Just like the Newton’s Third Law of Motion which states that ‘every action has an equal and opposite reaction”, Onyedikachi Darlington, a quiet family man and an average Lagos resident never expected anything less than good governance after the #EndBadGovernance protest in the first week of August 2024. Darlington, whose role in the supposed peaceful protest was supportive gave an insight on the way forward to Nigeria youth challenges. In this interview with The Industry Newspaper editor, he narrated his ordeal and proffered what the government can do to salvage the country.
The reason why Nigerians protested and still protesting are still with us. How would you describe the president’s proposed youth conference?
I have got involved in the project called Nigeria because I needed impactful policies that will benefit the citizens. I was a victim of the inflation, petrol price hike and systematic Naira devaluation. These greatly affected my family’s living condition, my main business and other prospective means of income.
So, when the call for the protest came up, I supported it since it was going to be peaceful. Judging from the 1999 Nigerian constitution, which gives right to freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom of movement and freedom of peaceful gathering. I keyed into the protest with the understanding that the law guides the action. It would be a welcome development if we had a listening government that carries her citizens along but regretfully, we have had no government of such since the time of military era to this ‘civilian-military government’.
If President Bola Tinubu ‘regime’ would turn a new leaf to lead the proposed National Youth Conference, that would be considered a good direction. Then, youths will come up with meaningful ideas on the way forward for Nigeria. The manpower of a good nation lies within their youths. It is noteworthy to understand that the youths have not gotten a chance of governance or make contributions to meaningful national issues. When I say youths I don’t mean children of the politicians who have swayed this country to abysmal failure, I truly meant the grassroots breed-core youths who have been experiencing the consequences of maladministration over the years.
How would this address the numerous issues affecting the common Nigeria?
The prosperity of a nation lies in its peaceful co-existence and if there is any agitation, dialogue and nothing but genuine dialogue should be considered. It gives room to everyone to air their opinions on how and why a policy should be made to benefit the citizens whose taxes are being used to run the affairs of the government.
How would you describe your role in the #endbafgovernance protest?
My role in #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria was a supportive role which was to encourage the youths to stand for their rights and make their voices be heard loud and clear. I wanted the government to use the opportunity to right their wrongs by increasing the minimum wage to at least N150,000, opening up the borders for international trade and commerce, re-starting the existing national refineries or subsidy re-introduction in petroleum products and electricity billing, stabilizing the Naira against foreign exchange, reduction in the salaries of the three arms of government’s functionaries from federal to states and local governments levels, reducing the numbers of out-of-school children, and so on.
As someone from the south. eastern region, what is your view on the Monday seat at home in the region?
I am not a fan of a divided family. Nigeria is one big family and we must strive to keep it so. Monday sit-at-home in South Eastern Nigeria is a silent protest of its kind. Though it has affected governance negatively in that part of the country such that the majority of the indigenous people of that region have faded up with that style of protest. This issue of regional protest is not only in South Eastern Nigeria, the South-South has its challenges, likewise the South West, North East, North Central, North West. But the ideology of the #ENDBADGOVERNANCEINNGERIA is to present the collective problem and demand an urgent solution. The idea of National Youth Conference would have been a better direction to take care of the Monday sit-at- home in South Eastern Nigeria. Freedom of the hostages, dialogues and obeying Court order should be the priority to end sit-at-home in South Eastern Nigeria and other parts of the country.
What are the attendant consequences of sit-at-home on business and Governance?
Of course, the consequences of sit-at-home are majorly insecurity, poor revenue generation and decline in infrastructural development. People in South Eastern Nigeria are living in fear and bondage since the introduction of that style of protest, fear of the unknown is the worst of any nightmare. Ironically, it’s not observed only on Mondays but also some days when the leader of the agitation has a court sitting. The level of untold hardship this has brought to the economic growth of the region is somewhat unquestionable.
Government’s existing infrastructures for example the hospital buildings, court buildings, roads and many more are dilapidated due to agitation in the region. The government should consider a healing balm which is genuine dialogue and amnesty to the agitators in the region and possibly other regions. Yar’Adua’s government did it in the year 2008/2009, the peaceful atmosphere everyone enjoys now in the South-South region is the product of dialogue the government of that time introduced.
Finally, can protests solve bad Governance in the country? if yes or no, please share your views?
Protest is the only voice the government listens to, it is the only language citizens use to communicate with the government and it rattles the seat of governance therefore, it is everybody’s right to speak up when things are not going in the appropriate direction. So, yes, it helps in solving the problem of bad governance.A
