♯EndSARS: The Place of Empathy in Achieving National Rebirth

It has never been more daring and courageous in the history of Nigeria that over 100 million Nigerian youths nationwide would be speaking, clamouring and requesting unanimously without any form of sentiments across ethnic, religious and cultural lines for a better country than in the year 2020 and in the very month of independence of this great nation. A nation whose color of purity is bleeding and spurs of her growth in redress and in stagnation. This is a movement not spearheaded by any known figure but by the spur of frustration, anger, contempt, and conscious realization that we have been robbed and downtrodden for far too long that our future seems to have lost the light that illumines the term “bright future” and above all empathy in brotherhood and as citizens of a nation that is fattened but yet milked by few at the peril of so many.

This is a movement not just to end police brutality in all its forms in our security and defense systems but a movement to end four, five, six years of studying a course at a tertiary institution marred with strikes and other irregularities only to have a degree of monument with no opportunity to express and grow in your field of study or career. It is a movement to end all forms of bribery, corruption, solicitation for sex for grades, victimization and undeserving failure in our various colleges, polytechnics and universities. This is a movement to end the enormous strains civil servants go through to get promoted when they are due and duly deserving and to get their pensions paid after 35 years of judicious service to the country. This is a movement to improve the living conditions of our security personnel in their various barracks and increase their remuneration (earnings). The heavens will not fall if a security officer (police) is paid 150k as a startup, the nation is capable and exceedingly blessed to do so.

This is a movement to end the continuous suppression and control of the mass media that has failed in these present times woefully to prove that they are indeed the ‘voice of the voiceless’. This is a movement to end the numerous interests rates attached to loans by financial institutions that end up killing and drowning small and micro businesses. It is a movement to end failed promises and programmes not delivered during electioneering. It is a movement to awaken youths of this great nation to end the numerous stress, hurdles and bottlenecks we go through to get our national identity cards, international passports, voter’s card, etc. This is a movement to end domestic violence and rape against women and the subjugation of the rights of the girl child.

Dear friends in solidarity, the list goes on and on and for these reasons the Nigerian youths are demanding vehemently for these reforms on the streets of States across the federation and via social media platforms. Due to this demands many have lost their lives, many have lost their jobs and businesses, many are injured and will forever bear the scars for this just and thought re-awakening cause they have chosen to die for; because there is a strong belief and conviction that Nigeria would be a great nation for their generations yet unborn.

It will be very disheartening for any Nigerian youth to think or be of the notion that their fellow youths out there participating in this divinely inspired cause with the consciousness of the imminent dangers to their lives and future as already proliferating the social media space are not responsible, sensible or consciously aware of the dangers of being a Nigerian. It is important to underline

Therefore, I implore and admonish everyone to be empathetic towards this cause and take cognizance of the fact that the tool to essentially carry this out is in our hands;