Today, in lieu of what is happening we want to talk about our beloved country and sensitize Nigerians on the #EndSARS protest, with the hope that someone hears the way forward from our own perspective.
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First, Nigerians should understand that the world is changing and that this change will continue to happen. With the advent of the internet, and online businesses, and most especially with the recent pandemic Covid-19, people are now turning into the online space. This means that there where will be a huge number of people who will be working on their laptops, phones, ipad, and other modern technologies. This will increase the number of Digital Nomads who will be working on their laptops from home or co-working spaces everywhere in the world.
Invariably, this matter affects every Nigerians too. And, it affects one of the industries we play in; we run a co-working space where companies, business owners, and startups come in to work with their laptops. Personally, I don’t think I can survive a day without my laptop. A lot of young entrepreneurs have to move with their laptops to their offices, and so, people now make a legitimate living with their laptops.
A very good example of a company that started on a laptop is Paystack founded by Shola Akinlade and Ezra Olubi and was recently acquired by Stripe to expand into the African continent. The company started on their laptop, and in 5 years, grew, worth and sold for 200 million dollars.
In addition, the fashion trend is changing. The world is now at our feet. People want to look like the celebrities that they look up to and they want to try out new things. For instance, they try different hairstyles like dread. This has led to the recent saying on social media that “God supports dread; that’s why he gave it to Samson, not knowing Delilah was working for SARS”.
Basically, working around with your laptop and looking good does not mean that you are committing a crime.
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What Leaders Should Do On #EndSARS
So, with the ongoing #EndSARS protest, some of the things we believe leaders can do include;
Communication is key; a leader should communicate. This should be a two-way thing; you don’t just talk, you also listen. Our leaders should come out, address protesters, and then listen to their grievances, show empathy, and not see protesters as fools.
When leaders come out, they should acknowledge the hurt that the youths feel. For instance, ‘when I watch the videos of the killings by the Nigerian police, I became so emotional’. It is also expected that our leaders should empathize with youths on lost souls as a result of police brutality.
One thing to note is that the president has the right to issue an executive order to end SARS peacefully. And, the law should bring everyone who has committed one crime or the other against humanity to book. And, ensure maximum transparency in the process.
Consequently, before people are recruited, check that they are physically, emotionally, and mentally alright. An unstable person shouldn’t be recruited into the police force because of the sensitivity of the unit.
In an organisation that is moving forward with set goals to meet, they ensure that everyone carries out their responsibility judicially. When you appropriately pay those that are working in your organisation, performing their job functions fairly will not be a problem.
Also, there should be a total system reform. A very good example is the NEPA reformed to PHCN and has not been better than it was in the past. The government should endeavor to bring in people who understand what works and how it works in times like these. They should also understand that this fight is not just about SARS, every system seems to be corrupt, and so, a total system reform should take place.
It is amazing that people are being coordinated on this #EndSARS, with the belief that Nigeria will be great again. We do not have a reason for anyone to look down on us as a country, especially with the human potential that we have.
There are crystal clear examples of how Nigerians are leading in different areas of different countries across the world. This shows that Nigeria has all it takes to be better.
The citizens of this country do their part in supporting the economic development of Nigeria. If we continue to do our part; the government should know that more is expected from them and should deliver on all its promises to the people.
We hope and pray that things will take a good turn and that Nigeria will rise again.
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An excerpt from the Instagram Live #EndSARS sensitisation of our CEO, Florence Chikezie on the 12th and 19th of October, 2020.
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