Promoting Transactional Communication For Healthy Protests

Prof. Nolue Emenanjo and Doctor Obed Ojukwu (2012) in their book Language and Communication, described  man as Homo – Loquen-  a talking animal. Interestingly, Homo-Loquen” is a popular Latinate maxim. The two scholars, now late, were lecturers in  the University of Port Harcourt, who had invaluable contributions to language and communication. Truly, human beings remain the only creation of God with organised speech and defined codes of communication. Language and communication are strategic to human development no matter the sphere of life or field of endeavour. This is the reason different scholars have articulated paradigms, models and theories as part of efforts to make communication productive and result – oriented. They include Walter Lippman and John Dew of the American School of Pragmatism and their contemporaries of the proponents of critical theory from the Frankfurte School in Germany, such as Max Horkheimer, Herbert Marcus, Theordor Ardorno, and second generation critical theorists led by Jurgen Habermas.
It is common knowledge that Dean C. Barnlund designed transactional communication (model of communication). According to Dean C. Barnlund,  transactional communication promotes a two way communication process that attaches premium to feedback with respect to negotiation, conversation over the telephone and haggling as in price bargaining etc. It therefore has its advantages over linear communication model earlier propanded by Sharon and Weaver since 1945, among others.  A transactional communication allows for feedback but not without some challenges in the process such as noise of various types and nature.  Inspite of its setback and disadvantages, transactional communication has provision for dialogue, consultation and negotiation for the overall development of societal growth. With respect to averting crisis, it is imparative to engage all stake holders through dialogue and negotiation. Transactional Communication has the potential to prevent strikes, protest and crisis in an organisation, society and country at large.
This is where the  ongoing  protest, tagged #End hardship and bad governance, comes to mind. The organisers, though faceless at the beginning, had published on social media notifying the nation of this ongoing nationwide protest but  the authorities at the national and sub-national levels did  not seem to interrogate the process. For instance, what are the challenges Nigerian citizens are going through?. These challenges are captured and outlined under a 12- point demand underlisted as follows:  Revert petrol pump price to N100 per liter, Combat insecurity and hunger, Close all IDP camps and resettle the campers, Total Electoral Reforms, Independent probe into electoral budget of 355 billion, Immediate release of #EndSARS protesters still in detention. Others are implementation of living wage (minimum wage 300k), Compulsory free education from primary to secondary schools, Children of Public Office holders must attend public schools in the country, Government must patronise made in Nigeria goods, Transition to unicameral legislature and Judicial and constitutional review.
Specifically, the ongoing #End hardship and bad governance protest can be correctly seen to be driven by hunger, starvation and poverty across the nation. Thus, on Thursday August 1st 2024, the nationwide protest took place as planned with wanton destruction, resulting to about twenty two (22) persons in Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, Borno, Kastina, Abuja and Lagos among others. The interplay of secu-economics; meaning an interplay between security challenges and economic crunch are no less a factor. Instead of the leadership, particularly the federal government, to call the protesters to negotiate and dialogue to avert further protest, the Federal Government issued threats, warning and fire brimstone aggravating the protest. For instance, it is being alleged that the Federal Government  sponsored protest against the protests as perpetrated by traditionalists and another set of protest against the protesters in Lagos. To this end, many called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to address the nation on the protests after National Assembly Members and Governors themselves were not only docile but taciturn to respond to their constituents and citizens at sub-national levels.
However, the president reluctantly addressed the nation on day four of the nationwide protest. Kudos must be accorded to Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State for coming out to receive and address protesters and went further to promise them what he called “Pure Water” and “small thing” which  have generated more heat than light. It must be noted and acknowledged that Governor Kefas of Taraba State and few others later addressed the protesters. Be that as it may, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu addressed the nation during which the president expressed condolences over loss of lives to families and relations, called for suspension of the protests nationwide, condemned ethnic bigotry and further appealed to protesters to come for dialogue and also reminded the nation of his reforms in the areas of economy, infrastructure development, fiscal improvement. Unfortunately, President Tinubu’s broadcast has since attracted divergent views and knocks.
This is where the remarks of the noble Laureate Wole Soyinka, PDP and others come to mind. The speech was insensitive to the plights of Nigerians. Worse-still, food inflation is about 41 percent, implying that the cost of food items is beyond the reach of the common man. It is worthy of note, that a cup of rice and beans is five hundred naira each, while a cup of garri is three hundred naira. If one takes a closer look at the convoy of politicians, no one can explain why citizens should not be angry at the leadership. Unfortunately, instead of leadership to dialogue, negotiate and interrogate the excruciating pain of the citizens, they rather threaten the citizens. This consultation is cogent to enable security operatives provide security and give room for dialogue to avoid crisis. It is therefore pertinent to promote transactional communication as part of effort to graduate from policy contestation to involvement engagement in policy architecture for civil society groups to embrace.
Protests could be converted and adopted as a medium of feedback mechanism. On the other hand, good governance is not all about the President, Governor alone but the entire Nigerian Citizens. On food inflation, research shows that there are food crops that can be planted and harvested in three to four months.  Among these crops is rice. The authorities at the national and sub-national levels should truly invest in agriculture to guarantee food Security. As a matter of urgency, government must properly evaluate the states were the protests turned violent, wherein children were engaged, as well as looted shops, because according to them, they were already on the streets begging to eat. The use of live bullets to disperse protesters was not good enough in Abuja and Kano, whereas government allegedly sponsored protest against the protests is condemnable.
A situation where a country at war is donating grains to Nigeria is regrettable. According to former Indian Prime Minister Mohatma Gandhi; “There are people in the world so hungary that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread”. It is advisable to pray and task government to resolve the protest so the ongoing protest does not gravitate towards REVOLUTION such as the Arab Spring. In an interview with Head of Department of Agric-Economics, Associate Professor Okidim Iboh said: “Cereals commonly known as grains can be planted and harvested within three to six months”. Associate Professor of Farm Management and Financing listed rice, Wheat, Sogums and maize as examples of crops that can be planted and harvested to combat food shortage while potatoes and cassava could be applied to support production of bread rather than dependent largely on Imported wheat etc”. Bread simply represent food, while hunger and starvation could be devastating. So far, some protesters at the Gani Fawehinmi Park, Ojota, Lagos and Port Harcourt noted that they preferred to DIE on the road protesting than in their houses. The time to act is now.

Baridorn Sika
Sika is a public affairs analyst.