5 days to the commencement of the 10-day nationwide protest against economic hardship and pervasive hunger, passionate appeals have been made to the organizers of the protest by religious organizations, ethnic groups and other stakeholders across the country to shelve the planned protest and engage in dialogue.
The Igbos in Lagos, on their part however said they would not be part of the protest as their businesses would be targets of attacks and looting by the hoodlums.
Those who appealed that the planned protest should be suspended included the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI); Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN; Pan Niger Delta Elders Forum, PANDEF; Ijaw National Congress (INC); Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People, MOSOP and Enugu Innovative Youths.
They all argued the protest could be hijacked by miscreants, leading to chaos and violence.
Protest not the panacea — JNI
The Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) in a statement issued in Kaduna yesterday by its Secretary General, Prof. Khalid Aliyu, said although Nigerians were passing through difficult challenges, protest might not be the panacea.
According to the statement,”The calls for protest in Nigeria, occasioned by food insecurity, inflation, abject poverty and escalating national security challenges became worrisome and required immediate attention. However, the JNI under the leadership of Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, with all sense of responsibility appeals to the protest convener, their covert and overt benefactors as well as other critical stakeholders and the Federal Government of Nigeria to urgently engage in critical and realistic dialogue before the situation degenerates or snowballs into an uncontrollable scenario.
Nigerians no doubt are passing through difficult challenges, but protest might not be the panacea. We should learn from the bad experiences of protests in other climes and we should avoid the bobby traps they had fallen into.
Therefore, the JNI is compelled to make this clarion call and passionate plea to all concerned parties. The Federal Government should make more frantic efforts to secure the country so that the citizens would have access to their lands”.
CAN seeks peaceful solutions to economic hardship
Similarly, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) called on citizens to exercise caution and consider alternative means of expressing their grievances. CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, in a statement on Friday, warned that the protests could be hijacked by miscreants, leading to chaos and violence, as seen in previous protests.
The apex Christian body said, “We recognize and deeply empathize with the pain, anger, and frustration that many of our fellow Nigerians are experiencing. Peaceful protests are a powerful tool for civic engagement, allowing the populace to communicate their concerns and hold leaders accountable. However, the anxiety related to the impending protests is heightening, especially given the volatile experiences in countries like Kenya and Pakistan. We urge all Nigerians to consider alternative means of expressing their grievances. Dialogue, petitions, and town hall meetings are viable options that can yield positive results without the risk of disorder.
We call on the government to cut the cost of governance and expedite its efforts to alleviate the hardships in the land. The government must implement the newly approved national minimum wage to provide immediate relief to struggling families. Specific measures must be taken to put an end to kidnappings, banditry, and mass killings that have plagued various parts of our country”.
INC urges caution to avert anarchy
THE apex socio-political group of the Ijaw worldwide, the Ijaw National Congress (INC) urged the Federal Government and security agencies to exercise extreme caution in their response to the planned nationwide protest, warning against inflammatory rhetoric and heavy-handed tactics that could exacerbate tensions and plunge the country into chaos.
President of the Ijaw National Congress, Prof Benjamin Okaba, in a statement, titled, “What the President Tinubu led Federal Government should do to avert the impending doom,” described the current state of the Nigerian nation as one of great concern faced with challenges threatening its peace, stability and prosperity. He said: “From political instability to economic hardship, security threats, social inequality, environmental degradation, infrastructure deficits, corruption, and governance issues, Nigeria is facing a myriad of complex problems that require immediate attention, pragmatic policies and actions by all, in and out of government.
A peace protest is not criminal in as much as we all play according to the rules and regulations guiding such civil demonstrations. This proposed protest and its consequences are avoidable, if only the government takes urgent steps to faithfully address the root causes of the multifarious challenges we face as a nation that centered around bad governance. The root causes are principally that of energy scarcity and expensiveness and the astronomical hike in the cost of basic amenities i.e. foods, housing, transportation, security, health care services and water.”
