Hold govt accountable, not celebrities — Ruggedman

Rapper and activist, Michael Stephens, aka Ruggedman, has said public criticism following the abduction of students and teachers in Oyo State should be directed at government authorities and security agencies, not celebrities.

Speaking in an interview with Sunday Scoop, the artiste argued that while public figures are often expected to react to national tragedies, the responsibility for protecting lives rests solely with those in government.

“The fact that peope are looking at Nigerian celebrities to respond with urgency is absurd. Celebrities are not government officials. Neither are they the police or soldiers,” he said.

“These are the people whose urgent response is needed because their response will affect the lives of the people abducted in Oyo. Not celebrities. We need to focus on the people responsible for the lives of our Oyo people, and they are not celebrities.”

Ruggedman expressed sympathy for the victims and their families, describing the incident as heartbreaking. However, he noted that speaking out on governance issues has become increasingly difficult due to hostility faced by critics of government actions.

“What happened in Oyo is really sad. My heart goes out to all the affected families. That being said, the delayed action makes the situation worse,” he said.

“I don’t feel pressure because I always speak up on issues concerning humans, not just Nigerians. But addressing government failure is now looking risky because we have been seeing more and more people on social media who call out failures getting attacked. Some even get arrested.”

He added that leaders who cannot tolerate criticism risk being seen as authoritarian.

“A person that can’t handle criticism should not be anywhere near a seat of power. You will end up looking like a dictator and hated by your people.”

Commenting on expectations placed on religious leaders to intervene more directly in national security matters, Ruggedman said their influence is also limited, stressing that responsibility ultimately lies with the government.

“Religious leaders can speak and demand, but the actions needed to protect citizens should come from government,” he said.

“They cannot go into the forests to rescue abducted citizens. We have people trained for such, and celebrities and religious leaders do not command them.”