#EndSARS Protests: Cleric Urges Youths To Explore ‘Other Forms Of Power’

President of the DayStar Christian Centre, Lagos, Pastor Sam Adeyemi, has called on stakeholders, particularly the youths, to explore other means of power in their bid to transform Nigeria to a great nation.

He spoke in a reaction to the nationwide #EndSARS peaceful street protests and the attendant fallouts.

Adeyemi observed that though hoodlums had hijacked the protests, Nigerians could use their financial and intellectual power to proffer solutions to the country’s numerous challenges, among other methods.

“Dear young citizen, you were given a strong welcome to the game of power last week. PHYSICAL FORCE (sometimes expressed as VIOLENCE) is the basic form of power.

“Life is about interpretation. Some say the violent stop to your street protest means failure. It doesn’t. Rather, it proves you were effective, and shows you need to now be power-literate.

“Your contemporaries (labelled hoodlums, miscreants, etc.), deprived of other forms of power, responded with violence. Unfortunately, such violence is criminal. They only caused fellow citizens great hardship.

“There are other forms of power. The power of the STATE, to make and enforce laws through bureaucracy and physical force, if needed. Also, WEALTH is power; convertible power that can be used to buy other forms of power,” he tweeted on Wednesday.

He noted that a behavioural change would also correct many deficit in the country’s system.

“SOCIAL NORMS (behaviours considered acceptable by a society) are a source of power. You need to create shifts here to build a new Nigeria. Culture can frustrate strategy,” he added.

Furthermore, the cleric maintained that the current dispensation was a technological one, noting young people must now take advantage of it for the betterment of the country.

He stressed that the EndSARS hashtag was a technological feat that was able to play an effective role in the disbanding of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police Force.

“IDEAS are powerful. They move human, material and financial resources. See what the #ENDSARS idea did. Unleash your capacity for innovation. Be deliberate in leveraging the power of ideas and the technology at your disposal,” he stated.

Also, he noted that “there is power in NUMBERS. A large number of foxes can kill a lion. Having a large number of people is power. You have this in your favour and need to leverage it.”

But, he advised that while staying put to the vision of a better nation, young people must realize that power is all about service.

“Don’t run on the old African mindset that defines success only by the tangible. The intangible (virtual) world controls the tangible one. Being on the streets is power, but look at your numbers on social media.

“As you build power, you need to negotiate for the outcomes you want. Learn very well the rules of negotiation. When you have power but don’t know, experienced people will negotiate big advantages at your expense. Be aware of your God-given power.

“As you move forward in nation building, please never forget, that the essence of power is SERVICE, else you will become the very problem you were trying to solve,” he tweeted.