By AUSTIN-FAIR NWAULU –
As the protests against police brutality and social menace codenamed #EndSARS [now #End SWAT] continue to rock various cities in the country, the real reasons have emerged on why some Nigerian showbiz, sports and allied sectors have been shying away from participating and openly identifying with the course.
The course which is being championed by the youths mostly has seen the likes of even the international stars like Marcus Rashford of Man United, Rudiger of Chelsea, Mesut Ozil of Arsenal, our own Victor Moses, Alex Iwobi, etc and back home, Hilda Dokubo, Nwankwo Kanu, Charly Boy, Eedris Abdulkarim, Falz, Peter Okoye, A.Y, Desmond Elliot, to mention just a few, all participating or showing support, plus other notable personalities openly endorsing it too.
However, there are still an innumerable number of Nigerian celebrities and personalities who just can’t afford to openly join the crusade no matter what happens because of the fear of losing what they have or what they are targeting. Politics has a huge chunk of the hidden facts of course and nobody is ready to play with his ‘’belle’’ these days.
Call it what you like, the line has been drawn already and as usual, it is seen as a battle between the ruling government and the opposition. Many, unfortunately, see the protesters as a tool against government with some of the names already in the black book. Many of don’t need anything from government anyway. It is those that are afraid of the ‘black book’ that wouldn’t want to be identified.
The showbiz players are the hardest hit now. Those of them that are no longer favoured by [and in] the industry now depend on crumbs or jobs from government to survive. Many of them have been rewarded with one job or the other and you don’t expect them to participate in ‘confrontations’ like this.
Some of them are afraid of being blacklisted from government’s activities once they participate in a perceived anti-government protest. Of course you’ve seen the shape the protests have taken – anti and pro – and the leaders are watching. In fact one of our respondents who pleaded anonymity retorted in pidginT ‘’me participate, You wan put sand sand for my garri, abi?’’
The bane of Nigeria remains disunity. There is always a disagreement along the line to mar the success of whatever plan put together albeit this one is upbeat.
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