I’m sure by now it’s no longer news, that a convoy of armed Navy men, maltreated a young lady by the name of Uzoma Okere. They beat her up and stripped her of her blouse, leaving her bra exposed on the streets in broad day light. This constitutes a breach of fundamental human rights, a lack of respect for human beings, and a national shame at the time when the world celebrates democracy.
There are some things within the events that have unveiled that I actually am happy with, and I want to take it up as a conscious effort we can make. Within 3 days, the media had responded, the matter had reached the senate, the Governor of Lagos had called her up and a lot seemed to be happening. It seems like it deserved to happen like that, but that’s not the Nigeria I knew some years ago. The speed of circulation of information about this matter could not have happened 8yrs ago! As a nation, we are changing, to get better, we must take responsibility, and yes we can!
Here are a few key highlights of what happened that was good, and how we can all help to replicate it.
1. Eye witness ireport.
The world has indeed become a global village. Within a few hours, someone was able to video the assault and make it available on ireport, the mobile people fed section of CNN. A news feature that could easily have been hushed by local media was global in minutes. We can all be a lot more conscious of what we see, take pictures, capture videos e.t.c. Most phones these days have camera’s, let’s put them to good use. You can upload your news details at www.ireport.com. It’s unedited, unfiltered news.
The Video: http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-134234
2. Leveraging the Internet.
In a matter of hours, the news was on blogs, a petition was on facebook, and there were lots of discussions. There were tons of comments posted by public, loads of reactions. People were unhappy and did not bottle up their emotions. We will not have a democracy if the people do not have a voice. The internet is voice for the people. The internet might not be the joint of the mass majority now, it’s our responsibility to make it so. Get a blog, a free one, until you do, share your comment on the ones that exist. Have presence online. Syndicate with other blogs, spread the news. Democracy works when the people can be heard. Obama leveraged the internet to win the elections. We need to understand the internet and leverage it! This happened and it was beautiful.
Internet Expressions are all over the place.. just go to www.google.com and search for Uzoma + Navy.
3. Media – Wag the dog.
The media is powerful! Sometimes the tail wags the dog, in other words, there exists some catch 22 with action and media… either has the capacity to come first. For example, did the media help Obama because the media was biased? Or did the media have to keep talking about Obama because it was what the people wanted to hear. Either way you look at it, media is capitalist, and even though information must be unbiased, you are in business when you are publishing material that the public wants to inquire about. We the people, can bend the media to do our bid. In a matter of moments, it was a headline feature in Newspapers, the Governor of the state was notified, the Senate was informed, and media was facilitating the information sharing.
The concepts of Nations are changing, globalization is putting pressure on national leadership to be responsible, the cloak of secrecy under which most evil is perpetrated is being stripped. Think about it, if we decide to be responsible, we cannot get away any longer with human rights violation, we can’t get away with electoral fraud, we can’t get away with anything, because the world is watching.
I don’t know what you see, but I see possibilities. I see the possibility of steering change, of making a difference. The stage is set for the emergence of true values. Let’s take responsibility and make a difference.
Am happy things are changing,am sure the guy will be shocked at the attention the case is getting. When a colleague of his, shot an innocent citizen on the street of lagos a few years ago and nothing happened.The case is now in court with the lady demanding for NGN 100M compensation. Dem go take (Won a gba)
Chairman,
As I pointed out in another forum(not here), it is good that things have changed and there are possibilities. a new dawn has come, but I do believe we can fight a cordinated effort internally without spreading that news on ireport.
That damages the little credibility that we are all trying to build. In the years to come referral will still be made to that ireport document and i do hope we will all not suffer the same fate pastor adeboye suffered the other time at an international airport abroad.
While I am not saying this should not be addressed, I do believe we should not be spreading that link as much because it will continue to damage our image the more. We must put on a damage control mechanism while trying to solve a crisis.
Let Rear admiral Harry come out and apologize to this young lady, let the right authority communicates what measure has been applied to the public, with that we will gain international credibility as a nation that is serious about her image.
Lets take advantage of the change and make the best out of it
Yes we must use all the tools at our disposal to fight these anomalies that are giving all of us bad names all over the world.
And yes I think Olaito makes a lot of sense, I would rather see this story on a Channels News version of ireport, (I’m not sure we have anything like that yet on either channels, AIT or another TV/Radio station in naija).
We want to see these sort of sites come up locally too, and have some repute. We will get there…
Nothing in life is constant so we expected thing like this to happen someday. But when was the problem. But now if these things are happening then it means that all we had taught and wished would surely come to pass just in a matter of time.
