“Lack of identifiable leadership causes major setback for EndSARS protest”, says Former Osun SSA
The Former Senior Special Assistant to Ex-Governor Aregbesola on Legal matters, Barrister Ibrahim Lawal, has said that one of the drawbacks of the EndSARS protest was the decision of youths to say they do not have leaders who will take decisions and speak with one voice on behalf of the majority of Nigerian youths.
He stated this on Thursday during a programme organised by Osun Civil Society Movement, tagged, “Nigeria is ours to drive…A better narrative” to commemorate the 2nd anniversary of #EndSARS memorial.
Ibrahim said people key into the EndSARS movement basically because it was a protest against police brutality. But has time goes on, the mandate was widened to the extent that people also use the opportunity to call for accountability.
According to him, “One of the drawbacks of the protest was the decision of youths to say they do not have leaders for the movement.
There is no way you will organize a movement of that magnitude that you will not have layers of leadership.
“I knew that within some period the movement will be hijacked because it lacks identifiable leadership as at that time, particularly those in Lagos, where we have artists like comedians, musicians and others leading the fight, people who do not also understand the ideological basis inherent in protest.
“You must understand issues and know the kind of demand that must be make and that was why the demands differs to the extent that even when the government said we have disbanded EndSARS, the youths still insisted that NO, all other demands must be responded to Now Now Now, when we can also tarry for a while to see whether government will fulfill that promise or not.
“Like saying we would leave the street within a period of time but promise to come back to the street if nothing is done to meet our demands. But unfortunately, you wanted to achieve all your demands in a day.”
Lawal added that what happened in Lekki is also a needless enterprise because the protesters had made their points known to the extent of grounding Lagos to a point the government now have to say that they have to leave the place.
“There is no basis for us to continue with what happened in Lekki after having gotten the victory that you got at that particular time that now led to lost of lives, properties and others.
“It even got to a point that the police, military people and other security agencies withdrew their services and left you in the hands of criminals such that whatever gains we think we have made was thrown out because of the fact of lack of leadership.
“If there are leaders who take decisions on behalf of the majority, we would have sustain that movement and we would have had a resounding success more than we did. But that doesn’t distract that at a point in time majority of Nigerian youths came out with one voice to seek out a case of the evil perpetrated the police formation called SARS.”
In his own remark, the Osun State Government represented by Chief Press Secretary to Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, Ismail Omipidan said the administration has compensated victims of police brutality in the state as recommended by a panel.
“I thank God and my principal for everything he did as far as EndSARS is concerned because he was able to fulfilling some of the demands of EndSARS stakeholders just as we promised during the 1st year memorial.
“Part of what we are doing now is to take things that concerned youths as topmost priority.
He congratulated the organizers of the program for having shown in their own way that indeed Osun may not have all the billings but indeed we are a pacesetter and also commended them for following that path of responsibility.
