My heart was glad and my soul rejoiced on Tuesday,12th January 2010 when I saw thousands of Nigeria who had responded to the SAVE NIGERIA GROUP call for a pro-democracy rally, it was never intended to be an anti yaradua rally as alleged by some bloated ego individuals parading themselves as envoy, party excos,emissaries,ministers,diplomats as well as their media conspirators who are wont and have almost perfected the act of distorting facts and figures and manipulating and insulting the collective sensibility of Nigerians who unfortunately believe all they see in the media. Our protest was not in any way anti yaradua…yaradua is vey unpopular among the right thinking Nigerians of today, I would not even dare to maRch against yaradua…we matched for democracy, we matched for rule of law, we matched for power, we matched for constitutional reform, we matched for freedom of information, we matched for NIGERIA, we matched for posterity…


I took notice of the type of people who had come for the match, they were workers,professionals,clerics,activists,entrepreneurs,corpers andstudents.there were no ruffians, no thugs, no yayan-isha(as Hausas call louts and touts) no area boys, and they were not zombies like those NTA network news usually broadcast as taking part in pro-governmental lies! They were no rented crowds unlike the ones the Abuja cabal quickly gave 5 million naira to counter our protest…for your information it was a flop as their principals refused to pay after making noise at eagle square in Abuja.


All of us who participated in this glorious match came on our own, and of our free will, we were so orderly and so patient and we all meant well and we came for one purpose to rescue Nigeria from becoming a failed state.


What was so significant was that majority of those who came were youths. They were not school drop outs and those who can easily be manipulated. They knew why they had come to the unity fountain Abuja, and they chanted the reasons. These were soldiers and volunteers for democracy and good governance…I’m not surprised though as those born thirty years ago hardly saw and experienced what it is to live under truly civilian and political dispensation…our youths are wise now and they know our future is in our hands.


Some classes of people must be commended, the first comprises the CONCERNED PROFESSIONALS these young men and women realized that making money and being successful in your chosen profession is not enough. You need to make sure that there is in place; a government that is not only freely elected but is also run properly in the interest of the citizens. They were not spurred on by any “ideological” considerations. They want a country they can be proud of whenever they go outside of this country would like to add that this concerned professionals are highly educated young men and women who have come from good homes where decency in private and public life is the norm. They were active on 12th January 2010 during the protest.


The second class comprises young workers and graduates as well as corpers who are tired of the way things are going in Nigeria, who feel betrayed by the system that be…erratic power supply, no jobs, strikes and long queue in fuel stations and general insecurity of lives and properties.
The third class consists of elders and leaders who should be somewhere enjoying a decent private life in any part of the globe without so much as give the Nigeria situation a thought…these people have the wherewithal to live and enjoy their honestly earned fortunes anywhere in the world…but it is touching to see them out there under the heat of Abuja sun championing and pleading the cause of ordinary Nigerians. They did this not because they wanted political or economic advantages or interested in running for any public office. They did this because they are statesmen and patriots…they were prof wole Soyinka a septuagenarian, our dear pastor tunde bakare arguably the most fearless cleric in Nigeria, pastor sarah omakwu,mr femi falana,dr joey odumakin to mention a few…I was touched by these old men and women who defied all odds and participated in a four hour rally and match.


The fourth class consists the planners, organizers and mobilizers of men and resources who ran helter skelter planning into the late hours of the night to see to the success of this rally…that will also include those who gave generously in cash and in kind.


The fifth class consists of students, well wishers who cheered us up from the various buildings and offices, ministries and parastatals as we march along Sheu Shagari way Abuja, and of course those who couldn’t make it but really wanted to be a part of the match. Lastly we commend the efforts of men and officers of the Nigeria police who I must commend carried on their assignment decently, same goes for road safety and soldiers…no single policeman carried gun or any weapon…they were so orderly and treated us with respect…they even cheered us up as we proceed…it’s amazing!


Finally, I will not fail to mention the losers…chiefly dimeji bankole the speaker of the house of rep who the crowd did not allow to say a thing at the rally …he had to leave these Nigerians who demanded not to hear his voice nor honour his presence…shame!, so also was david mark who could not even come out!, another loser is Vincent ogbulafor the so called knight who couldn’t stand for truth and justice.the greatrest loosers are the students who collected money to disrupt our peaceful protest by staging a counter rally…shame! And everyone who condemned the rally calling it names …in a country where there is freedom of expression.


And so, let us praise everyone who participated and ask God for abundant blessings on them, so that they may be instruments of God’s purpose that Nigeria will be free. God save Nigeria…Nigeria will flourish again.


DELE OSUNMAKINE
ABUJA