Falz, Rinu, others insist there can’t be healing without justice
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Lagos EndSars youth activists across the board have roundly rejected Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s invite for a peace walk, with Folarin ‘Falz’ Falana denouncing it as a ‘very disrespectful joke’ to blunt the demand for justice.
They all insist that the EndSars panel report has to be implemented, and justice must be done, before peace can prevail.
Former National Human Rights Commission Chairman Chidi Odinkalu, a professor, said the implementation of the report is a “sacred duty” for Sanwo-Olu and told him not to “gaslight” the public on the “horrific events”.
Sanwo-Olu held a press conference on Tuesday in which he invited some of the protesters to join him in a peace walk in December “to herald the healing of our land.”
The invitees include Falz, Debo (Mr Macaroni) Adebayo, Segun ‘Segalink’ Awosanya, Seun Kuti, Temitope Majekodunmi, Dele Farotimi, Adedotun (Just Detoun), Police Commissioner Hakeem Odumosu, and Rapid Response Squad Commander Yinka Egbeyemi, a Chief Superintendent of Police.
“This suggestion of a ‘walk for peace’ sounds like a joke and a very disrespectful one at that,” Falz said on Twitter after Sanwo-Olu announced the invite.
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Sanwo-Olu sides with the liars
Sanwo-Olu said the state must come “to terms” with the killing of the protesters who were protesting against police brutality and provide “closure” without saying the government would take responsibility for what the panel called a “massacre”.
“I will start by saying that we, as an administration, are determined that the next steps that will be taken in this process of coming to terms with the events of October 2020, must bring closure to a painful episode in the history of our state, with the release of the White Paper later today.”
But when he released his White Paper later in the day, he cruelly echoed the lies of Information Minister Lai Mohammed and rejected the findings of the panel that soldiers murdered at least nine youths at Lekki Toll Gate on October 20, 2020.
‘You will walk alone’
Falz, who was at the forefront of the protests in Lagos, insisted the invitation by Sanwo-Olu is in bad taste.
“People were murdered in cold blood and absolutely no iota of justice has been served more than a year after. How can there be peace without justice?
“In this same speech, you said ‘To be a smart city, we first must be a just one. Remember the young Nigerians that had their lives snatched away by weapons wielded by our own Armed Forces? You want to sweep that under the carpet? Is that how to establish a just city? #ENDSARS.
“Young Nigerians, till today, are still being constantly harassed and extorted by police officers!! You were awfully quiet about that. Or are you not aware? #ENDSARS,” he tweeted on his handle, @falzthebahdguy.
@segalink tweeted: “Mr Governor @jidesanwoolu has shown leadership with this mature response and we hope the WhitePaper will mirror his sentiment.
“We all want closure, Justice and healing for our society. The experience of 20th October 2020 must never be repeated. #EndImpunity.”
@mrmacaronii tweeted: “I humbly decline the Invitation of Mr Governor. The Government itself set up a panel. The panel has made recommendations.
“I believe that genuine peacemaking will begin by first implementing the recommendations of the panel. Then, we can begin to trust the government.
“Finally, I’m not at war with anyone. Not with the government, police or politicians.
“All we are asking is that our leaders place value on our lives as citizens and lead us with love, fairness, truth and justice, to enable all Nigerians live a better life in peace and unity.”
Rinu Oduala, another human rights activist and EndSars campaigner, also joined the voices rejecting Sanwo-Olu’s offer of a peace walk.
She posted on her Instagram page a picture of Sanwo-Olu with the caption: “Mr Gov. You will walk alone. No justice no peace.” She also told him to “do the necessary and stop performative actions.”
Rinu wrote in another post: “@jidesanwoolu No healing without justice! We want work on justice, not empty walks! Police brutality is still prevalent in Lagos State!”
In his reaction on Channels Television, Seun Kuti said: “I want peace after justice. I don’t need to walk next to the Governor before there is peace in Lagos; there has been peace in Lagos before many years and nobody had to walk anywhere for it.
“If there is justice, then we can discuss peace. In fact, there will be no need to walk for peace because justice itself is the walk of peace. The Governor should walk the walk he is talking about by giving us justice.”
Don’t ‘gaslight’ the public on the ‘horrific events’, Odinkalu tells Sanwo-Olu.
Odinkalu bared his mind in a statement after Sanwo-Olu invited the protesters to join him for a “peace walk in Lagos” before he released the White Paper, per reporting by The PUNCH.
His words: “The Governor, Babjide Sanwo Olu, in his speech earlier today invited a number of #Endsars front liners to a solidarity walk ‘peace walk in Lagos’.
“While we love to embrace Peace, it is important to note that the State Government needs to work towards achieving lasting Peace by showing good faith in all matters regarding the Lekki Panel Report.
“The implementation of the panel’s report is a ‘Sacred Duty’, which must be upheld and the only walk required at this time is a ‘Walk of Truth’, which he equally attributed to in his speech.
“For Truth and Reconciliation to occur, there must be a willingness to seek forgiveness while apologizing to the victims and their families.
“Anything short of this is a mere attempt to ‘gaslight’ the public and young Nigerians on the horrific events that took place at the Lekki Toll Gate on 20:10:20.