Is 2Baba Truely a Coward?

Some recipients of the 2Face Foundation Peace Award at the Buckwyld and Breathless last year.

Let's be blunt: Not everyone is cut out for public protest, violence and clashes with the police...
Not everyone is comfortable with the reality of jeopardising their life and career, especially if they have a family and children who are dependent on them.

Much as we all admire the great heroes of the protest movement - Martin Luther King, Ghandi, Mandela, Malcolm X – the reason WHY these men are so remarkable is precisely because their courage and strength is so rare.

We all like to imagine we would have joined those great leaders at the forefront of their historic protests, but the reality is, at least some of us would have gotten “cold feet” when it came down to it.

When acclaimed musician 2Baba Idibia announced he was cancelling his planned participation in anti-government protests earlier this month however, sympathy was thin on the ground. Many Nigerians accused him of being a coward, unwilling to even consider the more common (potential) explanations for his decision. Perhaps, in their eyes, the ordinary fears of working class people should not be shared by a national celebrity.

But Prosper Egeonu, Ambassador For Peace with The Universal Peace Federation, sees things differently. He surmises that, “As an Ambassador Of Peace with his own Peace Foundation, 2Baba wouldn't want to take part in, or encourage, something which may cause violence or violent crises. As a peace builder he has to apply safety measures. I know that he feels a great deal of responsibility towards his young fans. He has to protect them. He had no choice but to take the advice of the police and security services on board”.

Ambassadors Prosper Egenou and Innocent Idibia at an event in 2016

Indeed, 2Baba was appointed as a Peace Ambassador in September last year, by His Imperial Majesty The Oòni of Ife. The stated objective of his role is to help achieve “a violence free world”, a goal which 2Baba himself emphasised on his Instagram post confirming his appointment.

As well as this, he has also established his own Peace Foundation which “supports Nigerians who contribute to peace in their community or sphere of influence.”
Annual awards are given out recognising outstanding achievements in 6 categories;

1. Women-led Peace Building
2. Youth Peace Building
3. Peace Building in the environment
4. Projects on urban violence and community peace building
5. The use of technology or Social Media for peace building
6. Mediation directed at reducing violence against women and girls.

The winners receive N1million and “the opportunity to attend key global peace summits and exchange programmes”. 2Baba mentors the winners and assists them in securing further funding.

Fans who defended his protest cancellation have been accused of being disingenuous. But when the important factors outlined by Ambassador Egeonu are taken into consideration, it is clear that his decision was in fact both sensible and honourable.

 In a country where law & order and the well being of the younger generation are causes for concern, he should be applauded rather than criticised for his decision.
By raising awareness of the protest, which was organised by the ‘Enough Is Enough’ group, and which went ahead as planned in Lagos and Abuja on the 5th of February, 2Baba undoubtedly contributed towards its success. The protests demanded better security, education, health care, improvement in the power supply sector, devolution of powers, transparency, and reduction in the cost of government.

EiE recognised that many of 2Baba’s fans are in the core demographic they aim to reach; the “18-35 year olds, who have access to technology: mobile phones, the internet and television”. This was the reason they approached him. He didn't need to be in attendance at the protest - his involvement in rallying support proved enough. And because of him, the protest made international headlines and was brought to the attention of many who would otherwise have been unaware of it.

 In his role as Peace Ambassador, he will undoubtedly use this star power to continue making a difference in his homeland.

For more information on Enough is Enough, check out their website

www.eie.ng

Facebook: EiE Nigeria

Twitter: @EiENigeria

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References:

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/02/wont-stop-2face-nigerians-protesting-presidency/

http://www.africanews.com/2017/02/05/nigerians-angered-by-musician-2face-s-cancellation-of-scheduled-protest/

http://saharareporters.com/2017/02/05/istandwithnigeria-nationwide-protest-go-without-tuface-says-enoughisenough

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/222529-police-warn-tuface-cancel-anti-government-protest.html

http://eie.ng

https://t.guardian.ng/opinion/the-other-faces-of-tuface/

http://www.tvcontinental.tv/2016/09/30/ooni-makes-tuface-peace-ambassador-singer-says-humility-next-none/

https://www.guardian.ng/features/the-brutal-challenges-of-nigerian-youths/

https://funkyrabbeat.wordpress.com/2013/09/04/funnky-news-tuface-is-promoting-peace-and-supporting-young-nigerians/#more-8492

http://starconnectmedia.com/2016/09/05/six-nigerians-win-2face-idibia-peace-awards/

Written by Jennifer Menzies for SwaGG News Africa

Posted by @pocarlee