Words From The Generation Fixing A Country That We Didn’t Ruin
I’m back.
To those that remember, we meet again. To those that don’t, my name is SA. When I was 19, I periodically wrote articles for this publication, designed to help bridge the gaps between my generation and our parents’. I wrote about feminism, sexism, education, mental health amongst young people etc, carefully ensuring I was communicating in a way that was palatable & politically friendly enough for parents to digest.
Now 23, a business owner, much more confident with much less of a filter, I’ve got some things to say. And this time, I won’t be taking the friendly route.
Why?
Because young Nigerians -- myself included -- are TIRED. Frankly speaking, we’re sick of picking up the pieces from a broken Nigeria, yet being deemed ‘lazy’ as we do so. It’s boring having to teach your parents why feminism is important. It’s equally exhausting trying to communicate that having dreadlocks doesn’t make you ‘wayward’.
Nor do piercings, or being opinionated & thinking for yourself, regardless of what *that* Aunty thinks. Matter of fact, it is on these very irrational grounds that the Special Anti-Robbery Squad justifies its merciless killings of young Nigerians. The very same rhetoric that you - yes you - perpetuate.
As you sit in your comfortable homes reading this, young Nigerians -- ie YOUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS -- are risking their lives fighting for the abolition of the above mentioned ‘organisation’. For the past few days, we’ve been fighting on the digital front (social media) and physical front (mass protests), raising global awareness of the maltreatment and straight up bullying of young Nigerians by SARS. Thanks to the sheer determination of a no-nonsense generation, the topic has trended worldwide on Twitter for consecutive days. Millions of tweets are being sent per day, using either the #endSARS, #SARSMustGo, #SARSMustEnd hashtags, and many others. This has garnered international attention for the cause, something we know is the final (and only) straw for our politicians to respond.
For a long time, your generation has gotten away with blissful ignorance. You’ve settled for a mediocre Nigeria and have either blamed us for it, or simply pretended these issues don’t exist. Only this time, we won’t let this carry on. I’m here to use the power of my words to make you acknowledge this truth, and I’ve brought on an army of talented creatives with me.