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Tag: protests

  • Protests may worsen economy, says Urhobo clerics

    Protests may worsen economy, says Urhobo clerics

    The Urhobo Christian Ministers Association International has appealed to youths to suspend the  protests over rising hunger and starvation in the country.

    The Christian body said the protest may further crumble the nation’s economy and aggravate hunger in the land.

    Addressing reporters after a visit to Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori at Government House, Asaba, the President of the Association, Archbishop Solomon Gbakara, said the appeal became necessary following assurances that President Bola Tinubu was addressing the challenges that led to the rising hunger in the land.

    Gbakara said as ministers of God they were concerned about the peace of the country and thus appealed for the suspension of the planned nationwide protests to avoid hoodlums taking advantage of the situation to loot shops and businesses.

    Read Also: Protests: Police blast Amnesty over inaccurate casualty figures

    He said: “I want to appeal to Nigerian youths that while all of us are feeling the heat of the hunger that is blowing like a harmattan wind in Nigeria, we should also be sensitive and constructive in our actions and decisions.

    “So, we are advising the youths that with what we have heard from President Bola Tinubu that he is putting in place to tackle the challenges, we advise that the planned protest be suspended for now.

    “Let us look at the outcome of what Mr President has said because we are believing God that the outcome will be good and we are saying this by faith because we know our prayers to God will be and.

    “We advise that let the protest be suspended for now and let the youths go about their work so that the economy will not crumble because once the economy crumbles the hunger will continue to increase and in the long run we will still go back to what Mr President has said.

    “So, for now let’s give Mr President more time to bring to pass the promises he has made to Nigerians. We have been praying that action for peace is better than protests that will be destructive. We are praying for the peace of the state and the nation.

    “We are praying for peace so that hoodlums will not hijack the process to set us back. We are for the peace of the masses, peace for the government and peace for both the rich and the poor and for every citizen of this country.”

  • Protests: Hoodlums attack church steal 205 chairs, musical instruments in Katsina

    Protests: Hoodlums attack church steal 205 chairs, musical instruments in Katsina

    Some hoodlums invaded the Living Faith Church in the Daura local government area of Katsina State on Saturday night, stealing approximately 205 chairs, musical instruments, and other valuable items worth millions of naira.

    The attacks followed nationwide protests on Thursday, August 1st, which included violent clashes between hoodlums and security operatives.

    Emmanuel Micah Yakusa, the pastor in charge of the church, informed The Nation on Sunday, August 4, that Sunday service was conducted under tight security.

    He also revealed that the main auditorium and the accountant’s office were vandalized before the hoodlums made off with everything in the church building during the protests.

    He said: “We have two security men working in the church, one was on duty while the other was off. When the protest began around 10:00am, the hoodlums just diverted to the church, many of them in Keke NAPEP (Tricycle), and broke the doors and classes and penetrated the church auditorium. 

    Read Also: Let’s work together for a prosperous Nigeria, Oladele tells protesters

    “They packed everything inside the church auditorium, including the wall digital clock, musical instruments, pupit, pastor’s chairs, plastic chairs, and a desktop computer at the reception, as well as a scoreboard where the accountant usually kept church documents. They scattered everything.” 

    He added that three churches were also targeted but the hoodlums only succeeded in invading the Living Faith Church and Deeper Life Church, but couldn’t force themselves into the Anglican Church because of the strong iron protector at the gate.

    He also announced that the church has informed the police and the Army about it, and the police told us yesterday that they have made some arrests.

    He said: “I’m surprised by this attack; when we are thinking about ending bad governance, which now escalated to the invasion of churches, it is something that everyone should seriously condemn. It is not food that we store in the House of God. It is a place of worship. Why is it only church? The government should come to the reality they are serving humanity, and God will judge us all, whether political or religious leaders. 

    “My prayer to the perpetrators is that they should repent from what they are doing because for you to enter church, a place of worship, is wrong and you know you are not fighting man, they should seek for repentance. I know God is forgiving and He will forgive them”

    Meanwhile the former state chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Very Rev. Nelson Onyekachuku’s church was also vandalised. 

