By Femi Onakanren
The recently released white paper by the Lagos State Government, subsequent to the report submitted by the Judicial Panel of Inquiry (JPI) should have provided final closure on the events of the ill-fated #EndSARS protests, particularly also on matters relating to developments on 20/10/2020 at the Lekki Toll Gate.
The protest was a landmark event in our national history for many reasons, some good, some bad. On the side of good, it demonstrated a unified will, led by the youths, to demand a change in the system. Armed with a sense of civic duty, the youths demanded an end to police brutality, biased criminal profiling and the institution of positive police reforms. The initial momentum was a thing of beauty which inspired respect and support by all, locally and globally. The government was compelled to listen and the demands of the youth were expeditiously received with prompt compliance.
Unfortunately, an ill-wind took the momentum out of the sails of this historic social progress and entrenchment of democratic values. However, sensing a weakness in the organizational structure of the protesters and perceived pampering by the government, rogues with insidious agenda commandeered the protest seeing it as a platform for political leverage.
Hence the advent of the bad; the shift in the protests’ objective from seeking an end to police brutality and getting police reforms to driving a campaign for violent change in regime. This culminated ultimately, and rather sadly, in the ‘massacre’ narratives.
Thus, through sheer naiveté and wilful complicity, the protesters snatched defeat from the jaws of victory and plunged the entire nation into Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) dredging up and forcing all to relive the nightmares of our violent political pasts; civilian and military.
As the dust cleared, friends were set against friends and sentiments/emotions tackled logic with belligerence. A clear dichotomy was created with each party claiming an exclusivity of the truth and betrayal by supporters of opposing views. The nation was caught in a catch-22; to your tents O Israel!
Following the quick escalation of events, the Federal Government asked States to institute judicial panels of inquiries into the development and devolution of the protest in each state. Naturally, Lagos sets the pace for the nation while we await the outcome from other States.
Alas, after 12 months, N200+ million allocated and several deployment of state resources, the much expected report from the panel which it was hoped would provide clarity on the events leading up to the debacle at the LTG on 20/10/2020 only served to compound the confusion.
The embarrassing report seemed to have trawled the internet for ridiculous hearsay and rumors that fuelled the chaos 12 months prior, whilst completely ignoring testimonies from its own sitting from medical and forensic experts. It would appear that the drivers had no sense of direction or more surreptitiously, an alternate agenda. Thusly, the ensuing white paper became tainted in controversy before seeing the light of day. The inconsistencies and discrepancies in the report left the white paper no option but to express our collective disappointment.
This is where the conundrum arises.
There’s an old Chinese proverb that states that however far you’ve gone on the wrong road, you can always turn back. This should have been the advising homily for the massacre agendists and compromised panelists. Their submission via the report, however clung to the promoted false narrative despite clear evidence to the contrary. Further, and even more damaging, they offered no credible or substantiated proof for their conclusions. It would appear a conclusion was premeditated and the burden of proof was an inconvenience.
This stubbornness leaves one speechless especially as the whole remit of the struggle was a fight for equity and justice. The disgraceful conclusions and summary did not cover the panelists, and their supporters, in any intellectual glory. Some have stated that the panelists should be charged with waste of public funds and criminal negligence of duty.
Their position was not just curious but unfathomable on initial review. What do they, the panelists, stand to gain by sustaining a falsehood in the face of clear contrary evidence? Why pontificate on a falsehood? Is it that they truly wish there was a massacre? Are lives that trivial to them?
In moments of reflection, one is reminded of the Yoruba Proverb, Iku ya ju esin lo (Death is preferable to public humiliation). This rather macabre resolution seems to capture the facilitating reasoning as the driving force behind the doubled down efforts for insisting on the rather incredulous. Perhaps they are leaning on the lingering and powerful effects of the propaganda promoting psychological phenomenon of the The Illusory Truth Effect (a tendency to believe false information to be correct after repeated exposure)
At the same time, it appears there is a closing of ranks amongst the visible proponents and promoters of the false narratives. Thusly, an admission of misrepresenting the truth will be tantamount to self character assassination. They would literally have to admit they misled the nation and ultimately expose themselves to legal suits, prosecution and public humiliation. For a group of intellectually vacuous people whose lifeblood is social popularity, it will be a long and painful admission in full public glare.
It would take a big person, who truly believes in equity and justice, to hold his/her hands up and admit to being wrong. It would take a clear conscience, devoid of compromise and mischief to seek paths of reconciliation.
But alas, even the efforts of the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwoolu to extend an olive branch (via a peace walk) after the blatant debunking of the false narratives which the JPI tried to institute was rejected. What could these fellows actually be looking for? What are their true objectives? It is reasonable for one to assume that we should collectively be seeking closure, based on facts and evidences, serving justice and punishment to the deserving, curbing a repeat of police brutality, biased criminal profiling and pushing for police reforms. Erring and culpable law enforcement officers should be brought to book, aggrieved families given closure, and a collective commitment to avoiding a repeat of such violent escalations. Like I said, these would be reasonable expectations. So, what is their deal?
Some have opined that such reckless, falsehood and public disorder based activism is the novel version of Yahoo Yahoo and MMM. Others have declared that the sad events are being leveraged for social media clout. Whichever way, what is clear is an aversion for the truth and a clear insistence on promoting chaos and public unrest.
Charlatans and mischief merchants will always have a market. It is their stock in trade to misinform and disinform to promote their narratives and agendas. The responsibility for the truth remains with the people. The question to ask ourselves is simple: our mumu don do?
The Chinese crawled their way up from a very difficult and challenging period. They changed the narrative from isolated communism to a social market economy which combines beneficial parts of capitalism with fundamentals of socialist communism. This is the clearest example of the saw, however far one has gone on a bad road, one can always turn back. Are we willing to turn back or do we wish to hold on to falsehoods and hate in a spiteful show of self sabotage? Are we resigned, like Emperor Nero, to watch Rome burn whilst we play with the fiddle? The choice is ours.
Femi Onakanren is a business development specialist. He writes from Lagos