THE ISSUE OF CREDIBILITY DOES NOT ARISE.YOU WILL AGREE WITH ME THAT IF NOT FOR THAT REPORT THE NAVY HIGH COMMAND WAS ALREADY DEFENDING THE ADMIRAL.THEY SAID IT WAS DUE TO PROVOCATION ON THE PATH OF THE LADY BY OBSTRUCTING THE ADMIRAL CONVOY.BUT ALAS WHEN WE ALL SAW IT ON IREPORT THEY CHANGED THEIR MUSIC AND STARTED SAYING SOMETHING ELSE.I THINK IT IS GOOD WE PUBLICISE SUCH THINGS BECAUSE NIGERIA IS A COUNTRY WHERE PUBLIC OPINION SOMETIMES MAKE THINGS WORK.THE CASE GOT TO THE SENATE QUICKLY WHY?THE FATHER OF THE LADY IN QUESTION IS THE SEARGENT AT ARMS OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY.THE QUESTION NOW IS IF IT WERE SOMEONE OF LOWER STATUS IN THE SOCIETY WOULD IT HAVE GENERATED SO MUCH PUBLICITY.I THINK NOT.
sincerely i am happy that Nigeria is or has reached the level where we can confidently say, the future is bright. Thank u chairman, i wouldn’t have known of this incident if not for this piece. It is well with Nigeria.
@Chief Olaito,
I must beg to disagree with you a bit…
I believe we have played ostrich for long enough – having problems and hiding our heads in the sand. While I am in support of our having our own ireport type sites, we should know that the internet is global and it doesn’t matter where it’s hosted – it will be seen by all.
I also don’t believe we need cosmetic management at this time, if Nigeria has a body odour the only way we’ll get help and advice is if we allow the smell to come out. Let’s stop kidding ourselves, lets hang our mattresses up in the sun so that our friends can know that we wet our bed, that way maybe we’ll be motivated to stop. America is one of the countries that manage their news most, yet they are allowing all nationals and their people the opportunity of unedited news, you know why? Because even if they don’t do it, it will be done… in fact, it’s being done already.
Let Nigeria change in reality and not just in image. My approach to change the way we are perceived is for us to change the way that we behave. No cosmetic fixes, internal fixes.
@Jimi
I also beg to disagree, if she was not the daughter of an influential person things would still have gone far. The reason things went far is not because of the daughter of who she is, but because it was already a matter publicize by people who did not know her father. If all she had was an influential father, I think the issue will be resolved still, but without so much publicity.
All in all, I think we can replicate these results, if we are more conscious of our environment and don’t just waka pass. The Lagos where people get robbed and others walk away should become the thing of the past.
while reading the comments of other commentators, i read something that got me bemused and so i decided to comment on that. I am an advocate of truth and will live to continually uphold that fact.
I am afraid to say that many Nigerians scarcely read and have been blindfolded and as well en-cultured by the blight of injustice.
Haba! what are we to hide and why should we even do that? That it is posted in Ireport is altogether very encouraging. Should we begin to file in beauteous stories of our land when actually we ooze out devastating stench.
Well, whoever thought it was wrong to post it on ireport, i have this to tell you.
1. In my school, i can access a software that can take me to any part of Nigeria to a point where i can see the people walking on the street. If you doubt it, pls try and see the movie ‘body of lies’.
2. The most developed countries got that appelation from fighting constantly against crime and exposing it to the core.
3. I am in the US and i have come to understand that the US is a kind of classless society chiefly guarded by law and order. It is so because people will speak out without fear because they know their right. Let Bush say an uncomely word to anybody and you will see if he will not be punished either by law or the press.
If you dont know, You can access any, i repeat ANY information from the Internet. Pls try and follow the present US electoral campaign and u will be surprise to see details of both bad and good. The media helped to propagate every detail without any form of fear and that is how i think this world developed.
Pls let us not get used to pain as to wisely justify it. Afterall, it was by reading this piece i got to know and i believe anybody can as well access this site.
Let me not say more, i think the message is clear enough
Please post whatever, it will evoke fear and bring every man to the consciousness of the law especially in Nigeria.
Again God bless Nigeria and my ireport friend. U re a genius raised to power 10
Ha! This is interesting,Oga Deolu, i didnt even know u ve responded to that commen. Thank you ooooo. This will make me to start reading all the commemts. I feel like writing more and more. Pls tell our brothers that by exposing the odour in our mouth we find the solution for a better cleansing toothpaste. Moreso, ‘ when the present is good, the past will not be remembered.’ Otome Elisha
Nigeria is fast changing. What people got away with months ago is beginning receive attention today.
who cares about image when those who have beeen given responsibility to help the weak are abusing the privilege they were given.
Abuse of power is the greatest problem africa is facing today and we would fight it, even if it mean i-report. lety’s stop deceiving ourselves, if not for that report it would have been swept under the carpet as usual. SILENCE NO MORE.
i know quite a number of us still abuse the privilege of power we were given. some still slap their employees.
