quickly spiral out of control and lead to further harm to the protesters and the wider community, even as political rivals point fingers at each other to signal some undercurrents behind the demonstrations.
As the country heads to the polls in a few days, it is essential that these protests do not truncate Nigeria’s democracy and its fragile unity. It is therefore warranted that any one interested in making a whirlwind ought to be wary of the reality of being swallowed by the consequences. While it is important for citizens to demand change and hold their governments accountable, it is equally important that they do so through peaceful and lawful means, rather than through violence.
In addition, there is nothing to gain from wanton destruction of public and private infrastructure erected for the betterment of the society. One thing is clear, though. The violent protests are not organic hence they have not spread across the country.
I am optimistic that the cash scarcity will cease after the presidential election when politicians holding on to the redesigned notes release them on Election Day. I am also positive that the unending fuel shortage will also be sorted after the elections when we do away with the fraudulent fuel subsidy programme that this administration sustained with tens of billions of dollars.
It is up to all Nigerians to resist these attempts to sow chaos and division and to stand up for a better future for all. This election cycle gives us the opportunity to choose the kind of leaders that can make a positive difference. We need not scuttle it with trifling and vandalism.
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