Serving Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church, Pastor Tunde Bakare on Sunday warned against a resurgence of #EndSARS protests over the alleged clampdown on promoters of the movement.
The clergyman stated this in a special remark on the “State of the Nigerian Youth” to mark the grand finale of the Diamond Jubilee Celebration of his wife, Pastor Mrs. Layide Bakare, and his 66th birthday.
He said targeting and arresting citizens on trumped-up charges is worrisome and signs of regression.
According to him, there was the need to immediately reverse some of the actions taken after the #EndSARS protests “in our collective best interest so that they do not trigger further protests.”
Bakare said: “Among such policy actions is the freezing of the accounts of young Nigerians who reportedly sponsored the protests.
“While I admit that, under our extant laws, banks may freeze an account upon an ex parte order granted to a law enforcement agency by a court of competent jurisdiction for the purpose of investigation, these provisions of our Law should not be used to intimidate Nigerian youth simply because they engaged in and promoted protests against the inactions of government.
“In addition, targeting and arresting citizens on trumped-up charges, deploying court probes as a tool of intimidation, and generally eroding our fragile peace, are deeply worrisome signs of regression.”
While reiterating his opposition to the move to regulate social media, he charged the Nigerian youth to channel their “enormous energy towards an organised movement for a new Nigeria.”
He stated that despite being a victim of misrepresentation and abuse on social media himself, he would not support the attempt to deprive the Nigerian youth of the social media space.
He said: “Let me state, once again, that, although I have been a victim of misrepresentation and needless defamation of character on social media, I remain an advocate of freedom of expression.
“However, while I stand for the responsible use of social media, I will never subscribe to any attempt to deprive Nigerian youth of a space and context in which they have found a sense of self.
“Over the course of various interactions, I have outlined eight segments of our national life that I describe as constituting Nigeria’s political power blocs, each wielding significant influence in the outcome of politics and governance in Nigeria, namely: The Council of State and the Thirty-Six State Governors, Retired Generals, Traditional Institutions, Political Dynasties, The Private Sector (including the media), Religious Leaders, the Nigerian Labour Congress/Trade Union Congress (NLC/TUC), and Foreign Partners.
“My position has been that any individual or group that seeks to be reckoned with politically in Nigeria must not take any of these for granted.
“I would like to state at this juncture that there is a ninth power bloc that must not be taken for granted: it is the Nigerian Youth with the power of social media.
“Any political group that takes the social media savvy Nigerian youth for granted does so at its own risk or peril.
“This is why I strongly advice the power blocs, including the South West Governors who are calling for stricter regulation of social media, to desist from doing so.”
