The Nigerian Human Rights Community (NHRC) has condemned calls from people, including Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka and prominent rights activist Mr Femi Falana, to lead mass protests against the government over the situation in Nigeria.
The NHRC at the weekend said a complete lack of any sense of history drives the call.
The group, a coalition of several civil societies and community-based organisations across Nigeria, said it is concerned about several mock video clips of some young people persistently accusing the two human rights activists of being silent in the face of the country’s downtown. It added that such critics are ignorant and motivated by a combination of ignorance, lack of education, and some flavour of ethnic bigotry.
“We wish to remind these people, mostly young people, that their actions constitute a drawback to the rich heritage of democratic struggle the two figures represent in the history of Nigeria.”
The group argued that the problem with most young people is that they either don’t read, lack any sense of history or are ridiculously lacking in knowledge.” The NHRC said this in a statement signed by its officials Taiwo Adeleke and Digifa Werenipre.
The group said both Soyinka and Falana began to fight for justice through rallies, legal advocacy, and street protests in their early 20s, urging the young critics to emulate them by following their examples of sacrifices and personal suffering in the struggle to free Nigeria from the fetters of iron.
The group said it is untrue that Soyinka and Falana were after President Tinubu emerged in 2023, adding that critics are just too blind to admit the positive roles being played by the two icons.
“Some of them believe the word activism makes sense only when speaking in support of ‘obidients’ indicating their narrow mindset about what it means to change a country for the better.
“Soyinka began the struggle at 21 while Falana started even earlier. Both have put in between 45 and 65 years of their lifetime in the ceaseless and tireless struggle for a better Nigeria at the risk of their lives. These young, ignorant, misguided critics who spend most of their time in either parties, beer parlours or on social media should stop expecting a 90-year-old man to set the agenda for the generation of young people in their 20s who have better equipment and advanced technology to fight for justice but have rather converted the medium to pouring venom on leaders that have made genuine sacrifices in the most difficult period of Nigerian history, ” they said.
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