Show of Power | The People of Kenya by Odiawa Ai

Kenya isn't Nigeria. This is perhaps the most ideal way to sum up the victorious mass actions of the Kenyan people which compelled the President William Ruto led administration to ease off from the tax-laden finance bill already passed in the parliament.

Like Nigeria, the Kenyan economy is in turmoil. Global lending organizations, such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and World Bank, are ordinarily requesting sweeping tax reforms as their preconditions to grant loan to Kenya. The finance bill was viewed as the shifting of the burden to the people rather than of the government eliminating its own administrative costs and becoming more imaginative in revenue generation.

Similarly, the same has been playing out in Nigeria. However, the Nigerian people have been not able to demonstrate the ability of preventing its administration from overburdening them. In the midst of outrageous hunger, insecurity and unprecedented inflationary patterns, Nigerians are crying and bearing the burden, while its ruling elite continues to live large.

Unlike the Kenyans who turned en masse, challenging the parliament in the midst of fierce water cannons by the police and losing 20 lives in the span of seven days of protests, Nigerians are perched on their rump and believing in Organized Labour to fight for them. This same Organized Labour that is as yet grappling with government with government over minimum wage.

Clearly, the Nigerian people have lost their ability to bring their rulers to account. They have lost their ability to pick their leaders through transparent and credible elections or obtain justice in their courts. The reasons behind these are not outlandish.

Unlike in other African countries such as Ghana, Senegal, Algeria and others, the peoples of Nigeria gave room to their political tip top to use their ethnic, regional, religious and cultural differences to isolate and weaken them. Our disparities, which ought to be our strength, have been weaponized against us. At every crossroads, while the people are battling each other, the elites go behind, closes ranks and keeps on glutting on our collective resources.

In 2020, the EndSARS protests introduced a perfect opportunity to retire the old ruling class and change the political narrative at all levels. Out of nowhere, narrative of a ploy to oust Muhammadu Buhari was used to forestall Northern youths from the protests. It not only fizzled out, but the ruling class likewise reorganized. Exploiting on ethnic profiling, they assumed command of state power and reinforced their hold on power.

Likewise, endeavors to organize the “hunger protests” have failed because youths from a part of the country have promised, based on ethnic sentiments, not to take part.

At the point when people relinquish their ability to bring their elected governments to account, they ought to endure the nature of governance they experience.