    The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Sadiq Abubakar, confirmed the incident when contacted by The Nation. 

    He further assured that arrests have been made while investigations are ongoing 

  • The protests and the nation

    The protests and the nation

    Assuming office on 29 May, 2023 with the vision to make a difference, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu removed fuel subsidy and merged the dual exchange rate regime. The government believes these would have remarkable long term benefits for the country. Meanwhile, these policies have resulted in economic difficulties for the citizens arising from inflation and decline in purchasing power. This has made it difficult to satisfy the citizens’ food and other key needs. Many segments of the Nigerian society have therefore been making legitimate ameliorating demands of the government. To satisfy these demands and increase citizens’ participation in government, fund allocations to the state and local governments have been increased, and local governments have been granted financial and other forms of autonomy.

    One pro-government document entitled “What Government Is Doing To Address High Cost of Living” lists the following: “National Minimum Wage now N70,000. States expected to follow suit immediately; Import duties suspended on all essential food items, till the end of 2024; Import duties suspended on pharmaceutical raw materials and equipment to bring down prices; 30,000 petrol-powered commercial vehicles are being converted to the cheaper CNG alternative to bring down transport costs; 20,000 students of tertiary institutions have already been covered under Students Loan Scheme. 240,000 more to come; N50,000 presidential grant already disbursed to over 600,000 Nigerians. 400,000 more to come; N75 billion to be disbursed to 100,000 MSMEs starting August 2024; N110 billion approved for disbursement under Youth Investment Fund. Applications ongoing; Consumer Credit Scheme launched to enable Nigerians have access to credit facilities; Over N570 billion released to the state governments for expansion of livelihood support to Nigerians.”

    In spite of these efforts, some Nigerians gave notice of nationwide protests planned for 1 to 10 August, 2024 and ominously tagged “10 Days of Rage” or #EndBadGovernance. In a 28 July, 2024 presentation titled “A motley collection of farcical demands” in the Palladium column by Idowu Akinlotan in The Nation, the following are listed:

    “1. Return of fuel subsidy. 2. Addressing issues in the power sector. 3. Release of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu from DSS custody. 4. Allowance for Diaspora voting during general elections. 5. Scrapping of the 1999 constitution and replacement with a people-made constitution. 6. Abolition of the Senate and introduction of part-time lawmaking. 7. Minimum wage increase to N250,000 monthly. 8. Investment in education and grants for students. 9. Free and compulsory education for children. 10. Release of EndSARS and political detainees with compensation. 11. Rationalisation of public-owned enterprises. 12. Establishment of a special energy task force for corruption-free power sector development. 13. Reconstitution of INEC to remove corrupt individuals. 14. Massive investment in public works and industrialization. 15. Shake-up in the judiciary to remove corrupt judges and judicial officers. 16. Reinstitution of a corruption-free subsidy regime. 17. Probe of past and present leaders who have looted the treasury. 18. Restructuring of Nigeria to accommodate diversity, resource control, and regional development. 19. End to banditry, terrorism, and violent crimes. 20. Reform of security agencies to stop human rights violations.”

     As critical-minded Nigerians have observed, the timing of the protests was not auspicious, given the fact that the government had put a number of fundamental measures in place which engender hope. For example, states which so-desire can now establish their own electricity and railways facilities. The naming of the protests as “10 Days of Rage” was also genuine cause for apprehension. What has happened in Kano and Kaduna, for example, where there was loss of lives, including that of a police officer, and where there was widespread arson and vandalisation of government property and that of individuals, has justified dissuading the organisers from going ahead with the protests. It was also contradictory to seek to end ‘bad governance’ in a democratic setting by defying court orders which restrict the protests to designated locations to prevent predictable carnage. 

    Making the release of Nnamdi Kanu one of the top demands of the protest organisers also served to ethnicise the proposed protest and bring to mind the vandalism, arson and murder which he was directing protesters to commit while the #EndSars protests of 2020 were going on. Ironically, on the 1st two days of the protest, no major protest held in the Southeastern states, and there were no prominent Igbo faces at the events in other locations. This has raised the ethnic hackles of those who believe that the Igbos inspired the protests and it has probably given traction to the call on an X handle – Lagospedia – for a massive protest from 20 to 30 August, 2024 for Southeasterners to leave Lagos and other Southwest states.

    Expectedly, the #IgboMustGo has attracted condemnation by Governor Jide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, the Yoruba socio-cultural group Afenifere through a release by Jare Ajayi the National Publicity Secretary, Atiku Abubakar the People’s Democratic Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the same elections, and the Southeast Caucus of the National Assembly. In a statement signed by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe and Hon. Igariwey Iduma Enwo, the Southeast Caucus said: “For the records, the Igbo nation, in obedience to the advice of their leaders, governors, Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, parliamentarians and others in the private sector had taken a reasoned and strategic decision not to participate in the on-going nationwide protests. We are, therefore, surprised and disappointed that Igbos are still made scapegoats, and targeted as instigators of protests, as shown in several statements (such as the Igbo Must Go hashtag and call by a certain ‘Lagospedia’ X [Twitter] handle) and videos trending online.”

      The Lagospedia #IgboMustGo and the intense reactions to it call to mind the ominous African American Muslim phrase The Hate that Hate Produced. According to a Columbia University description of the expression, “‘The Hate That Hate Produced’ was a television documentary about the Nation of Islam presented by journalists Louis Lomax and Mike Wallace on ‘Newsbeat’ (a program of New York’s WNTA-TV) on July 10, 1959. Dramatically edited to maximize its shock value, the documentary introduced the Nation (and Malcolm X) to mainstream America. … The documentary served as a valuable recruiting tool for the Nation, swelling the ranks with new converts.”

    Asked, in a 12 October, 1998 interview by James A. DeVinney, what the expression meant in specific terms, Mike Wallace said: “The … meaning of The Hate That Hate Produced was, there is hate, hatred, suspicion, whatever, on both sides. If indeed the Muslims hated the Whites, and they acknowledged that they did, Malcolm was very eloquent about that. Elijah Muhammad was very eloquent about it. … They [the Muslims] wanted … to … separate the Blacks from the Whites in this country. If they felt that hatred, it was in reaction to the hatred that they [the Blacks] felt had been directed against them [by the Whites], therefore, The Hate That Hate Produced.”

    Given the swift and unanimous condemnation of the #IgboMustGo and the lessons which can be learnt from the American The Hate That Hate Produced experience, it is hoped that going forward, the different socio-cultural or socio-political groups in Nigeria and influential individuals would be sensitive to, timeously condemn and dissuade all who have the propensity for denigrating and threatening other ethnic groups or even individuals who do not share their perspective. As has been shown in the reactions to the Lagospedia post, connivant silence is not golden.

    The protests have also created ample opportunities for fake news. In a 2 August, 2024 press release titled “Nationwide protest: Kano looting video misconceived,” the Director, Army Public Relations, Major-General Onyema Nwachukwu, said: “The Nigerian Army (NA) has been notified of a viral video circulating in the social media, insinuating that troops participated in the looting spree by some unscrupulous persons who took advantage of the protest to perpetrate the looting that occurred on Thursday, 1 August, 2024 in Kano. … Contrary to the misconception portrayed in the purported video, soldiers of 3 Brigade NA responded to a distress call of hoodlums’ attack on Barakat Stores in the metropolis, the swift intervention of the soldiers however prevented the hoodlums from having a filled day. The troops intercepted some of the hoodlums and recovered some of the looted items, which they were conveying back to the Store, when another distress call of a planned attack on the Kano State Government House was received.” 

    Read Also: Protests: No life lost in Katsina — Police

    The NA statement continued: “Considering the urgency of the imminent attack, the troops immediately diverted to respond to the distress call in order to protect the Government House from the hoodlums’ attack. It was in the course of the response to distress call about possible attack on Kano Government House, that the video was shot. … Troops have since moved the recovered gallons of cooking oil and other items back to the store, where they were safely handed-over to the rightful owner. The management of Barakat stores has acknowledged and appreciated the effort of the troops and their professional conduct in a letter conveyed by the organization’s General Manager. … We urge the public to be cautious of misinformation and verify facts before drawing conclusions.”

    Peter Obi also stated as follows in a 2 August, 2024 report of The Punch titled “Videos being twisted to blackmail me, Peter Obi cries out”: “I have noticed some deliberate and well-orchestrated efforts by some persons to blackmail me …. Their dubious moves have led to the false circulation of a video from my recent keynote speech at the installation of Rotarian Professor A.U. Nnonyelu in Anambra State. They have twisted the video to suit their motive to suggest that I declared war on Northerners when, in fact, I spoke about declaring war on economic stagnation, insecurity, and corruption.” Obi further noted: “Another video circulating online, supposedly showing me leading a protest in Abuja, is also false. The video was actually taken during my visit to the Labour Party HQ, where I mediated a clash between the Labour Party and the NLC. The video was conveniently edited to create a false narrative.”

    That the supporters of the protests have themselves become victims of the protests proves true the saying that when you point a finger at someone, the remaining nine are pointing at you yourself. Similarly, when fire begins to rage, it doesn’t respect the person who set it. In addition, very many of those who opposed the protests or counseled against it on the basis of both recent and not-so-recent experiences have also become victims, especially with respect to creating testy ethnic relations. Therein lies the wisdom of the Yoruba proverb, “If your neighbour is eating bad insects and you do not try to stop them in good time, by the time they begin their bad cough in the night, you won’t be able to sleep.”   

  • North and protests: unleashing rage of children

    North and protests: unleashing rage of children

    On August 1, the so-called hardship protests exposed the ugly face of the North, perhaps in ways unintended. Yes, the narrative is being promoted that the August 1-10 protest is youth-led, but in the northern part of Nigeria, it is almost children-led. It was incredible days ago seeing hundreds and hundreds of youths at the forefront of the protests, wielding sticks and other cudgels, and baying for the blood of all manner of victims, quite unable to understand anything. There is video evidence of this boundless folly, if the authorities have the stomach to do anything about it.

    The region has been battling banditry and insurgency for years, and the war has cost the country billions of naira and the blood of thousands of young men and women. What on earth were the elders of the North who are preoccupied with leadership politics looking at when their pre-teens and teenage children poured into the streets and became instantly incorporated into the looting frenzy that ravaged the region on August 1? What point were they trying to make? Does it not corroborate the fear many Nigerians harbour that the North’s unregulated population growth, especially without a corresponding responsibility of parents to their young, constitutes both a dread for individuals and a security threat to the nation?

    Read Also: Protests: Ondo PDP, APC trade words over alleged bribery of residents

    Mayhem was unleashed on some states in the North on August 1, and public infrastructure consumed in the mindless rage of those who have no clue how facilities are funded. The children all mouthed the same anti-government, anti-president refrain. So far, perhaps as proof that some of the protesters might have been sponsored, there has been little public outrage in the North about the scandalous presence of thousands of children learning to storm the barricades. It is probably the most horrendous abuse of children in any nation, an indication of the criminal negligence for which northern elders are directly culpable. 

  • Protests: Ondo PDP, APC trade words over alleged bribery of residents

    Protests: Ondo PDP, APC trade words over alleged bribery of residents

    • PDP’s reaction highlights their desire for chaos – Aiyedatiwa Campaign Organization

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State has dismissed accusation by the Peoples Democratic Party that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa offered financial inducement to the  residents in the state to dissuade them from joining the ongoing nationwide protest.

    It said it was disheartening to see the PDP’s bitterness towards the peaceful approach taken by Ondo State residents after consultation with various groups by Governor Aiyedatiwa.

    The Ondo PDP had told Governor Aiyedatiwa to stop claiming ‘street credibility’ after residents in the state refused to join the nationwide protest.

    Spokesman for the Ondo PDP, Kennedy Peretei, in a statement, said residents in the state opted for sit-at-home protest.

    It described as a sad reality that clergy men, and youths were given cash inducements to forestall protest in Akure, the state capital.

    According to the statement, “Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa is yet to account for the N5 billion that the Federal Government released to all the states as palliatives in the wake of the uproar from Nigerians after the withdrawal of fuel subsidy. The monthly allocation from the Federation Account that averages N10 billion every month since December, 2023 has no impact on the state. In fact, the allocation for last month was N11 billion.

    “The only visible project in the state is the renovation of the Government House, especially the perimeter fence which is reported to cost a whooping N1 billion. Are these not enough reasons for the citizens to protest till Aiyedatiwa tells us where he has warehoused the people’s money?

    “But Ondo State with her very sophisticated citizenry will not allow themselves to engage  in a violent protest that will set the state backward and therefore decided to stay peacefully at home to protest the bad governance they have experienced in the last nine years.

    “Is it the Sit-at-home protest that Aiyedatiwa is celebrating as “not participating” in the protest? He should stop sunning himself in the vain glory to have thwarted a protest in Ondo State through his street credibility.

    “Aiyedatiwa should stop playing to the gallery and use his remaining few months to touch the lives of the citizens who are truly hungry and angry but based on their past and recent experiences preferred to remain at home as a kind of protest.”

    But the Ondo APC said the accusation of financial inducement  was baseless and absurd.

    Spokesman of the party, Alex Kalejaiye, in a statement, said, “The NANS leadership in Ondo State even went as far as holding a press conference to distance themselves from the protest, yet the PDP continues to make unfounded accusations.

    Read Also: Police confirm seven dead, 34 injured in protests

    “It is clear that the PDP’s disappointment stems from their failure to incite unrest in Ondo State. Their refusal to participate in the protest shows that even their own members prefer a peaceful resolution over unnecessary chaos.

    “The APC in Ondo State stands by the decision of the people to remain peaceful and urges the PDP to respect the choices of individuals and groups in the state. The party’s disregard for the will of the people is concerning and only serves to further divide the community.”

    Also berating the PDP over the accusation, the Director of Contact and Engagement,Lucky Aiyedatiwa Campaign Organization, Dr. Charles Marindoti Oludare, described the statement by the opposition party in the state as both regrettable and disheartening.

    Dr Charles in a statement yesterday said: “It is apparent that the PDP had hoped for violent unrest and wanton carnage in Ondo State but were ultimately disappointed by the peace and calm that prevailed.

    “The PDP’s reaction highlights their desire for chaos, revealing a lamentable longing for exploitable violence which they have been unable to incite. The calm and compassionate leadership of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa played a crucial role in ensuring that peace was maintained in Ondo State. The sophistication and intellectual prowess of Ondo State’s citizens also further contributed to this peace.”

    He noted that Governor Aiyedatiwa’s competent leadership has effectively foiled the PDP’s ploy to foment chaos in Ondo State, “which has now led their blood to boil. Their mirage of mischief has led them to the point of making unguarded statements. These statements inadvertently expose their malicious intentions across the nation. It is apparent that the PDP, now aptly dubbed the “Property Destruction Party,” has instigated violence through their thugs in the otherwise peaceful protests across the country.”

     The good people of Ondo State, according to him,  “have seen through these machinations and have chosen the path of peace. The PDP Ondo State’s attempt at attention-seeking should be ignored by the citizens who are well aware of the true nature of these protests and the intentions behind them. The PDP is nothing more than a noisome pestilence, from which the people of Ondo State have been delivered by the grace of God and the steadfast leadership of Governor Aiyedatiwa.”

