Important Editorial From NET News On Behalf Of All Our Titles

In case you’re wondering, Nigerian Entertainment Today, Newsroom and Star are in full support of the planned protest by Innocent Ujah Idibia, the musician known as 2baba.
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Nigerian celebrities have very strong influence on the youth, but they rarely use the power of their voice to shape national dialogue and speak truth to power. At best they’ve mostly been pawns in the hands of politicians. Most of them for hire to the highest bidder.

The country itself has been plagued with bad governance since 1999, after the military handed over, despite the various changes in Aso Rock.

But we have a history of Nigerian celebrities protesting against bad governance. Nigerian musicians such as Sunny Okosun, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Ras Kimono have in the past lent their voices to campaign against military dictatorships and ineffective civilian governments.

In 2010, theNETng published an article about the strange marriage between music and politics that highlighted how musicians can be a force for good for a nation.
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2baba is one of the few to remain consistent with his message and character. Lyric after lyric, song after song. With each election year for as long as he’s been active, he’s added his voice to voter education, to peace and justice and worked with more organisations than any of his contemporaries to create awareness.

‘I have dedicated my time and resources to peace building, voter education towards peaceful elections and youth engagement in governance in Nigeria. This time around, my partners, colleagues and I have come together to present a platform for real Nigerians to communicate their real pains to government at all levels in a peaceful and articulate manner with a view to getting lasting solutions to our problems,’ 2baba said during an internet broadcast, Tuesday, on the planned protest.
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Now that he’s risking everything he’s worked for; risking his life and that of his family; now that he’s putting himself out there so we can kick start a conversation about reclaiming our country and hopes, we believe it’s important for everyone interested in the future of this great country to stand by him; to add their voice and demonstrate that this is not just another jamboree.
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Nigerians are suffering. Millions are in pains. The nation is on her knees. The nation’s GDP, a major indicator of a country’s economic strength has shrunk by 2.24% in the third quarter of 2016, according to the government’s own National Bureau of Statistics.

The resulting recession has hit hard on Nigerians with year-on-year inflation reaching 18.5% in December 2016. The nation’s foreign exchange has also been hit hard with the naira exchanging to the dollar at upwards of N450.

The price of crude oil in the world market, the major foreign exchange earner for the country has crashed from the highs of $145 to about $50.

We desperately need to do something. We know this. You know this. Everyone knows. Just in case the government does not, we have an opportunity to join @official2baba on Monday and give them the information they need.
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And if they’re hard of hearing, we’ll scream louder; we’ll write it for them, we’ll say it with photos and videos and song. From Lagos to Abuja and elsewhere.
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It’s an important national call and we are grateful for the opportunity to answer.
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How about you?

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