Former Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial district, Shehu Sani, has reacted to the End SARS protests rocking the nation, saying that it’s a strong warning to the political class that things would not be business as usual.
Reacting in a statement he issued and sent to DAILY POST on Wednesday, Sani noted that as a believer in civil rights of citizens, the uprising against Police brutality that occasioned the scrapping of Special Anti-Robbery Squad was a commendable development.
The statement said: “The uprising against police brutality by the Nigerian youths is a commendable action to protect, guarantee and advance the freedom and rights of all Nigerians.
“The protest signifies a new dawn of resistance and struggle for justice, rule of law and good governance.
“The nationwide protests is a message to those in power and authority that a revolution is impending in an atmosphere of social, economic and political inequities and infamy.
“Even though the trigger of the protest was police brutality, police reforms are not enough to address the underlying and provocative factors that compelled the mass of the youths to the streets.
“The political class has for long toyed with the lives and future of our youth; who were left with no option but to revolt.
“Systemic plunder and theft of the national resources, mass unemployment, collapse of public education, widening gap between the rich, false and pretentious change mantra and the poor and stupendous and brazen display of wealth by the children of the rich and those in high public offices to the contempt of the children of the poor grievously inflames the anger of the revolutionary youths on the streets.
“The protests by the Nigerian youths have lighted up our national space and recharge the conscience of the nation. We must admit the fact that the political class have taken the poor and the downtrodden for granted for long.
The Civil rights activist reasoned that the political class has hitherto failed the citizens, hence, the resort to protest.
“The End SARS protest is conscience in motion. The opposition, the trade unions and the parliament have failed Nigerians until the youth took their destiny to their hands.
“As long as the Government at all levels and the nation will continue to be run for the benefit of the few and their immediate families, this kind of uprising is just the beginning.
“The use of sponsored thugs to attack unarmed protesters in Abuja stands condemned. Thugs cannot and must not stop the wheel of conviction.
“Nigerian leaders enslave the poor and the children of Nigerian leaders spit on the children of the poor.
“It’s Nigeria and Governance that needs to be reformed not just the police”, he concluded.
