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#EndSARS: Frustration among Nigeria’s youth and the poor

04 November 2020 | Story Dr Sunday Paul C. Onwuegbuchulam | Photo Supplied

DrSundayOnwuegbuchulam_web read more — Dr Sunday Paul C. Onwuegbuchulam, hails from Nigeria and is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Gender and Africa Studies, University of the Free State.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country has, since the first week of October 2020, seen a series of protests to end perceived police brutality under the banner #EndSARS. In this opinion piece, I argue that these protests reflect the general frustration among Nigerians concerning the sorry state of affairs in the country’s socio-economic and political space in recent times.

The #EndSARS protests called for drastic police reform in the country and specifically the disbandment of a police unit called Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). SARS was formed in 1992 amidst concern for increasing incidences of armed robberies and other organised crimes in the country. The unit was equipped and mandated to respond to these crimes; they have what could be termed a licence to kill.

Abuse of power

In recent times, however, SARS morphed into a menace to the people it was supposed to protect, especially the youth. There have been a series of reported human rights violations in the form of torture, harassments, extrajudicial killings, extortion and downright corruption. Eventually, SARS became synonymous with abuse of power by the police with a concomitant toxic climate of fear and brutality. Amid heightened concern for the safety of citizens vis-à-vis SARS, some activists took to social media in 2017 and hence the birth of the #EndSARS movement. Since the movement started, the activists have succeeded in getting the government to commit to several police reforms. However, the impunity by the SARS continued and things came to a head on 3 October 2020, when a viral video allegedly shows SARS officers shooting an unarmed victim in Delta State. It seems this was the straw that broke the camel’s back and the youth took to the streets to say enough is enough.

The relatively peaceful protest continued for several weeks and resulted in the country’s leadership announcing the disbandment of the SARS unit. However, the leadership sought to replace SARS with yet another police unit called Special Weapons and Tactics team (SWAT). This was not accepted by the protesting youths and the #EndSwat followed the earlier call for #EndSARS. The youths went further to demand the end of bad governance and corruption in the country and refused to leave the streets until the president addressed them and these issues. Sadly, peaceful protesters were reportedly injured and or killed by security agents in different parts of the country during these protests. On the night of 20 October 2020, there were also reports of the army shooting innocent protesters at a toll gate at Lekki, a suburb of Lagos. There have been conflicting accounts over whether or not there was indeed shooting and killing of peaceful protesters, with the army and the Lagos state authorities denying that it took place. But what eyewitness accounts and video clips and pictures from the incident at Lekki show is that there was some form of violence perpetrated against peaceful protesters.

Full article

Opinion article Dr Sunday Paul C. Onwuegbuchulam, Centre for Gender and Africa Studies, University of the Free State.

News Archive

UFS awards centenary bonuses to staff

2004-11-25

The University of the Free State (UFS) will award a special Centenary bonus of R3000 (three thousand rand) to all qualifying staff in December 2004 .

As far as general salary increases for 2005 are concerned, plus an inflation- based linked salary increase adjustment of 1,4 percent and a further 4,6 percent salary increase as a final dividend from the financial turn-around strategy that began in 2000, will be instituted .

The final percentage salary increase is dependent on whether the expected government subsidy, of which the UFS must still receive notification from the Department of Education, is received.
, if the expected government subsidy realizes .
In addition, the salaries of service workers in low remuneration groups, as well as full professors have been adjusted retroactively to 1 January 2004. This restructuring was agreed upon to address market-related backlogs for these two groups , who display the biggest backlog relative to comparable institutions . A similar professional bench-marking exercise for support service staff has not been finalised.

This agreement was signed on Wednesday 24 November 2004 between the UFS Council and the UVPERSU-NEHAWU Joint Forum regarding salary negotiations for 2005.

“With this Centenary bonus and the significant above-inflation salary increase payment the UFS wants to pay recogni se tion to the sterling role that staff

have played in a difficult period of transition and fast growth and the contributions that they made to promote excellence at the UFS to a

university of excellence,” said Prof Frederick Fourie, Rector and Vice-

Chancellor of the UFS.

He said that the extra payment of this final 4,6 percent increase due to benefit from the financial turn-around strategy means that in real terms average salaries at the UFS had increased over the past 3 to 4 years by well over more that the 15 percent target that was set initially.

According to Prof Fourie all staff members who were in the employ of the UFS on UFS conditions of service on 15 November 2004 and who assumed duties before 1 October 2004, will qualify for the bonus. The same criteria will apply as for the 2004 bonuses.

However, there are some exceptions who do not qualify for the bonus eg learning facilitators, professors extraordinary, affiliated lecturers, departmental assistants, laboratory assistants, student help, all staff appointed for less than 20 hours per week, persons who are paid on a claims basis etc.

“Although the UFS’s actual subsidy amount is not yet known, an increase of 6,6 % in the total remuneration costs was budgeted for in the budget serving before the Executive Management and Council. It was further agreed with the UVPERSU-NEHAWU Joint Forum that the first 6 % increase will be used as general pensionable salary adjustment with implementation date 1 January 2005,” said Prof Fourie.

According to Prof Fourie the agreement also applies to all staff members of the Qwaqwa and Vista campuses whose conditions of service are already aligned with those of the main campus.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
25 November 2004

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