The symbolism of the Russian flag in the North

Nigeria borders the Niger Republic and there are many Nigeriens who consider themselves as Nigerians and many Nigerians who think they are Nigeriens.

A much more dangerous dimension was introduced to the ongoing protest against misgovernment in Nigeria when the youth in Kano began to wave the flag of Russia. The idea of the protest itself was broached by the south where the nation's heavy stock of the educated reside: mostly activists lawyers, engineers, ICT professionals etc. But the real protest is taken up by the North. The North usually does not join the south in protest. But this time around not only did they join they seem to have seized the initiative from the more vocal south, they are also dictating the pace. If government is able to stop the North, it will certainly be able to stop the entire protest. A friend told me that the protest will soon burn itself out. Not the North I saw, they seem so aggrieved that nothing can stop them. They have defiled the preaching of their Ulamas who usually dictated their values. They have refused to listen to their elders who in different fora have said the North will not join the protest, meaning the youth of the North have come out of enslavement to age and the oligarchy.

But what could the waving of Russian flag mean? As usual, President Bola Tinubu propagandists are playing the blame game. Like they blame Peter Obi whose kith and kin did not join the protests for sponsoring the protests, they have been fingering some people for being behind the Russian flag popularity in the North. The Russian embassy itself has denied that Russia has any hand in it. But Seun Okinbaloye, anchor of popular Channels Television news and current affairs program, Politics Tonight will not agree that Russia did not have a hand in it going by the antecedents of Russia to clandestinely influence affairs in other nations and deny afterward; example, recent America elections. The open flying of Russian flag in a protest against government in Nigeria is a serious indictment on Nigeria's security community, a confirmation of a common allegation that they are only fiction writers. How can a protest that gave government two weeks notice feature the hoisting of a foreign flag without a wind of it to the security community.

The carrying of Russia flag that started in Kano and quickly spread to all parts of the North became another opportunity for government propaganda machinery and opportunity to distract the nation from the important issue that led to the protests. President Tinubu suspended his executive council meeting and substituted it with a summoned meeting with his security chiefs. It was the Chief of Defence staff, General Christopher Musa that came to address the media. Tinubu had addressed the nation and had shunned it. It was the turn of General Christopher Musa to warn the nation that the president had met with the security chiefs and had told them to take the issue of the Russian flag seriously and to, in Nigeria security language deal decisively with any infraction. The security forces will not tolerate the calls for a coup because the military will defend the nation's democracy. The tone of General Christopher Musa and the urgency in his speech suggested that the president was not a little rattled by the Russian flag. The president's men resumed their propaganda: it is the cabal that ran out President Goodluck Jonathan that is also at work in the North trying to run Tinubu out of town.

Certainly from where and by whom the flag was procured must be found out. It is such a crucial matter. As difficult as Tinubu men and women want to make it, I think it is such a simple matter to find. Russia is now the new master of Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, the three Sahelian countries that have just severed ties with their former colonial master, France. Rejection of overbearing influence of France on the three countries is one of the reasons given for the coups in the countries. In Niger especially the Russian flag was carried by the citizens suggesting a replacement of France by Russia. Nigeria borders the Niger Republic and there are many Nigeriens who consider themselves as Nigerians and many Nigerians who think they are Nigeriens. Former President Muhammadu Buhari is a typical example. He did not know the difference between Nigeria and Niger when he used Nigeria's borrowed money to construct a multibillion dollar railway track to Niger, that is, the Kano-Maradi, the Niger Republic, rail line. If Buhari could think like that, what do we think of the commoners. When the protests rose in the North, the northern youth saw no difference between the Niger Republic and Nigeria. One is an extension of the other. Possibly, Nigerians also helped carry the flag in Niger, so in their mind it the same flag that must be carried in Nigeria.

There is a problem here, there is nothing like Nigeria yet. There is no nation called Nigeria. Nigeria as Chief Obafemi Awolowo posited is only a geographical contraption and not a nation. It does not live in the heart of Nigerians. If Buhari who had the opportunity to rule twice think he is from Niger, how now would the government want to blame the uninformed protesters. This must occupy the mind of the political class to build a nation urgently. Tinubu must let this be in his mind. Unfortunately it is doubtful if he thinks like that. He's an emperor whose will must prevail, who does not see the urgency of putting a nation together. There is no Nigeria in the minds of the northern youth just as there is no Nigeria in the minds of the average Yoruba man and Igbo man. Until all parts of the nation develop that concept of nationhood in their hearts, threatening to deal decisively, the language of Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, will not work. Nigerians have not decided to live together as a family.

But it is not difficult to see some good fruits in this carrying of Russia flag. Let's assume that some persons are indeed behind it as government thinks, it only means those persons have converted to Russia ways of governance. It means behind the scene there has been a quiet revolution of values that have been going on. Social media is now available to the commoners and it has become a tool that mobilizes against traditional values. Unfortunately Nigeria’s leaders are only concerned with looting the treasury and not with monitoring what is happening at the grassroots, especially with the youth. Late Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore will call manufacturers in the early years of Singapore to ask how the Singaporean workers were doing. With this he was able to make policies that would improve their skills. Social media has been working quietly in the North. They have converted the Northern youth through happenings in Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso into the Russia way of governance. With this, Islam which has dictated the way of life of the Muslim North is the first causality. As a friend from North told me, this is the first time that the youth of North have refused to toe the line of the Ulamas. The Church is in the same dilemma. All the traditional church teachings have been torn down.

While the average Yoruba man in the south believe that it was the elders who did not allow the youths to protest against Buhari's eight year oppressive rule, and that the current protest is a move against Tinubu, a southerner, to bring his government down. But when it is now known that the youth of the North kicked against their elders and their Ulamas, we must reject the thought that the elders and the Ulamas prompted the protests. The quiet preference for Russia has been knocking down the Islamic way. For me, it is good because unless the rigid traditional and religious inhibitions break down, the North will not join the South in moving the nation forward. Preference for Russia is likely to improve the taste of the North for western education. Social activists, Sani Shehu made a post that circulated widely on WhatsApp that while school is free in the North, the youth have refused to go to school. But a Russian preference will change that. Russian president, Vladimir Putin was reported to have criticized Nigeria for making the English language compulsory in its schools whereas agriculture which will feed the nation is not compulsory. A Russian preference will definitely change the youth and it is changing them as we can see in this protest.

I don't think Russia will be like hypocritical Britain that operates a divide-and-rule policy that has continued to keep the North perpetually a dependent rentier part of Nigeria. Neither will a Russian preference be like the American oppressive policy that preys on African countries and teaches our children a corrupt way of life. The North will blend perfectly with Russia.

Tunde Akande is both a journalist and pastor. He earned a Master's degree in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos