We are all entitled to our opinions, no one can ever take away our freedom of speech, it is legalized that everyone should have the right to speak up just that most people are afraid of speaking out in order not to eliminate them.
What is the essence of speaking when no one is ready to listen? That is the case in my country, everyone prefers to be silent and to protect themselves than to be involved in speaking up that has no benefit, it is now a thing of war and fear to speak up, oppression is everywhere and if care is not taken that can be the end of that person.
Most of this oppression starts in school, where students are afraid of speaking up if a lecturer misbehaves, the fear of failure would not allow most of us to talk especially in Nigeria universities, where we are always afraid of the outcome, the fear of being hated by other lecturers will always silent us and this trend move to the other part of the world, the fear of death has been instilled in many of us.
Most of us are living in fear, not because we do not have something to say, even people who are working closely with the government know what is right from wrong but the boldness to speak up is what the problem is, they all prefer to remain silent and hail them for doing bad, no one is ready to lose their lives for correcting anyone.
The youth in the country are struggling to speak and ask for a better country but when our voices are one and not heard by the right authority that means we are only talking in vain, also the fear of intimation will never allow most people to talk.
The last protest that was held in the country some months ago, the youths came out in masses to express their grief about the hardship we are experiencing in the country, this protest lasted for days and the only thing that was done was for the military to scatter the protest by spreading teargas on people who are protesting for the betterment of the country, this attitude has made most people to lower their voices and suffer in silent.
I believe it is freedom of speech but not anymore, the speech isn't for everyone again, the freedom is for people who are well connected and have a backbone in the country, not just poor people who are struggling to cater for their families, many souls were lost at the END-SARS protest and yet the condition of the country remains the same.
Last month we protested again the removal of fuel subsidy, instead of addressing the issue the only thing our government did was to increase the price of fuel again, that means we cried in vain and didn't move them a bit, now we have some people who also lost their lives during the protest and nothing was done about what they died for.
We are confused at this point because we can never remain silent and also our voices are not heard, what is the essence of having a sleepless night fighting for the betterment of the country while some people are enjoying the hardship that it brings to the masses?
I would say we can not relent until our better becomes best, no one can take our right to speech from us just that most of us are afraid of the oppressors and running away from death, people who we are competing against can be so dangerous and this can cause our lives if care is not taking, everyone has learned how to be silent not because they do not have what to say but the fact remains the same that nothing will be different even if they speak.
I believe no one can take away our right to speech, all we have to do is to summon courage and speak up, even if there is no difference in the situation, with time everything will fall into place.
This is my response to the hive-learners community prompt of #hl-w133e3 which the topic is tagged RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH
