MY TEN KOBO; A COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

This is not a commentary on the botched protest, which I had no feelings about either way, and had refused to comment on while it lasted.As a Marketing and PR Consultant,Journalist, Researcher and Public Analyst, My interests lies in the power of the use of celebrity status as a catalyst to influence policy and in the process affect the common good.

Majority of Nigerians are under 40. Which means we are relatively a young society.

Imagine a situation where the youth and the women, who represent a large proportion of the society, and who are always, along with children at the receiving end of bad policies, realised their power and find a common cause to converge around, would that not be amazing?

And that was why, despite my aloofness from the drama, saw it as an opportunity to see how far star power can go to energise the base and make a difference.

This is nothing new. Corporate organizations and even government's have realised the influence of celebrities on the youth population, and have carefully used this relationship to promote products, ideas and even policies.

But this is the first time that an artiste without a history of social activism, either in his music or lifestyle, is stepping to the plate, and I was curious about how enormous the impact would be.

Alas, we will not know, for now.

But there are positives to be taken away from this. First, Nigerians are now aware that you don't need police permit to hold a protest rally. Second, that your rights are still guaranteed under the constitution in spite of occasionally overreaching by the security forces. Third, that Nigerians are (for now) willing to look beyond tribe, status and mutual suspicion to congregate for, and against, a common cause.

Maybe Mr. Idibia is the John the Baptist of our journey to equality and justice, maybe not. But knowing the Nigerians penchant for copycatting, don't be surprised if more celebrities take up causes that are diametrically opposite to their lifestyles, and succeed.

After all, most revolutions are led by people who are beneficiaries of the system, but who shun their comfort zones to lead the process for change.

This is supposedly a country of a young population with a female majority. But unfortunately, still remains a country for old men.

I have a feeling that the process for real change has just begun.

My Ten Kobo±