By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
Ace singer, Burna Boy, has ignored comments that he is a coward.
The social media has been raging with the debate whether Burna Boy who said he would not participate in the October 1 protest called by convener of the Revolution Now, Omoyele Sowore, displayed cowardice.
Sowore, had asked the top singer who styles himself as legendary singer, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, to prove that he merits the comparison.
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“Hello @burnaboy, everywhere I turn people describe you as a revolutionary musician, the foreign media even celebrate you, compare you to Fela Kuti, but I am yet to see you lead anyone to a police station carrying a coffin for head of state! Join #Oct1stProtest #RevolutionNow.”
But Burna Boy responded at the tweet saying: “Everybody is a Fela fan and supporter now that he is dead. Humans are so Funny, You politicians are ALL the same (especially in Nigeria) and Frankly I don’t trust none of you. @YeleSowore.”
Burna Boy’s response to Sowore immediately sparked off debate on the social media on whether he was ducking the challenge to mobilise his four million followers on twitter to protest against bad governance in Nigeria or saying the truth.
Film actor, Yul Edochie, who tweeted in his twitter handle @YulEdochie, said: “To my brother
@burnaboy. I’m a big fan of yours, you are one of the greatest. But that aside, I want to let you know that you don’t have to trust politicians before you speak up. Our country isn’t working & it’s the duty of every real man to lend his voice to the struggle.”
@ToyosiGodwin said: “Burna boy made a video and called youths cowards. Okay, you that you’re not a coward, come out and lead protest… You won’t. Ogbeni, practice what you preach.”
@iSlimfit added: “ People might say Sowore is trying to make Burna Boy an instrument to actualize his agenda, but the point for me is that if you can talk the talk, you should be able to walk the talk. No be by calling people cowards in your song. I’m sure Fela won’t be proud right now.”
@tunnykvng also said: “It’s okay for Burna Boy to sample Fela songs. it’s okay for him to not want to associate with Sowore or any other politician. What is not okay is calling us Cowards when you can’t even walk the talk. Falz is right after all, everybody is motherfucking hypocrite!”
@segalink argued: “We do ourselves a great disservice by fighting each other & playing sides unnecessarily. @burnaboy is an artiste that need not become an activist just to prove he’s got political collateral.
“Fans in entertainment don’t readily convert. @YeleSowore ran for office, this doesn’t and shouldn’t rob him of his rights as a citizen to express his discontent about the state of the nation. It shouldn’t be deemed as selfish by psychological egoists & armchair commentators. Agreeing with people on issues is no veneration or canonization. End the binary thinking.”
@renoomkri defended Burna Boy: “@YeleSowore
is a Blackmailer. This is why @BurnaBoy and others rejected him.”