Enugu Youths want protest called off
The Enugu Innovative Youth has also called for calm and suspension of the protest. In a communique issued at the end of its meeting in Enugu, the group said, “Nigeria is currently experiencing serious challenges, owing to the hunger and financial downturn occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy, coupled with high cost of food and the depreciation of the naira. However, while the proposed nationwide protest is justifiable, owing to the current state of affairs of our country, we call for a rethink and retreat from the proposed protest by our youths. Importantly, we call for peace and calmness in Enugu State.
We strongly appeal that it is rather premature in our state, which is currently experiencing a breath of fresh air in all sectors under the leadership of Governor Peter Mbah. Our future has never been this bright. We were all witnesses to the mayhem visited on Enugu in October 2020 when the ENDSARS protest was hijacked by hoodlums, hence, we appeal to fellow youths of Enugu State to withdraw and distance ourselves from what could result in such destruction of our common heritage a second time.
We are aware that any protest in Enugu will destroy our common heritage which Governor Mbah is assiduously working to revive by his massive infrastructural projects. We do not want to lose the lives of our dear youths in such a protest, which hoodlums are planning to hijack by availing them the brazen opportunity to execute their sinister motives of triggering attacks on the peaceful youths of the state.
Call off proposed hardship protest, Tompolo begs organizers
Chairman of the Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, TSSNL, and ex-militant leader, Dr. Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, has appealed to the organizers of the planned hardship protest to put the demonstration on hold.
He said in a statement on Friday: I wish to add my voice to all well-meaning Nigerians, including our revered traditional rulers, on the call to shelve the proposed hardship protest billed to start on August 1, 2024. There is indeed hunger and hardship in the country.
However, it must be pointed out that hunger and hardship did not start today. But obviously, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is working hard to revamp the economy with well-thought-out policies and programs to address the issues of the economy and security, which are the basis of other problems in the country. I am aware of Mr. President’s efforts to get things right in the country, and things are improving.
For instance, there has been a great improvement in the oil and gas sector in the last year, which is still the main source of our economy. The citizenry has the right to protest government policies and programs in any country.
It is one sure way for the citizens to participate effectively in governance, by checking the excesses of any government. However, the organizers of this proposed hardship protest must know that the timing is wrong.
The protest may cause more harm than good, as security reports indicated that unscrupulous elements could hijack it. It is against this background, that I have joined other patriotic Nigerians to appeal to prospective protesters to call off the proposed protest and engage governments at all levels to find lasting solutions to the country’s problems”.
Protest should not be destructive —MOSOP
Also reacting to the planned protest, the President of movement for the survival of Ogoni people, MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke said “protest is the constitutional right of every citizen, but that right does not offer you the license to be destructive in the course of exercising that same right. We can express our displeasure about anything that does not go the right way, at the same time, we should be considerate. We should know that where our right stops, others begin. We don’t need to put extra pleasure on the citizens. People can express their rights but we should be cautious that the situation is not hijacked to score cheap political points against government”, he cautioned.
Violence does not bring positive results — PANDEF
On its part, the Pan Niger Delta Elders Forum, PANDEF, argued that any protest that breeds violence does not bring positive results and can lead to war. Spokesman of PANDEF, Hon Ken Robinson said.
“As a labour leader, I know that during the protest, disgruntled elements can hijack the situation and embark on a looting spree of our commonwealth. We have to be cautious and give the government the benefit of the doubt to fix things”.
We’ll defend the entire South West against destruction —Hassan Tolani, Yoruba youth leader
President-General, Coalition of Yoruba Youth Leaders, Dr Hassan Tolani has also called for the cancellation of the nationwide protest saying such a protest is not the solution to our pressing challenges. In a statement that he signed and issued yesterday, Dr Tolani argued that there should be a more refined manner of communicating the plight of the people to the leaders other than protest.
