Chopcassava was designed as a web series to document the fuel subsidy protests in Lagos. We wanted to bypass the censorship associated with traditional platforms and reach our audience through the internet. Our content was uploaded regularly throughout the protests with a number of the clips going viral. This video is a compilation of the films assembled for a screening - the original posts are below.
On January 19th, a small group met at the Lagos State House of Assembly to protest the deployment of soldiers on the streets of Lagos. All over the country the protests were dissipating and in Lagos the small numbers of protesters at the Assembly were a stark contrast to the close to a million people who had turned out at Ojota days earlier.
The group were led by distinguished, elder statesmen - Dr Tunji Braithwaithe, a former presidential candidate, Professor Ben Nwabueze, an eminent legal scholar and Kalu Idika Kalu, a former Finance Minister. Also present where Occupy Nigeria activists and religious leaders.
The aim of the elders' march was two fold - to publicise the opposition to the deployment and to hopefully protect the younger, supposedly more dispensable, protesters against a violent response by the military and police.
The State government had also protested the deployment to the Federal government but declined to support the protesters who were again determined to march to and reclaim Freedom Park.
Amidst accusations of under table deals and sell out agreements, the nation staggered back to a semblance of order keenly overseen by soldiers who remained on the streets despite the protests of the State Governor. Freedom Park is ringed by several tanks and there are reports of raids on the CNN and BBC offices by the State Security Service (SSS.)
The repression is effective, with order restored the notorious Lagos traffic gridlock quickly re-establishes itself, as if the protests had never happened. Chopcassava go to the Victoria Island home of statesman and former presidential candidate, Dr Tunji Braithwaithes, where a meeting of civil societies, protest organizers, activists and elders had been called.
The meeting is to plan a response to the deployment of soldiers on the streets, the mood is low-key but there is a sense of outrage at what many see as the suppression of their fundamental human rights.
On the night of Friday January 13th the national strike was suspended for two days by labour leaders to allow protesters to refresh, restock and recharge. Two days of dialogue and a white knuckled wait followed.
That Sunday, a few hours before protests and strikes were set to renew, the government agreed to a reduction of the pump price to a compromise figure of N97 and the labour unions, the NLC and TUC, called off the strike. Disappointment, outrage and recriminations followed and many non union protesters felt betrayed.
The next morning on January 16th, the military was deployed to major cities to quell any further rallies. At 7.30am political activist Wale Okunniyi visited Funmi at home and led chopcassava back to Labour House where a small number of diehard Joint Action Front supporters led by comrade Abiodun Aremu were determined to march through the fortified streets to the now iconic Freedom park.
The colourful NLC flags and carnival atmosphere seemed a distant memory.
Anthony Village is a typical Lagos suburb. A mixture of classes, ethnicities and professions live together peacefully.
The area is stirred by the fuel price hike to come out and protest. Locals meet and parade the streets before heading to join the main rally at Freedom Park in nearby Ojota. Morenike Nedum, daughter of human rights activist, Dr Beko Ransome Kuti and niece of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti is one of them.
Pulitzer winning journalist and former editor of Newsday Dele Olojede returned to Nigeria in 2006 and two years later started 234NEXT. Employing a new generation of bright, fearless journalists, NEXT broke news stories about political and corporate corruption which no one else would touch. Naturally they made many enemies losing advertising and investment until last year the paper suddenly disappeared off the streets.
We arrange an interview with Dele to get his take on the crisis. Driving across town to the appointment at his home on the Island, we fly the NLC flag to avoid being hassled by strike enforcers, the Third Mainland Bridge is eerily empty - The strike is holding fast.
Chopcassava heads to another fuel subsidy removal protest at Falomo, Ikoyi - a posh part of Lagos. Apparently the anger at the price increase, cuts across economic classes and the well-off gather underneath the bridge.
Celebrities lend their support - Nollywood star Kate Henshaw speaks out.
As the days pass the crowd at Gani Fawehinmi park grows bigger still as citizens, entertainment stars, activists and politicians gather to support the protest. 'Freedom Park' becomes like a cross between Woodstock and Tahir Square.
Voices from the park include Seun Kuti, son of afrobeat legend Fela, Ade Bantu and others.
Share Article → Chopcassava, Chris Dada, fuel subsidy, funmi iyanda | in chopcassava video Gani Fawehinmi Park, named after a revered humans rights lawyer who had challenged past tyrants, inadvertently became the focus of the rallies because of it's convenient location and symbolism. On the first day of the strike half a million people gathered to listen to music, impassioned speeches and each other.
Funmi interviewed the, 'Save Nigeria Group' leader Pastor Tunde Bakare and activist Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin.
A firebrand pastor, Bakare was a vice presidential candidate for the opposition party CPC and has been a vocal critic of corruption and past governments for many years. His political associations were an issue for some and encouraged the government to characterise the protest as the work of disgruntled politicians intent on regime change.
JAN 9 - Marked by demonstrations and protest rallies, the general strike called by the Labour Unions and supported by civil society groups starts. In Lagos the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) organises a large rally from Labour House in Yaba to the fast becoming iconic, Gani Fawehinmi Park, Ojota.
The cherry, white and green NLC flags contribute to the festive atmosphere and Fela Kuti hits blare out as the procession heads to Ojota.