Most Nigerians do not know that it is our sacred duty to foster the cause of our great Nation. We search not for ways to engage government positively but rather let fate and crude leaders dictate our lives. This article profers a solution to that dilema, by learning from history and great civil rights leaders of the past, I have come to the conclusion that civil disobedience is the only way to engage government successfully in a Nation like Nigeria.
The rule of law,is the foundation of a civilised society. It establishes a transparent process accesible and equal to all. It ensures adherence to principles that both liberate and protect. if Nigerians continue to circumvent the rule of law, our society would crumble like the head of humpty dumpty who sat on the wall and had a great fall. If we abuse our Rule of Law, our Nation would degenrate into chaos.
It is no longer news that the rights of Nigerians are trampled everyday by the very people who we thought would protect us;public officers and security agencies. The government is also as guilty as evidenced in some recent decisoions taken by the Executive and Judiciary arm of government. The Judiciary which should be the hope of the common man, is now selling justice to the highest bidder. When the Judiciary is not credible and active, parties would take recourse to violence in other to square with one another.
One major problem of Nigerians is the ability to suffer in silence, as the late music icon Fela put it "suffering and smiling". We lack the passion needed to demand accountability from our leaders. In protest of the dire standards in Africa, populations are beginning to revolt, questioning the system and challenging the government, Nigerians being in the forefront of the struggle. The year 2011 would be remembered as the year of the arab spring, 2012 just may be the year of the African Spring.
Nigerians are not new to civil disobedience, it has been practiced for years by agencies such as ASUU and NLC (nigerian labour congress), asking Nigerians to sit at home in protest of government policies and lecturers to stay away from lecture halls are examples of civi disobedience. Civil disobedience is completely non-violent and the most effective way of bringing the problems of the people to the attention of government.
The occupy wall street movement and its franchises are current examples of civil disobedience. Your form of civil disobedience may be hunger strikes, solidarity walks or just camping in front of your local government office, we must however bring our grievances to the attention of government.
Do you have grievances;bad roads, no water, no light? Stage a peaceful demonstration in protest in a good location. However, uphold the rule of no violence and prevent unscrupulous elements from taking advantage of your gathering, or else it defeats the desired results of civil disobedience.
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