Burna Boy-born Nigerian singer-songwriter Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu has finally spoken out on the ongoing nationwide protests against alleged brutality and extortion by Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) agents.
Anti-SARS protests took place in several cities across the country, with protesters demanding a ban on SARS, a police unit accused of widespread abuse and extortion.
Burna Boy reveals why he’s been mute since the #EndSARS protests.
“I took the past week to collect my thoughts. Usually I react to these things with my emotions and frustration, this time I decided to ignore the attempts, benevolent or dismissive, to get me out. This is not and should not be about me, This is a fundamental issue that affects us all as Nigerians, Africans and human beings.” “The state of our country, Nigeria, is inconvenient, it has been there since before I was born. My biggest concern in all of this is that SARS will now end as it supposedly has several times in the past (I remember calling for an end to SARS during my April 2019 US tour) and morph into another entity later on. with another form or another name. In my opinion, abolishing unity is a definite first step, but we cannot afford to stop there. The main problem is PROFILING. BOTH THE AUTHORITIES AND THE CITIZENS SHOULD DEAL WITH THIS. IT SHOULD NOT BE A CRIME TO BE YOUNG IN YOUR OWN COUNTRY. The old saying that you can’t judge a book by its cover is a wise one.”
The seriousness of recent events has forced me to express my commitment to my people as follows: –1. First of all, I salute all the protesters who are exercising their right to assemble and fight for justice.
2. PROJECT F’ROTECT: I have created a sub-fund within my charity – The Reach called (@projectprotectng) to help protesters who have been wrongfully injured/arrested. by SARS during and after these protests. This is a fund for the people by the people.
3. The Miseducation Foundation: This initiative will primarily focus on upward mobility for our community to give it a voice and platform. It will be a mix of sharing and providing educational factual historical information to give perspective on the origins of our nation and our continent. We will also focus on providing broader platforms to strengthen the creative and tech community (regardless of area). My music is my essence and it is mainly for the empowerment of Nigerians and Africans. I have always used and always will continue to use my voice for this purpose as I see fit, not because I am forced to, but because I choose to. Tiyamiu Kazeem, Isaac Mbge, lfeoma Abugu, Chibuike Anams, Christian Ugwuoke, Aneke Okorie, Tina Ezekwe, Solomon Eze, Ayomide Taiwo, Godspower Edoha, Kolade Johnson, Chinedu Maoists, Augustine Arebu, Tunde Nafiu, lfeanyi Ozor and those whose names are not Known, never forgotten. Stay safe outside of the family.
Categories: Biography
Source: newstars.edu.vn