Let’s be the example of change.
Wow!, in a few minutes, the local becomes global. the tools are in our hands now.u can be global with your operations in no time.in this way reputations can be built or destroyed internationally before the person involved leaves the site of the incident.business people take a cue from this, u can be global now!dont remain small in your thinking….stay cool.Bros u try.
Deolu, Otome Elisha, donONYEGBU, thanks for airing my opinion.
Olaito, I believe you now understand better. We need to get to that stage when we’ll proudly be “naked and not ashamed”.
Things are fast changing. We all have to start by being the change we want to see in Nigeria
I will say the past Governance we have had ,has made must of us believe that,Silence is our human right and that was the only right given to us.
Thank God for democaracy,if it is said to be government for the people and these people dont play there role in the proper administration of this Governance then why for the people,we cannot continue to shy away from our problem either locally or internationally and expect to get solutions,we keep saying we want to move from where we are to the next level yet we dont want to take a leap,a leap to face our challenges,it could be by crawling,walking jumping even fly if it is possible.
On the issue of the daughter of this or son of that,maybe this was in the past,we should realise that must of the things we want to see as excuses not to act,were the made believe of time past,we need to realise that change is here and as come to stay,maybe we need to begin to change our thinking and ask,what we really mean by change,i could go on and on i dont normally write because I CANT SHOUT,but frankly i think the exposure of this is actually a step in knowing and getting what belongs to us.Democracy is a tool to know our rights and have them am sure every body wants to live in a society where he or she has relevance.Democracy can give this to us but we must play our part.Expose what needs to be exposed,a problem shared they say is half solved little wonder it got to the SENATE.
In fact, you know what? I think we can begin to collaborate together to ensure that nothing is hidden in Nigeria. If any of the law enforcement agencies does something bad that violates other peoples rights, we should agree on a collective place to post it, so that we can them make the information available to higher authorities.
Where the people do not have voice, they do not have a democracy.
I’m thinking it’s something we should activate in the New Nigeria Club forum as well. It’s our lack of cohesion that has kept us under the leadership of people who have neither plan nor clue.
I agree totally to having a collective place to post reports that will make people see the ills/good of our society for change.That ireport made me weep internally for Nigeria my beloved country and the people in uniform that are meant to defend the citizens and have now turned to people we need to be defended from!In this modern age and time, people still think its cool to raise their hands to hit a woman,this is sickening! i believe those men were under the influence of something they could not control to have acted that way and so many of them in uniform are no better, i weep for all the uniformed people in the country for what they represent and i think our reorientation should start with them, We have become victims in our own society and to become victors, this crusade for change and hope should be sustained.The Young People in America brought about the “Change” coming to America in the person of President- Elect Barack Obama, Deolu, with what you are doing and our collective efforts, this change can be made possible in our land.God bless Nigeria and the new Nigeria coming up.
why is it that bcos is father is very influencial dat its now a news wat of situation were police hit a small child on bike wit his mother bcos dey were comin & dey didnt giv way 4 dem 2 pass,d national assembly shud do sometin about it fast bcos people are dieing everyday.
This is good…
That reminds me of the issue with a Nigerian journalist that posted the pictures of our president’s son with gun(s) in the little boys hands…I have not followed it in full but i heard that the journalist is somewhere and is accused of evil against the national security..Please can someone say something about this..I am not with the full information!!!
@Olaito
i am equally ashmaed of this act and woul not want the outside world to see Nigeria like this but believe me the issue is being discussed at the Senate because the world knows!
If it had only been in the local news, these quick actions by governors and the big abuja guys would be no where to be found.
I do not belive it is only because of the fact that the girl’s father works in the Senate that it is getting all this attention.
God bless the gal/guy that took the pictures/video.
and put it on Ireport!
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.
http://www.undergraduatesinbusiness.com
I can understand the excitement of everyone but I still shudder at the low expectations we have as Nigerians. Rear Admiral Arogundade has not apologised neither has the Navy or the goons that did the dirty job. I am waiting until someone is sacked dismissed or sanctioned before i celebrate anything. Ask yourself if this was any saner country, will someone not have resigned. A military chief was recently sacked in Japan for making comments on the Japan’s legacy in the previous world wars so who is Arogundade that he is still in service today collecting tax payers money and to even think that his jurisdiction does not even extend to Lagos. I shudder seriously.
i am willing to take out a bet that nothing will happen. 10,000 Naira anyone?
The Nigerian military has killed more Nigerians than foreigners and yet we still fund them.
This incident still repeats itself on the roads on lagos even after that incident so what are we celebrating?….that we can make noise? this brings again to the issue of blaming Nigerians for being docile? what else are we to do in this case that we have not done yet no support or policy statement on sirens yet.
