Fuel subsidy protests and power of social media

By Bankole Orimisan

As the storm against the removal of fuel subsidy assailed business activities in the country recently, BANKOLE ORIMISAN, examines the role of the social media network in the agitation.

  STEVE CHEN, Chad Hurley and Jawed Karim founded youtube in February 2005 to enable Americans share videos among loved ones. Today, it has become the new face of modern cinema where videos of the famous Arab Spring and Occupy Movement are disseminated. Twitter was founded in 2006 by Jack Dorsey. The faintest thought that it could be used to organise mass movements against autocratic governments in the Middle East was out of the equation.

  The most popular website, Facebook, founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg, was privately developed so that he could communicate with his folks in the campus. He didn’t realise that the Otueke-born zoologist would be named a ‘Facebook President’ by CNN during his presidential campaigns in 2010/2011. Research In Motion (manufacturers of Blackberries) was incorporated in 1984 by Mike Lazarridis. He didn’t foresee the new perspectives it would introduce to global discourses and businesses.

  These four tools enumerated above have revolutionised global events. From the popular Arab Spring to the Occupy Movement in the United States, election campaigns, to social discourses, these tools have redefined everything about modern day living.

Social media gave a voice to the Occupy Movement and mass protests in the Middle East. It ended the careers of many high profile politicians, damaged celebrity images and gave people platforms to express their views on global issues.

  The Occupy Movement in the United States was born on Twitter when people became fed up with the government and started organising mass protests. According to Twitter statistics released in October 2011, over 100,000 different hash tags were used to discuss the Occupy Movement in the United States. Through Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, people in Egypt and Libya were able to come together and topple dictators.

  Like the Arab Spring and Occupy Movement in the United States, what role can the social media network play in the new Occupy Nigeria mass protests against government’s unpopular decision on fuel subsidy removal? Can the Arab Spring example be replicated here and government policies influenced through these social media network?

In the days leading to the mass protests and nationwide strike, Nigerians had raised alarm over government’s plans to shut down Blackberry services wary of the gathering storm of public resentment against fuel subsidy removal.

  Alarmed by this rumour, Blackberry users in Nigeria, numbering over 300, 000 started posting messages on the Internet and through their Blackberry Messenger. In a swift response, management of the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), MTN, Gloacom and Etisalat rebuffed the claims.

   In recent days, activists, opposition leaders and ordinary Nigerians have used the social media network to disseminate information on venues for protests. Gaffes by supporters of fuel subsidy removal have also been tweeted, facebooked and broadcast through Blackberries. Gory images and videos depicting President Goodluck Jonathan as the villain of the Nigerian people have been exchanged through these media.

   Reports of violence, killings and police brutality towards protesters are first transmitted through the social media network. Media houses in Nigeria have also seized the window of opportunity presented by the social media network to reach out to the young Nigerian audience.

President Jonathan also acknowledged the power of the social media network when he lamented in Abuja recently, during the launch of the public mass transit buses: “There are a lot of mischief makers going around to misinform Nigerians, especially through social networks like the Twitter, Blackberry, Facebook and others – to communicate very wrong things to Nigerians.”

   Popular entertainers have also been using the social media network to criticise President Jonathan’s fuel subsidy removal.

   Eldee, the multi-talented entertainer wrote the following on his twitter page: “Why should President Jonathan budget a billion naira for his generators and diesel when he is urging us to believe in his power sector reform? Why does our president need nine private jets and then have the audacity to come on TV and claim to “feel the pain” of Nigerians? Why should we believe the government when it says the subsidy gain will be properly reinvested? A government should lead by example…by example you must not own generators, travel abroad for health care or send your kids abroad to school.”

    Musicians and comedian, Sound Sultan have also been mobilising for mass protests through his Twitter page. He tweeted the following: “The only place in the world where you have to provide your own light, water, security and tar the road is Nigeria. In Nigeria, new regimes are always worse than the former and we are going to occupy the streets until government listens to us.”

    One of Nigeria’s finest music producers, Don Jazzy, posted the following on his Twitter page about the fuel subsidy removal: “I hardly ever regret decisions I make. That my one vote added to put the current government in power is one decision I regret with all my heart.”