  • Protests: Prices of perishable food items crash in Lagos

    Protests: Prices of perishable food items crash in Lagos

    Prices of some perishable food items have crashed by about 50 per cent amid the ongoing nationwide hunger protest, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

    The protest with hashtag #EndBadGovernanceinNigeria is planned to end on August 10.

    It is aimed at calling the Federal Government’s attention to the economic hardship facing Nigerians.

    Some traders and buyers at Ile-epo food market at Alimosho/Agege area of Lagos State, confirmed the development in separate interviews with NAN on Friday.

    NAN reports that local food markets across the area witnessed lessactivities than usual due to the ongoing nationwide hunger protests.

    Read Also: Protests: Tinubu alert, aware of situation, says Bagudu

    A tomato trader at Ile-Epo Market, Agege area, Mr Rabiu Aliu, said the price of some perishable food items ranging from tomatoes to chilli pepper and others dropped to minimise loss due to low patronage caused by the protest.

    “A 50kg basket of tomatoes now sells for between N40,000 and N50,000 as against N80,000 to N100,000 two weeks ago.

    “A 25kg basket sells between N18,000 and N19,000 as against N30,000 to N40,000 two weeks ago.

    “We have no choice but to sell off because few customers are available to buy the produce. The purchasing power is actually low at the moment,” Aliu said.

    Also speaking, another trader, Mrs Mukit Afolabi, said that the price of perishable items had dropped in the market as a result of the hunger protest.

    “On Day 1 of the protest, tomatoes were even cheaper because there was no one to buy.

    “I bought 5kg basket of tomatoes at N4,000. As of two weeks ago, it sold for N12,000. So, I think the protest is contributory to the drop in price.

    “However, rodo (scotch bonnet pepper) is still expensive. On Monday, a bag was sold for N40,000 but today, a bag sells for N84,000 because it is currently unavailable in the market.

    “No produce truck has delivered any pepper since Wednesday, the day before the protest began,” Afolabi said.

  • Protests: APRA stands with Nigeria, seeks continuous dialogue

    Protests: APRA stands with Nigeria, seeks continuous dialogue

    The African Public Relations Association (APRA) has shown its solidarity with the government and people of Nigeria as protests over rising living costs entered their second day.

    In a statement released on Friday, August 2, signed by its president, Arik Karani, APRA called for sincere and ongoing dialogue to quickly resolve the issues that sparked the protests.

    Karani emphasised that protests and advocacy for better social conditions are fundamental civil liberties and essential to democratic practice.

    APRA also praised the Nigerian government for ensuring the right to protest is upheld and for its actions to prevent the crisis from worsening.

    However, APRA expressed concern over reports of deaths, injuries, looting of businesses, theft of public utility equipment, including telecommunications and food processing infrastructure, and incidents of destruction and arson that occurred on the first day of protests.

    The statement read: “We call for sincere and continuous dialogue to ensure speedy resolutions of the issues that led to the protests.

    Read Also: Normalcy returns to Abuja after protesters’ clash with security operatives

    “Protests and advocacies for improved social conditions are constitutive of civil liberties and central to democratic practice. Indeed, democracy dies wi thout a guarantee of civil liberties.

    “APRA, therefore, commends the Nigerian government for its expressed guarantee and non-aversion to theexpression of the right to protests by citizens and the actions it has taken to prevent the escalation of the crisis.

    “APRA’s commitment to seeing Africa prosper requires that we condemn the unjustifiable death of citizens and security personnel as well as looting and vandalism of infrastructure emplaced to improve the quality of life of the people.

    “Therefore, we call on all actors – state and non-state – to stop the hostilities and the out rage. In their stead, APRA advocates continuous dialogue and sincere conversations to ensure quick andconcrete resolut ions of the issues.

    “We call on the government of Nigeria, including subnationalentities, to work with all stakeholders and restore normalcy to the nation. 

    “Nigeria is central toAfrica’s vision for the progress and development of the cont inent .

