Award-winning actress, Tiwa Savage, recently beckoned on American celebrities such as Beyonce, and international brands not to keep mute over the ongoing agitation for an end to police brutality in Nigeria.
This call on Beyonce and her team using their platform to speak on the #EndSars protest, however didn’t sit right with Beyonce and her team as Yvette Noel-Schure, Beyonce’s publicist gave a reply to Tiwa Savage.
She said; “not all activists live on Social media. Not all Doers look for validation, nor your approval. Not all work is for a photo OP. Make it normal to stop judging people’s actions based on posts. Posts don’t make you an activist. Actions make you an activist. Whether in the background or out in these streets. We all choose a different path to get it done. Blessed are those who do not see yet they believe. Actions speak louder than posts! Stop Judging! S.T.O.P!!!”
In a very emotional and enthusiastic video Tiwa released on her Instagram page, the Koroba crooner said, “I have so much to tell you and so many emotions are going through me. Nigerians are special people but the country is bad. Because we are strong, we don’t realise how bad our country is. We are not protesting for basic needs because we are not used to having it in the first place. A lot of privileged people feel that these happenings do not concern them because they have alternatives but what if there is an unforeseen incident and your money or affluence cannot save you?
All we are asking for is to stay alive and they still want to stop that? There is corruption everywhere in the world but when you take, give back. We all lent our support for the #BlackLivesMatter movement using our social media platforms, even if we were not physically present. We also need support from the world. I was so proud to be involved in Beyonce’s Black is King: The Gift album. Do not quote me out of context but I want to use my platform to call on Beyoncé and the whole team that reached out to all of us to use their voice and platform for us too. The country that birthed these celebrated afrobeat talents is on fire. You cannot ignore us or be quiet at this time
Tiwa Savage emphasized that she knows she may be criticised for speaking out and blacklisted for making these videos “I know that I may be blacklisted by these outpourings but we know what the late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti stood for and we have to stand for the same things too. For everyone that has given us a platform, I am grateful but I call on them to also use their platforms for Nigerians. What is happening now is deeper than police brutality. I don’t want the government to frustrate us. The government will not win this time, we would win.”