Nigeria is yet to recover from the effects of what will perharps go down in the political history of the country as the mother of all protests that sprang up nationwide at the instance of the perceived neglected youth population.
The nationwide protests, framed under the theme, #EndSARS, like a social revolution, started on a peaceful note under a united front against the brute force of SARS against the citizenry, and the apparent indifference of the Federal Government to the glaring excesses of that unit of the police force.
The twists and turns of the protests have left in its wake negative consequences that threatens the very foundation of the nation.
Apart from the #EndSARS saga, there had been barrages of agitations, including, drumming for secession and war, by some aggrieved groups in the country. Amidst the heightened tension across the country, some concerned Nigerians have posited that the events of the past weeks should be seen as a watershed to reposition the country on the path of national rebirth.
A Moslem cleric, Alhaji Murtala Bamidele, who spoke with The Tide in Port Harcourt recently said Nigeria as a nation was presently passing through her most trying moment, but that the country can come out of the evolving crisis more refined if only the issues that led to the protests are addressed.
Bamidele said “the nationwide protests by the youths have shown that something is fundamentally wrong with the system and needs to be addressed to build the confidence of the masses in the leadership of the nation”.
He pointed out that the youth revolt was a national outcry that must not be glossed over, but rouse the sensitivity of the leaders to respond to the imperatives of good and responsible governance.
While commending the youths for their boldness to raise their voices against the forces of injustice, he frowned against the antics of infiltrators, outlaws and extremists whose penchant for incivility led to colossal wastages of lives and property across the nation.
He said, “in canvassing for a better Nigeria all citizens must be guided by their consciences we must not fan the embers of war and destruction, the eye of the world is on Nigeria and what Nigeria need now is peace and justice. We don’t have any other country apart from Nigeria, and Nigeria represents hope for the black race. No African nation can contain Nigerian refugee population if there’s war. The moment we are now as a country calls for sober reflection and consolidation on the forces that unite us”.
Bamidele, who is the chief Imarn of the Mile One Diobu Central Mosque, decried what he called the ‘insincerity of our leaders in governance’ and pointed out that such betrayal of public trust by leadership at all levels in the country had resulted in untold calamities in which the innocents are mostly the victims.
He said, “disintegration is never a solution to the Nigeria problems, our leaders must lead with a sense of responsibility, there should be employment for the youths, there should be provision of social amenities for the people, the art of governance goes with responsibility, our political leaders should be able to manage state fund with a sense of accountability and Nigeria will get to its expected height among the comity of nations”.
Commenting on the importance of the eidel Maulud celebration, the Moslem Cleric who is also the leader of the Tijanniyah group in Rivers State said the event represented the birth of Prophet Mohammed, and extolled the virtues of the Prophet of Islam.
“I want to use this opportunity of celebration of the birth of Prophet Mohammed to call on all Moslem faithfuls in the country to pray for the peace of the nation, I urged all Nigerians irrespective of their religious or political affiliations to embrace peace and contribute positively towards the building of the nation. We should emulate the character and services of Prophet Mohammed to Allah and humanity, the eye of the world is on Nigeria and our leaders need to sit up to redeem the image of the country, Nigerians have grown out of patience, they need a sense of care and wellbeing”.
The Moslem Cleric cautioned against religious intolerance, stating that Moslems and Christians were brothers and had to work together to promote peace and development in the country. He emphasised that, the religious, traditional and political leaders should live as role models by becoming responsive to their statutory obligations towards the society.
It would be recalled that the entire length and breadth of Nigeria had over the past weeks been under turmoil, with both genuine protesters and arsonists on the rampage demanding their pound of flesh from the system which they believed had failed to live up to their aspirations and dreams.

Stories by Taneh Beemene