#EndSARS: NBA protests bad governance, says imposition of curfew may collapse Nigeria

#EndSARS: NBA protests bad governance, says imposition of curfew may collapse Nigeria

By Ekene Agbor, Osogbo

 

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ilesa branch, Osun State, on Tuesday, staged a protest against bad governance in Nigeria.

The lawyers, armed with a big banner with inscriptions, “#EndSARS, We say no to Police brutality, “We say no to bad governance, “We say no to corruption,” visited Police area Command office in Ilesa to express their displeasure against police brutality across the country.

They fumed at the imposition of curfew by some state governments saying that imposition of curfew while protests are going on, may implode the nation.

In a exclusive chat with News Boom in Osogbo, Olátúnjí Sokoya, immediate past secretary of NBA, Ilesha Branch, said lawyers are constitutionally empowered to speak for the people especially when they are unjustly treated.

Sokoya said it was time Nigerian youths took over the reigns of governance in the country since the present leaders have failed the masses. He warmed against the imposition of curfew and described it as the nation sitting on top of fun powder.

Explaining why NBA joined the #EndSARS protest, Sokoya said, “the motive behind this protest is that there is popular saying that ‘ he who can not be angry at evil lacks enthusiasm for good’. If we keep quiet in the face of tyranny, it shows lack of enthusiasm in us. As lawyers, we have been given the right constitutionally to speak for the people and especially on behalf of the oppressed.

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“Nigerian youths cannot be agitating for #EndSARS, bad governance, corruption and lawyers will keep quiet. The set of people that ruled us during Independence are still the ones ruling us and that’s why Buhari of the eighties is still the one ruling us. So, as lawyers, we need to join this protest and tell Nigerian government that we are tired of bad governance and hardships in the country.

“All the lawyers in Ilesha, we marched out  to show our grievance about the government of the day and the current situation in Nigeria. We need cleansing in our land,” he said.

The NBA vowed to ensure free legal services for protesters in the state.

“If any protester is arrested, we are going to ensure that we render free legal services for the release of such protester. We told them that it is their legal right to protest under the ambit of the law.

“I want the government of Osun to know that this is a state of Omoluabi. Protest in Osun state is very organised and wonderful. I don’t expect the state government of Osun to impose a curfew. If you impose a curfew, it’s like sitting on a keg of gun powder, it will explode and when it explodes, nobody will be able to contain it any longer.

“A curfew is like making Nigerians sit on a keg of gun powder. You can only stop the people but you can not stop a movement. This is a movement for the emancipation, oppression and subjugation from bad governance. It can lead to the end of this country if this imposition continues. We want a new Nigeria and we cannot continue to keep quiet. We need to speak out,” Sokoya added.