His words: “The economy is unfriendly and the cost of living is outrageous, out of the reach of the common man. Inflation rate is in the double digit and the unemployment rate in Nigeria is alarming. So many graduates are out there with no means of survival. There are agitations and insecurity in every part of the country, any attempt to have a protest now may cause mayhem which is not the solution to our pressing challenges.
“Yoruba Youth Leaders do not want a repeat of the ENDSARS saga. The apex body of the entire Youths in Yoruba land expressly dissociates itself from the planned protest and will defend the entire southwest against any form of destruction by disgruntled elements who may want to cause havoc in the region, particularly, Lagos State. Nigeria is our fatherland, together we can make it work. Dialogue is the best way”.
Igbos not for protest, hoodlums will target our businesses
The Igbos in Lagos have however vowed not to participate in the protest. At a Town Hall Meeting held in Ifelodun LCDA in Lagos, attended by youth leaders from various tribes and backgrounds, they said that they didn’t want their property to be targets of attacks during the protest. They therefore pleaded with the residents in the council area to shun the protest.
According to the President of the Building Materials Dealers Association in Ifelodun LCDA, Mr Dennis Martins Igboanugo, “It is people who do not have a tangible investment in Lagos that can sponsor protests. With our huge resources and our business which could be vulnerable during protests, no single Ndigbo can pray for any protest.
The consequences and scars of the Endsars protest are still very fresh in our memories as Odun Ade Traders in Ifelodun LCDA of Lagos state. We are therefore pleading with the youths to continue to cooperate with governments at all levels and embrace dialogue”.
Gov AbdulRazaq urges Kwarans to work for peace, stability
Says scars of ENDSARS remain with many businesses, families
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has said that the people of the state were very peaceful and thoughtful, and therefore would avoid any action that may disrupt the peace of the state or cause destruction of lives and businesses.
The governor in a statement issued by his Chief press Secretary,Rafiu Ajakaiye in Ilorin on Friday said,
“I’m confident that the people of Kwara, whether old or young, understand that challenges of life are not to be tackled through actions that may cause further damage or have negative consequences for themselves, their families, our state, and our country.
Kwarans learn from history. Together as a people, we faced the horror of the ENDSARS protest that some roughnecks used as a smokescreen to loot properties, and businesses, and attack innocent citizens. We had to deploy scarce resources to support many of the businesses that were ruined so that no further job losses would be recorded. The scars of ENDSARS remain with many families today.
I understand that many of our citizens want faster actions to ease the economic situation. This is a valid concern to which President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and all of us in government continue to respond through multidimensional approaches. The worst we can do to ourselves at this time is to adopt any action that may worsen things, especially for businesses or public infrastructure put in place to serve all of us.
To our young people, social media influencers, and opinion moulders, I urge you to help mobilise for national growth, peace, harmony, improved socioeconomic development, general well-being, and stability.
Let us avoid any action that may end in collective regret, loss of lives, or destruction of our common patrimony. A protest of any kind, however well-intentioned, may trigger destructive actions. Let us not give in to whatever temptations to set off our state or country on the path of instability”.
The protest should be orderly, peaceful – Musa
National coordinator Grassroots Mobilisation Initiative, Sama’ila Musa, who expressed the position of his group on the planned protest said that if protest can be orderly and peaceful, people have the right to protest. Musa, who spoke during an Arise Television interview, said, “There’s so much anger in the land, many people are not happy because of hardship in the land, prices are rising and people are suffering and complaining.
These are some of the reasons people are calling for this protest. But we are afraid because of the level of anger right now in the country, especially in the North.
To what extent can the police curtail the excesses of the criminal elements among the protesters who may want to loot or destroy people’s properties? A mass protest is a nationwide thing so, what number of policemen do you want to deploy that can curtail these excesses we are afraid of. Perhaps there could be dialogue, let the presidency address the people, sympathise with them; essentially, whatever that can be done to say, let’s put the protest on hold.”
