A friend based in Nigeria was complaining that the recent #EndBadGovernance protest organisers should have considered the fact that said protests might turn violent and be taken over by criminals. My friend felt they should have tried other approaches instead, like forming a quorum of private citizens who could propose ideas to the government.
The same government that claimed it was “their turn” and they were going to export the same blueprint they had used to “develop Lagos” to the rest of the country.
I told my friend that if the protests were hijacked, the responsibility would still lie with the government, not the protesters. Peaceful protests are held in every democracy and they do not automatically translate to riots. It’s the duty of law enforcement officers to ensure they remain peaceful. They disagreed with me, highlighting our “unique context” in which “the average citizen” was prone to crime and that I shouldn’t compare with places like the US or UK.
The average Nigerian citizen…
I pointed out that there were currently ongoing protests in the UK that have already turned violent, with far-right protesters attacking immigrants and beating them up on the streets. There is nothing unique about our context. Human beings will always be prone to being human.
There is no country on earth where “the average citizen” is always “righteous” and where every single person follows the rules at all times. The only thing that separates countries that work from those that don’t, is what happens after things go wrong.
What happens the day after protesters turn to rioters and start looting shops? Or after an ill-fated hospital elevator accident results in the death of a young doctor? Or an admistrative error costs an athlete and the country the opportunity to participate in an international sporting competition? Do we all just sigh collectively and move on?
The difference between rioters who disrupt peaceful protests in the US or UK and those in Nigeria is that we know that there will be consequences for the rioters in the West. And who is responsible for ensuring that citizens and politicians alike face consequences for breaking the law? The government.
The buck always stops with the entity that makes the rules, controls all the resources, and has all the authority to deploy them. Unfortunately when the government goes on to break the same rules that they have set, it’s difficult to insist citizens continue to take the higher road.
The average Nigerian is a self-starter. As individuals, we believe in taking their destinies in their own hands and solving their problems without waiting for external parties. Unfortunately we’ve also learned to take on typical government responsibilities.
We generate our own electricity, build our own boreholes, secure our own estates, and now, also regulate protests on behalf of law enforcement officers.
Unfortunately, certain responsibilities will always sit with the government. No matter how self-motivated you are, your ambitions can still only be achieved within the context of the legal and economic policies governing the society you are in.
Entrepreneurship is dependent on government policy; social impact is dependent on government policy. And when you have exhausted all normal pathways to make things work, all you are left with is an opportunity to make your voice heard.
And that, my friends, is why people protest.
