Joseph Odok, PhD Esq
By Joseph Odok
The silencing of a voice like verydarkman will be a devastating set back to our democracy.
It is becoming more risky and difficult to have someone speaking truth to power in the Nigeria of today; the fear of the brutality of people in power is real and reasonable. Shockingly, many Nigerians will ask if you want to die when you constructively engage government as speaking the truth is adjudged today as treason or terrorism with death sentence attached
I have been a victim of Nigeria happening to me for speaking truth to power and I am still paying the price till date. I was left to largely suffer alone, I lost so much that it will be difficult to recover, thank God I am still alive because there was also an attempted assassination on me, loss of job, incarceration for 117 days etc.
Agitations for the freedom of Verydarkblackman should gain more traction to achieve same results like the agitations for freedom of Dele Farotimi and Agba Jalingo. That is if we must still have the voice of Verydarkblackman strong after the Gestapo arrest or kidnapping as it appears.
The struggle must continue, we must voice out in support of those who risk themselves to speak hard truth to power (to make them stronger and proud to continue in their good work). We will loose a voice like Verydarkman if he is coarsed to silence.
But if by the efforts and support of Nigerians he is made to come out stronger, be sure his voice will be louder and fearless in his commitment to stake his life for democracy and the common man.
Strong democracies are built when people stand by dissents and activists. In fact freedom of the press is very fundamental to any definition of democracy.
Odok PhD Esq, is an activist and socio-political critic. He writes from Calabar
