By Olayinka Ajayi

Ambassador Olufunso Olumoko is a former Career Ambassador to Thailand with accreditation to Myanmar. In this interview, Olumoko describes the waving of Russia flags during hunger protests in Kano, Kaduna, and Katsina as an ignorant copycat act inspired by the Niger Republic, saying it is a subversive attempt to surrender authority to Russia He adds that the protests were a wake-up call for President Bola Tinubu to fix Nigeria. Excerpts:

President Bola Tinubu has assured protesting youths of better days ahead. What are your thoughts on the #EndBadGovernance protests? Are the protests justifiable? Is this situation avoidable?

From the hashtag viewpoint, I think the hashtag should be “#Endharshecononomy” instead of “bad government.” Conceptually, it’s not everything the government is doing that’s bad. Agreed, the economic situation in Nigeria is harsh and biting, but we must also accept that the government has put in place a number of cushioning effects, like in the areas of transportation, education, healthcare, infrastructure, loans, and wages, among others. So, I think the hashtag may be misleading. Nevertheless, the protests are justifiable. Nigerians, generally, are persevering and understanding a lot. However, I think the prices of essential foods, goods, and services suddenly skyrocketed and increasingly made life unbearable, forcing them into the streets!

Avoidable? Yes, if the government has communicated more effectively and transparently to let the populace know what it is doing to alleviate their sufferings. Besides, the government, at every level, should have demonstrated practically by cutting costs and cutting back on their opulence and conspicuous consumption. The government should have cut down on the cost of governance.

Do you find the president’s address to the protesting youths assuring?

The president’s address is high on measures he has put in place to solve or ameliorate the populace’s hardships but low on practical and immediate ways of meeting the populace’s angst. Besides, he should have put mechanisms in place for a direct interface with the aggrieved populace and acceded to which of their demands are acceptable and explained to them why some of their demands, like the restoration of fuel subsidy would not be possible. I think, this way, the conflagration, deaths, and destruction may have been avoided.

Just like in Bangladesh, they began peacefully before the protests snowballed into pro-Russia rallies in Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, and Bauchi. What is the implication of this? What do they say about our fault lines? And how did the Kenyan protests influence the situation here?

There is no doubt that in the age of social media and instant communication, what happens in one place can precipitate upheavals in other terrains. However, one should be careful of automatic linkages. Yes, there were anti-government protests in Bangladesh, Kenya, and other places like Uganda, but I think even without these, Nigerians would have protested. That it came in the wake of these others, may just be coincidental. Nigerian youths have a reputation for protests against the government if they feel aggrieved. We demonstrated a number of times when I was a student at the University of Ibadan in the early 70s without copying anybody! On the issue of demonstrators in some northern states waving Russian flags, I think it is a combination of ignorance, copycats of waivers of the Russian flag in neighboring Niger Republic, infiltration of the demonstrations by some anti-government elements, and yearning for a change of government. These are my speculations for the foisting of the Russian flags. It should be noted that Russia has dissociated herself from any responsibility for the display of her flag. She emphasized her principle of non-interference in Nigeria’s internal affairs and support for Nigeria’s democracy.

Like the United States White House, which is usually besieged by protesters when there are issues, are there limits to how protesters can lend their voices to show their dissatisfaction with the government of the day?

Yes. The United States preaches freedom and guarantees it under its constitution. But the same constitution sets the limits to such freedoms, which it also enforces. Your right to demonstrate should not violate my right to safety and basic freedoms, i.e., to move around freely and pursue my legitimate obligations! As Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi taught us those days at the University of Ibadan, “your right to point your finger stops at where my nose begins”! This was an apt characterization of America’s rule of law.

Like it happened in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, some are already calling for Nigeria to embrace Russia. What is your thought on this?

There’s absolutely no reason to do that. Nigeria is not a “banana republic!” Nigeria is a proudly sovereign nation. It is also a regional hegemony! Agreed, with all her natural and human endowments, Nigeria is punching below her weight! She is presently hobbled by economic misery, dysfunctional institutions, and poor leadership. But all these are temporary setbacks. They too shall pass! If Nigeria needs Russian assistance, she would request for it as a sovereign country but not by kowtowing to Russia as an underling. Since independence, Nigeria has never been in such a position (even in the throes of the civil war) and will never be in that position.

Is waiving of the Russian flag by protesters in some northern states tantamount to calling for regime change and treason?

As I stated earlier, the waving of Russian flags may be due to some factors such as ignorance, copycats, and infiltration by some fifth columnists. But if, on the other hand, there are sufficient grounds to establish that waving the Russian flag is deliberately organized, then it is a different kettle of fish. It is indeed treasonous and criminal. Only diplomatic agents (and any so authorized by the sovereign receiving state) can fly a foreign flag in the receiving state. It amounted to a subversion of sovereign authority for protesters to be waiving Russian within Nigeria. If it is established that this was indeed the case, they should be prosecuted.

What lessons do we learn from the calls for Russia to intervene in Nigeria?

If indeed there was such call, the callers are uninformed and myopic. Do they want Russia to come and “re-colonise” or invade Nigeria? Don’t they know that Russia herself is not a perfect country but has her own internal and external problems? In any case, these demonstrations should be taken as wake-up call for Nigeria to put her house generally in order, but, in particular, economically.

As I stated earlier, Nigeria is a very blessed country with bounteous resources, both natural and human. Nigeria needs focused, dedicated, and courageous visionary leadership to be complemented by a nationalistic, hardworking, disciplined, and public-spirited followership. Together, they should retool and reorient Nigeria. The economy should be strengthened and made more competitive. This way, Nigeria will be the envy of the world again and will be courted by those disparaging her now. Nigerians will be proud of their country. Nigeria will then play her role as a leader of the Black world.