Emmanuel Masha 
When it comes to peaceful protests in Rivers State against police brutality, political issues or governance, there is the tendency to overlook how organised protesters are in the state.
Whether it is a protest whose organisers are known and can be contacted by the authorities in a bid to talk them out of the protest, once the residents of Port Harcourt have pressed the protest button, there is no going back.
The manner in which the yet-to-be identified persons or groups rallied protesters to participate in the last nationwide economic protest, tagged; #End bad governance protest, continues to stir reactions among those who witnessed the level of organisation that made the protest a resounding success in Rivers State.
Protest culture
It is safe to conclude that Rivers boasts of a protest culture that seeks to challenge whatever situation that captures the attention of activists.
Yet, some see protests as a weapon used by politicians and their supporters to have their way when it appears that they are on the losing side. Protests in the state, especially in Port Harcourt, according to an observer, is, “used for selfish reasons by politicians to have their way or score political points.”
If we follow that position, it only gives credence to the high political awareness of party faithful or supporters of influential politicians, who you can find on protesting in front of the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) along Aba Road.
You could also see such protesters assembling at the Isaac Boro Park heading to Government House, Port Harcourt to let the governor know how they feel about a political outcome, or the discrimination or intimidation of their candidate.
For the #End bad governance protest, nobody thought that people would troop out to be part of it. But for seven consecutive days, people held protests in different parts of the city to participate in the protest over economic hardship occasioned by food inflation and bad governance.
CSO
What people outside ‘the Garden City’ don’t realise is the presence of a vibrant civil society scene operated or run by individuals whose actions continue to hold political leaders accountable, hence strengthen political leadership.
On the first day of the #End bad governance protest, protesters trooped to the Government House to register their grievances over the state of the nation.
What transpired on that very day shows the seriousness people attach to the issue of governance.
What struck people most was the way the crowd that had gathered while Governor Siminalayi Fubara addressed them rejected the ‘pure water money’ the governor offered them. Some commentators have since referred to the governor’s seemingly innocuous offer as tended to ‘induce them.’
Good governance
While Fubara was addressing the calm and attentive protesters, he volunteered to give them ‘pure water money,’ which the protesters rejected out rightly, feeling insulted, interjecting that they don’t want any “pure water money” but need good governance.
Some of the protesters even attempted to disrupt the governor’s speech amid jeers and boos that he did not understand the purpose of the protest. Before the governor’s speech attracted the wrath of the protesters, he had already thanked them for the peaceful nature of the protest, promising to deliver their message to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Trouble started the moment the governor said: “I will give you a small thing for you to drink pure water.” At that point some of the protesters thundered; “No! No! No! We don’t need your money, we want good governance. Tinubu must go.”
At this point the youths who were listening busted with a chorused, ‘‘No, no, we don’t need your, keep your money, we want good governance in Nigeria, Tinubu must go.”
Speaking further to the protesters, the governor noted, “I am thanking you because you are here to demand for a better Nigeria.
But like I said, I am one of you and I feel your pain. In our government, here, we are doing everything to make life easy for our people.
“But you see, this particular protest that we are doing now, we worry that we know a lot of people are planning to take advantage of this protest to destroy our state, but we will not allow it. “I want to thank you for being peaceful.
I already know your problem, and we will communicate it to the federal government. It is not easy but we know with time, it will be well. Starting from our own state, everything will be well.
What we need is to support the government and support the policy. While pledging to support the people of the state to alleviate poverty and hunger, Fubara said he was not against peaceful protest but would not support.
Protesters fear no clampdown by government The force with which the protesters faulted Fubara is almost the same way they took on then Governor Nyesom Wike, who had warned protesters not to embark on the #EndSARS protest in the state in 2020.
The Wike administration had in a statement said it was needless for the people to go ahead with the #EndSARS protest since SARS has already been scrapped by the police.
The statement said law enforcement agencies would enforce the ban on protest and “bring violators to book.” But the next morning, protesters marched to the Government House, where they took their grievances against police brutality, to the Government House.
Wike, came out to address the protesters, despite his earlier posturing, calling for a “total” reform of the Nigeria police. Wike said: “If we do not reform the police, the same SARS officers will be deployed to other units of the force to continue their evil acts,” a statement from the Rivers government quoted Wike as saying.
Wike was quoted to have further said, “It is not only to end SARS. Already, there is a pronouncement to scrap it. But every Nigerian should support the total reform of the Police.
“SARS cannot and has never been our friend in Rivers State. They killed a lecturer at Ken SaroWiwa Polytechnic without a cause and people kept quiet.”
Atmosphere
Even after Wike had addressed the protesters, they continued with the protest for days, turning it into a carnival of sort. The same thing happened with the #End bad governance protest.
The only thing that disrupted the recent protest was the action of hired thugs, who attacked peaceful protesters in Port Harcourt, disrupting the peaceful and well organised protest.
The thugs attacked the protesters at the entrance of the Federal Secretariat along Aba Road, which had been a meeting point of the protesters.
While the thugs unleashed mayhem on the protesters, another set of thugs were busy attacking journalists and citizens who brought out their phones to capture the ugly scenario.
The protesters claimed that about 12 policemen, who were present during the attack did not intervene or made any attempt to arrest the thugs. They also vowed to continue with the protest, encouraging others on social media not to give up because the country needs to be free from bad governance.
Across the city of Port Harcourt, the attack has been met by outrage, especially when the people knew that the police were around when the incident occurred and they failed to take action.
Reacting to the development, Rivers State Police Commissioner, Olatunji Disu expressed concern and vowed to ensure that an investigation takes place. “We will ensure accountability and prevent future occurrences,” he stated.
For Fubara
Given the tension in the state occasioned by the political atmosphere, there was palpable fears and worries by the people that some elements could use the occasion on unleash mayhem on the people.
Also, that the governor and his men could use it to score political point. However, none of this happened except for the one that some group of people attempted to disrupt the otherwise peaceful protest.
The governor was commended for the way the whole process was managed as a resident of the state and influential business man, who is the Mayor of Housing, My-ACE China, applauded the governor for his handling of the protesters especially when he came out to address them on the first day of the 10 days protests.
Describing the governor as ‘a man of the people, China said, “It showed he had no problem with the ordinary people or the masses, but that he is one of them. “He came out freely and interacted with the people. He is on record as the first and only governor who handled the protests in such a manner.
“He also demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities by sticking to the needs of the people. This is the second time he has done this. “He almost turned the protest to a kind of carnival.
When the people are aggrieved, they want to hear words that pacify them and reassure them. They want to hear commitments from the authorities.
“Just as they say two wrongs do not make a right, any attempt by those in authority to antagonize the people further or try to protest their protest will heighten the tension and create more anger and tension.’’
China further stated, “Coming out to express sympathy and speak to their needs, and to show that you are working hard to address their difficulties is not only a show of goodwill but a sign of a feeling for the people. “I bet you, by what he did on day one, even if the protests continue, it would become a celebration.”
