By Bala Ibrahim
It was Martin Luther King Jr. that said, ‘The Time Is Always Right To Do What Is Right’. This is one cliché that perfectly resonates with the moral principles that draw a distinction between what is correct or wrong behaviour.
In light of what is happening in Nigeria today, where a massive momentum is built, to protest against the leadership in the country, effective in less than 24 hours from now, the moral question to ask ourselves is, are we all conscious of the meaning of good and bad?
From the meeting of the Inspector General of Police yesterday, with the planners of the protest, there is an evident disagreement on the meaning of Right and wrong, alongside when can be said to be the right time to right a wrong.
The IGP is not opposed to the protest, provided it’s going to be peaceful. But it must be confined to a particular location. On the contrary, the planners have divergent opinions. They agreed to be peaceful, but their protestation must go in a procession that would take them around. Any attempt to confine them to a particular location is a wrong that must be right, they said.
Pursuant to this contentious issue of the modality of the protest, came also the issue of timing. There are arguments, mostly from the security agents, about the need for more time, to allow for the appropriate deployment of personnel, that would police the protesters properly, in addition to discharging the other role of protecting the public and their properties.
Surely this a quagmire that has come with a conflict. Are we to go with Martin Luther King Jr. that said, ‘The Time Is Always Right To Do What Is Right’, or go by the caption of the article, that, ‘No time is wrong to right a wrong’?
Whichever way we choose, we shall arrive at the Devil’s alternative, i.e. men and women are going to die. Morally, it is an option that is perceived to have a negative or bad outcome. As things stand in Nigeria today, everyone is in a difficult, unpleasant, or even embarrassing situation. And no class is in exemption.
The leadership has admitted that indeed there is hunger in the land and the followers are angered by the hunger. But is the leadership adamant? I say NO.
Many may not agree with me but methinks even if the efforts of the leadership in tackling these issues are viewed as lukewarm in the past, from the minute the movement for the protest commenced momentum, the leadership was compelled to borrow an additional ear to listen. Every arm of the Government clearly shows signs of showing respect to the silent contract it signs with the electorate, particularly on the need of being a government of the people by the people and for the people.
The President was quick to appeal to the people. The Governors followed in unison, almost immediately. And in the last two days, the leadership of the National Assembly has been untiring, appealing with an unprecedented civility. Everyone agrees that indeed the time has arrived, for the voice of the people to be given the needed and necessary attention it deserves. Yes, People’s hunger must be addressed swiftly to avert their anger.
To prove the preliminary success, or successes recorded under the pressure of the planned protest, on Monday, at the State House Abuja, in the presence of the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and other National Assembly leaders, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, signed the new minimum wage bill into law.
As we know, the new law provides a national minimum wage of N70,000 for both the public and private sectors. It is expected that payment will commence in earnest. It is also expected that it would come with arrears because we were told the money had long been set aside.
This is an intention that would be seen of course, as a show that the Government is listening, and visibly willing to be guided by the wish of the people.
Shortly after, the federal government further announced the sale of a 50kg bag of rice for N40,000 each to the people. According to the minister of information and national orientation, Mohammed Idris, 20 trucks of rice have been distributed to each state of the federation, to be sold to the people.
This is an intention that would be seen of course, as a show that the Government is listening and visibly willing to be guided by the wish of the people.
Again yesterday, came the announcement that the Federal Government has suspended import duty on essential food items coming into Nigeria. The intention, of course, is to cushion the effect of the inflationary trend in the country. According to the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, the suspension of the import duties and taxes on some items is to make them more affordable for Nigerians.
This is a clear indication that indeed the Government is listening and visibly willing to be guided by the wishes of the people.
Some may argue that the interventions may be too little, or too late. But according to George Eliot, the English novelist and poet, “It’s never too late to be what you might have been.” And that brings us to the caption of this article,-No time is wrong to right a wrong. With the way and manner I see the Government responding to the wishes of the people, and the trajectory of zeal coming from every arm, it is clearly an indicator of the success of the call for the elimination of bad governance.
What remains is for the organizers of the call, to be patriotic beyond partisanship, by putting the country before themselves. And by acting by the saying of Martin Luther King Jr., ‘The Time Is Always Right To Do What Is Right’.
Undoubtedly the die is cast, and unless some miracles happen, the protest will take place as planned. But please, the planners must pave the way for a protest that would protect, a pact with peace.
I come in peace. May the lovers of Nigeria say Amen, please.