@ Olatunji Jacobs
I’m willint to take your bet!
I don’t think we are yet uhuru, but then, we are far from where we are coming from. I would wait till it all is booked to celebrate, but I believe we can celebrate the milestones.
Or how do you see it, does a child that is beaten everyday not rejoice that one day he’s able to call the attention of the neighbourhood to bail her out? Nigeria’s problems will not be solved by a magic wand, or a rabit out of a hat, it will be gradual, and I believe that active media, joint responsibility for publishing truth – news, are all steps in the right direction.
Already things are being done, today for example, one road safety official was disciplined for bad behaviour, why? Because someone reported him over radio. More than anytime ever in Nigeria’s history, people are capturing data and reporting cases? Why? Because Uzoma Okere was publicly flogged. It reminds me of the bus incident back in the days of MLK. Someone starts it, and if we celebrate the behaviour it ripples on until it tips.
I am willing to take your bet of N10,000 and assure you that something will be done! We might only need to align on the fine details of parameters for measuring and saying nothing or something was done!
wow!!! i feel so sad that i’m just posting my comments. all the juicy comment spaces are gone. Notwithstanding, I’ll say the comments are just as engaging as the post itself.
“Oh Nigeria, Nigeria, How often would i have delivered you from tyranny, oppression, greed, disunity and dishonesty, but you would not have it? I leave you to country men desolate until you say blessed is he who enhances, embraces and broadcasts the truth and those who tell it.”
good stuff CM…The New Nigeria Club outrightly denounces such dastardly behaviour
yes oooo. I agree to a site or post where special comments like this can be aired. But as for New Nigerian Club, i don;t have the concept here and i will need to know. Somebody should please enlighten me and forgive my ignorance here.
Pls tell me what it is about and how i can be a participant
@Elisha Otome
The New Naija Club is a social network of youths who believe in the
New Nigeria Dream: A Nigeria that is the most desirable nation to dwell
in, a Nigeria that is organized, and a Nigeria where the true north principles of Integrity, honesty, faithfulness, loyalty, fairness and equity are commonplace.
Our Vision is to build a critical mass of 5,000,000 Nigerians who are satisfied members of the club and who are active participants in the building of the New Nigeria.
We intend to create a positive image for Nigeria and Nigerians at home
and abroad while playing our part in placating the woes of poverty in Nigeria. Our overall aim is to be a voice and an arm in the building of the Nigeria of our dreams.
Our key focus is Nation building via the following channels; National Re-orientation, Empowerment, Sponsorship/Scholarship, Charity, Community Development. We have held re-orientation programs in several schools as well as financial empowerment seminar series in Lagos. We have visited charity homes as well as sponsored a number of events and people.
For more information, visit http://www.newnigeriaclub.net
Good, thats is its. I will visit the site and i hope to be a member from there, if not pls do aid my membership. Nigeria will be great.
This act is extremely inhumane….how on earth would someone do that to anybody talk more of a lady.
My question is how did they feel beating the lady up? I am confident that they would face the full wrath of the law.
How long must we continue to live with this?
God bless Nigeria…
Hmmmmmm…… , i’m happy the wave of change is moving like whirlwind across Nigeria. The internet is powerful tool in our hands let’s use it to create the change we desire. We must make our voice heard.
Its a new season in our nation. What used to be hidden no longer has a hiding place! It does not matter the daughter of who the lady is,the fact remains that it’s an incident that is bound to take flight and not take cover.
I must however salute the courage of Miss Uzoma Okere, to voice out and actually confront them even in the face of horse whips and guns (though not readily advisable).
We can make a difference, yes we can!
sir,its a shame that is still in d dark in dis era where d world is now a global village,d nigeria govt should rise 2 their responsibility b4 it escalate something else bcos people are been vitimised evryday.delsu, abraka
This is really good stuff, what is happening on this website.
I think the main point of these Uzoma+Navy events is the fact that we have moved forward in this country. Visibly.
Actually, being the daughter of an influential person might have contributed to her not moving her vehicle on time. The masses would probably know better.
However, we cannot deny that this creates a greater sense of responsibility for the average nigerian, knowing that there is some form of higher (albeit subtle) authority in the global community. Nothing may have happened yet, and we may never get a public apology out of the Navy, but it is really difficult to say the Admiral’s boys will not think twice before doing this again.
The subsequent public action is encouraging, even though (according to cnn) some cameras were smashed in the process. Maybe, just maybe, we’ll one day get to a point where even the non-commissioned millitary man will understand what his job is all about.
our’s is a system whereby some people think that with their little position in society, anything they do is allowed. i thank God that this became public because this is just one amongst the one tthousnd that keep happening in our society today. i pray justice is done.