One example\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n Steve Biko, Nelson Mandela, Miriam Makeba, Archbishop Desmond Tutu are examples of great black South Africans who practised activism, as a means to FREE their people from Apartheid. <\/p>\n
In fighting their cause, they all at various times repeatedly exposed themselves to dangers of all sorts. The protest letters and messages and songs they wrote to the apartheid government, and foreign leaders made them targets of the oppressive regime in power at that time in their country. <\/p>\n
As a result they put themselves in harm\u2019s way. Makeba was forced into exile. Mandela found himself in prison etc.<\/p>\n
Another example\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n In Nigeria, we\u2019ve had real activists like Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Gani Fawehinmi, and Beko Ransome Kuti among others. These people spent extended periods getting negative, often punitive, attention from those they challenged. <\/h3>\n
They also wrote letters, and messages and songs, which addressed the causes they fought for. They had fans and admirers, but that did not insulate them from efforts launched by those they criticised to hit back at them. <\/p>\n
As a result, they often became guests of security agencies in jails across the country. But it did not deter them. And they did not \"water down\" their messages.<\/p>\n
Pastor Tunde Bakare is, for me, one of those still with us, who fits into the ranks of the above mentioned. <\/strong><\/p>\nThere are others of course. <\/p>\n
For instance, Wole Soyinka is a seasoned activist still with us, who has intimidating activism credentials. He has proven his mettle at the battle front. Today, he still writes letters and messages and boldly stands up for the causes he supports - by collaborating widely, and selflessly lending his celebrity status to those he teams up with.<\/p>\n
But Many Activists Today in Nigeria, Often Let the People Down!<\/strong><\/h3>\nLet whoever the cap fits wear it. I offer no names\u2026but I have identified some guilty of this.<\/em><\/p>\nFeel free to accuse me of judging others, or trying to remove a speck from their eyes when I have a log in mine. That would cause me no discomfort whatsoever.<\/strong><\/p>\n The truth however is that I am sick and tired of seeing the same phoney activists doing their phoney activism both online and off the web - especially ON THE WEB: Facebook in particular!<\/p>\n
They make a mockery of what true Nigerian activists have done, and continue to do. And they provide the loop holes, through which the bad guys we are after, can escape. <\/p>\n
They give them an opportunity to break our ranks, because those bad guys know they\u2019ll cave in under pressure, that they cannot stand strong in the face of threats or aggression. <\/p>\n
That they will compromise for the right price. <\/p>\n
That their egotism will make them ALWAYS put \"self\" above the rest.<\/p>\n
These are the reasons why they are unable to UNITE to beat inertia, and build momentum to achieve the critical mass they need to make lasting impact in pursuit of their cause(s)! <\/h3>\n
That\u2019s why most campaigns they launch often lack meaningful impact, and often fizzle out in no time.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s also why they embark on placard carrying protests<\/u><\/strong>, which make a mockery of the word <\/u><\/strong>itself!<\/em><\/p>\n I see many using platforms like Facebook, to propagate their messages to followers who fall over themselves to comment on every post. <\/p>\n
To the untrained eye of the uninitiated, rarely will anything seem amiss.<\/p>\n
Yet, I see a lot that\u2019s not right in their daily egotistic tendencies exhibited via their Facebook posts\/comments, as well as their actions\/inactions.<\/strong><\/h3>\n 1. They prefer \u201cfans\u201d who agree with views they express, and who rarely tell them where they\u2019re wrong. <\/p>\n
2. They keep a distance from other activists they do not know in person, but who have built equally good reputations in fight for the same cause they support<\/strong>. <\/p>\n Each person expects the other to come and introduce him\/herself, and propose working together. Neither wants to lose face by taking the first step. <\/p>\n
S\/he<\/u><\/strong> does not want to be seen as \u201csmaller\u201d than him\/her<\/u><\/strong>. In the process, the causes they support suffer, because the JOINING<\/u><\/strong> of forces does not happen, or does so late!<\/p>\n From watching them, it seems each person fears the other person could steal his\/her \u201cthunder\u201d or \u201cprestige\u201d by outshining him\/her if given too much visibility or recognition in his\/her social space.<\/h3>\n
The above bad habits are all about silly egotism!<\/strong><\/p>\n And this keeps them from leveraging the power of the social media platforms they use, and even the offline networking that\u2019s open to them. <\/p>\n
Once again, the cause(s) they claim to support ultimately suffer(s) LESS momentum<\/u><\/strong> as a result.<\/em><\/p>\n