There are so many ways in which the citizens of a country express their feelings to the government. The most recognized are elections. Elections are seen as a means to legitimize a government or to send them packing.
There are other means of agitation, and mass actions have been very popular. Protests and strikes are the most frequently used. These actions have their pros and cons. Most times, the cons are more pronounced.
In developed countries, protests are more engaging and safe to some extent, and one can say that the government always gives a listening ear to the protesters, but some turn out to be violent.
In Nigeria, there have been a lot of protests and strike actions, but for me, the one that really affected me was the one that happened in my university days.
The school authority increased our tuition fee without due consultation; the whole process looks like a rubber stamp situation. The University of Calabar is a school that prides itself on its serene and beautiful environment. And this decision to increase the tuition fee left a mark on the image of a once peaceful school.
Students were complaining of the new tuition fee all through the week, and by Friday night, the school hostel was robbed. Students were angry at the school management for failing to provide security.
The students started counting their losses, and some agitated students started chanting war songs and waving leaves around the school. The management sent some security men to disperse the students, and these security men started flogging the students, and all hell was let loose. The students went on a rampage, breaking every school property and heading to the vice chancellor's lodge. The police were called in to handle the situation, but a trigger-happy police officer shot a student, and the whole situation got worse. The students started beating up the policemen, and gunshots filled the air. More students were shot, and this resulted in students burning cars belonging to faculty members.
The army was called to handle the situation, and when the students saw the army, they ran into hiding. The school authority released a press statement asking all the students to vacate the school premises with immediate effect.
Some of the students thought the press release was a joke and delayed leaving the school premises. It wasn't until 2 hours after the press release that the army came to the school hotel and chased the students away. The students ran away, some without even carrying any luggage. The hotel was locked, and anyone who had any property in the hotel was not allowed in.
Another press release was made in the evening, saying that the school has been shut down indefinitely. And I wasn't moved by the statement. Fast-forward to six months after the protest, and we are still at home with no hope of returning to school. Many of the students fell into depression as they had lost their properties and documents, and others had lost friends in the protest.
The school was shut down for a year. I was running a small mini-mart in school, and this affected me emotionally. The weekend before the protest, I had gotten goods for my minimart, and they were on credit. My business partner kept asking for his money. I went to the school to beg for access to the market to get some goods and sell them off, but I wasn't given access. I became so frustrated and emotionally stressed. My phone would ring, and each time I saw it was my creditor, my heart would skip. I had to auction some of my valued assets in order to clear my debts.The closure of the school really affected me financially.
School reopened, and I rushed to the minimart to check my goods. When I opened the door, tears rolled down my eyes. I could not believe what I just saw. There was nothing to be rescued; I had lost all the goods, and I had sold off my priced assets. I had to start from ground zero. I sat on the floor and buried my head between my knees. The protest had affected me in a way I couldn't explain. In all, I am grateful for life.