As a Nigerian, a political leader, professional and community leader, I am constrained to lend my voice in support to the current mass opposition against Nigeria’s Political elites and oppression in today’s Nigeria brought upon us by the corrupt leaders of the All Progressive Party (APC) and the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP). What is happening across the breadth and length of Nigeria today is not new to history. Unfortunately, the oppressive ruling classes never learn from history.
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| Pastor Peters |
Jack Goldstone defines a revolution as an effort to transform the political institutions and the justifications for political authority in society, accompanied by formal or informal mass mobilization and non-institutionalized actions that undermine authorities. According to Political Science, a revolution (“a turn-around” in Latin revolutio) is a fundamental and sudden change in political power and organization as a result of mass revolt against a government that is perceived to be oppressive and politically incompetent. Which is what Nigeria has become today.
Fellow Nigerians, that is exactly what is happening all over the country, (except of course, the Northern parts of Nigeria), but I can assure you that, when it hits the North, what is happening today in the South would be a child’s play.
In 1994, the National Conscience Party formed and founded by Nigeria’s greatest Human Rights’ Crusader and the People’s Advocate-Late Chief Ganiyu Oyesola Fawehinmi, SAM, SAN and other leaders recognized the crass injustice and oppression pervading the Nigerian polity aftermath the scuttling of June 12, 1993 Election won by Late Chief MKO Abiola and his eventual murder by the state, began the silent revolution that defied the military and its political apologists under General Sanni Abacha, with its MASS MOBILIZATION of the SLOGAN-ABOLITION OF POVERTY. That slogan became the Principle that the National Conscience Party was founded upon. Why was this? According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, FOOD, AIR, WATER, SHELTER, CLOTHING, SLEEP formed the FOUNDATION of the Pyramid of Needs. The lack of these basics is what is defined as POVERTY.
The NCP believes that good governance means being with the people, knowing their pains, abolishing their poverty, and solving their problems. That is how to govern the people and that is what NCP want to do for the people. Whereas democracy is popularly defined as government of the people, by the people and for the people, this is not the case in Nigeria. Once conventional politicians have either been ‘elected’ or rigged into power, they govern for themselves and not for the people. The NCP government will practically demonstrate how governance should be for the people. Hence, our slogan included:
‘NCP!’… ‘For the people’
‘NCP!’… ‘The Caring Party’
‘NCP!’… ‘Abolition of poverty’
The experience of the ordinary people since May 29, 1999 when the conventional politicians took over the reign of power from the military has shown that nothing fundamental has changed. Governance has continued to be for the interest of politicians as opposed to being for the people. Our people fought against military dictatorship not because they hated the military uniform but because they strove to enjoy political freedom and economic comfort. Unfortunately, they have not enjoyed either. The inability of the conventional politicians in power to satisfy the economic interests of our people has unjustly driven government to unleash political repression on the masses.
HOW DID WE GET HERE?
June 12, 1993 Election won by MKO Abiola and scuttled by the ‘evil genius’ IBB with the connivance of greedy politicians, majority of whom are still in government today was the ‘water-shed’ of Nigeria’s political renaissance. Since its annulment, the Nigerian polity has remained unstable with greed, filthy lucre and self-aggrandisement as the order of the day. The hardworking middle class were begging for a living wage but our politicians gave them a minimum wage of Naira Eighteen Thousand (N18,000.00) per month less than Five British Pounds. Whilst these middle -class children could barely afford three square meals, or pay school fees, the children of greedy politicians were flown abroad to study, organize birthday parties in Dubai and flew private jets and the latest cars in town. The police that was meant to protect every Nigerian were turned into private security firm to protect these politicians and the little that the ordinary Nigerian could salvage is forcefully taken by armed robbers and no police to protect them.
When the youths make efforts to feign for themselves through honest means or those pushed into crime by the oppressive systems, they are persecuted by the police, called LAZY by their President and Commander in Chief. Yet you have the members of the National Assembly and other States House of Assemblies awarding to themselves millions of tax payers money as salaries and allowances. COVID 19 pandemic came and 86 Billion Naira earmarked for palliative went into private pockets, and we were told, in three days the money has been distributed!!! Whereas, our wicked and greedy politicians were busy building warehouses and stock piling all the food stuffs and other items meant for the people in preparation for 2023, so that, during electioneering, these same items would be distributed as GIFTS by the politicians , who playing upon the intelligence of the people brought about by the poverty imposed on them would have no choice than to thank the thieves for their benevolence.
The people were watching. The political elites failed to see the handwriting on the walls, that Nigeria was like a keg of gunpowder waiting to explode. The Nigerian political class forgot so soon the revolution in Sudan few years ago that took down President El Bashir from glory to grass, that he was dragged on the streets of Sudan and now cooling off in an underground cell that he once placed his political enemies. They forgot about neighbouring Gambia, or Mali. They have forgotten the General Rawlings treatment of corrupt politicians in Ghana that today, Ghana has become a reference point for political stability. Most importantly, they have forgotten or rather are ignorant of the Storming of the Bastile, that led to the July 14 1789 French Revolution. The French Revolution led to the fleeing of majority of the Ruling Class. On July 22 1789, the populace lynched Controller -General of Finances Joseph Foullon de Doue and his son in-law Louise Benigne Francois Bertie de Sauvigny. This may happen in Nigeria if care is not taken.
ANY RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CURRENT CRISIS IN NIGERIA?
In 1962, John F. Kennedy famously said: Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable
Whatever is happening today in Nigeria, just as in 1789 in France is inevitable. Our so-called political elites including the President like the Roman Emperor Nero fiddled while Rome burned. There is no escape route for any of them. Especially the greedy and selfish politicians from the South, who have sold their birth rights to their Northern counterparts for a bowl of political porridge of 2023. From the South-South to the South-West and South-East. None of them will escape the reprisal because if they had any scruple left in them, they would not have foisted the current burden of leadership on the populace. Since I was born, I have never known a government as wicked and insensitive to the plights of the people as the current APC and PDP leaders! How can you explain the massive stockpile of COVID 19 palliatives in secret warehouses why Nigerians were dying by the day without food, water, shelter air, and sleep?
The Revolution has just began in Nigeria. The next stage would be the soldiers and policemen turning their guns against the wicked politicians in business and then the stage will be cleansed for people like us with CONSCIENCE to take over through a level playing political field. The policemen and the soldiers who took part in the dastardly killings of those innocent youths are by now regretting their actions because, they and their families are not immune against the poverty imposed on us by those giving them orders. This is the Beginning of the End Revolution by the oppressed Nigerians against the thieving Nigerian political elites.
Edo State with its current temporary occupant at Osadebey House, will be made to answer to the people while in their first tenure, they denied the people of the State their legitimate COVID 19 palliative by hiding them for their own selfish use. Let Godwin Obaseki be taking stock because, our government would probe every one of them when we take over. There is no peace for the wicked.
To those who have lost loved ones, my heart and pains are with you. I want to reassure you and your families that, all lives lost during this Revolution would be granted National Honours just as was done to the over 900 people who stormed the Bastille with certificate (Brevet de vainqueur de la Bastille meaning: Bastille Winer’s Patent) from the National Assembly in 1790.
I salute the resilience of every Nigerian involved in this movement. We in the Diaspora are also promoting and increasing the volume of your voices at our various countries of Residence and Victory is assured.
NIGERIA MUST BE GREAT AGAIN.
#NoRetreatNoSurrender
#PetersEdoChoice2020
*Contributed by Pastor Peters Osawaru OMORAGBON, Edo State 2020 Governorship Candidate.
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