OPINION: Why Sowore Should Be Celebrated – Comrade Lawal Hafiz
Sowore is a human rights activist who has used about 30 years of his 49 years to fight against oppression, corruption, nepotism, impunity, and bad leadership in a Nigeria that is getting dilapidated day-in day-out.
Mr. Omoyele Sowore, as part of his rights journey, fought the behemoth of the Nigerian military regime of Abacha. Sowore’s achievement as the student leader in Unilag was the fighting of cultism on campus, leading the student protest to help secure Abiola’s mandate in 1993 and subsequently leading Nigerian students to fight the dictatorship of General Sani Abacha, where he led a group of Nigerian Students to demand for a cut in the petroleum price hike. He was arrested and immediately remanded in the military facility for what the military see as revolt against the then beast of Abacha. For a young fearless energetic lad, he was always at the forefront against the rot in the Nigerian society.
Sowore has relentlessly fought against the corruptible Nigerian post democracy leaders who has looted the country’s resources and rendered the country a “shit hole” as described by the embattled US president Trump. He launched an online investigative newspaper Sahara Reporters that has exposed the corruption in the Nigerian System. As seen as ghost by some, Sahara Reporters has investigated all our past and present leaders and reported their shabby deals. This when it ought to be applauded, is condemned by the brainless followers and servants of the corruptible class.
Today, as long as Nigeria is concerned, Sowore is the most consistent defender of the downtroden. After Dele Giwa, Ken Saro Wiwa, Abiola, Nigeria has never seen a psunami of an activist and anticorriotion crusader like Omoyele Sowore.
While Sowore is fighting for Nigerians, those he is fighting for are the ones to quickly condemn him for speaking truth to those at the helm of power. He is in prison because he called for a mass action against corruption, human right violation, impunity, and bad leadership.
Lest not forget, Sowore is a lecturer in a US university, teaching African history. He left his job, his family and came to Nigeria to lend a helping hand to our docility as happy slaves in our country.
In 2019, Sowore called for a mass action that was termed “RevolutionNow”, a conscious and intellectual revolution. This was a move which many educated illiterates including professors sees as a plan to overthrow the confused sets of people in government. Government’s attitude towards the running of a nation, makes the people to want to revolt against the leadership, especially when the situation is getting out of hand. Just like the present state of today’s Nigeria. We would only be deceiving ourselves to say Nigeria is developing, but in reality, we all know the country is visibly falling like the wall of Jericho.
There is need for Sowore to be celebrated while he is alive. Sowore is worthy of our support and celebration because of how much he has contributed to sustaining democracy in Nigeria. There is a need for everyone to look beyond hate, personal interests, but a need to face reality must be considered by all and sundry.
Until Sowore is freed, the Nigerian People recognizes the sacrifices made by him and he is promptly celebrated, Nigeria will continue to lose its finest to a mere pot of porridge.