    “APRA shares in the grief of families that have lost their members in the ongoing cr isis and pray forthe repose of the souls of the departed. 

    “We wish those recuperating from injur ies a speedy andcomplete recovery and hope that institutions and persons that have lost properties will be supported to recover quickly and return to business to support government’s effort to reflate the Nigeria.”

  • Protests: When time is the enemy

    Protests: When time is the enemy

    By Kene Obiezu

    Sir: Who is to blame for Nigeria’s many woes? President Bola Ahmed Tinubu? Goodluck Ebele Jonathan or former president, Muhammadu Buhari? Or is it Nigerians themselves? Just who?

    The protests which have resonated across the country speak to pent-up anger at the hunger harassing the country.

    In May, Nigeria marked 25 years since democracy returned to the country in 1999. A watershed in the country’s history of hell and high water had a rarity in the presidency.  President Tinubu is arguably the first democrat at heart to become Nigeria’s president. His unmistakable commitment to democracy fetched him exile following the annulment of the 1993 elections. His first real crisis as Nigeria’s president and the chairman of the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) came when the military in neighbouring Niger Republic bludgeoned its way into the government house in Niamey. President Tinubu’s trenchant criticism of the coup plotters and defence of democracy in the country and sub-region cemented his commitment to democracy.

    The morning tells the day and so far, there are signs that the president in not cut from the same cloth as his predecessor. There have been signs that he is determined to address the problems of the country. Some of his key appointments have directly addressed the exclusionary politics of his predecessor. He has tried to be fair to every region of the country, strongly resisting the temptation to victimize any part of the country relying on voting patterns during the last elections. Insecurity has fallen sharply in Kaduna and Benue states which fed the country with vast killing fields during the last administration.

    The clear signs of progress may be blurred by the removal of fuel subsidy and the sharp spike in the cost of living. On the other hand, some Nigerians are making the point that the government should not ask for sacrifices when it is not ready to make any. They argue that the fuel subsidy was peeled out without any plans, plunging Nigerians into debilitating hardship.

    Read Also: Abuja peaceful protest turns violent as people scramble for safety

    It is okay to feel a sense of betrayal but at this point, blame is, if not exactly, misplaced, mistimed.

    Nigeria is no doubt in a deep mess. The country is steeply sunk in the muck of corruption. Corrupt syndicates which run many Ministries, Departments and Agencies, (MDAs) well predate the current government. There are many state governors who remain committed to incompetence and ineptitude. The fuel subsidy syndicate is committed to some sort of fightback. Those fuelling insecurity won’t go down without a fight. Oil thieves are still sharpening their tools. While it is the responsibility of the government to give these groups a run for their money, one year and two months is not enough to muster an effective response. Time is the enemy here.

    It is understandable that Nigerians are impatient. Having woken up from their slumber during eight disastrous years under Muhammadu Buhari, they are itching to make amends for their docility. They expect a quick fix. What they need though is a dose of reality.

    President Tinubu is not a miracle worker. He has never held himself out to be a miracle worker. To mould Nigeria’s myriad problems into a mound and expect him to be impaled atop less than two years into his administration is mere wishful thinking.

    At present, even a miracle worker would struggle to pick through Nigeria’s rubble. Since something appears to be stirring under President Tinubu, the least Nigerians can do is to wait with impatience but with mercy.

    •Kene Obiezu,

    keneobiezu@gmail.com

  • ‘Protests: To be or not to be

    ‘Protests: To be or not to be

    In school, St Gregory’s College, Lagos, we would be given Compo-Comprehension or Essay, not Professor Soyinka’s Father OO! In the current context we would be asked to ‘Compare and Contrast – Strike or no strike’ or ‘To strike or not to strike – That is the question?’

    For the more than 100th time, simple protests are the right of right-thinking citizens. However, think through all possible adverse scenarios which could arise from any strike. Many strikes are traumatic to the non-striking population. Even strikes in courts lead to loss of life among awaiting trial and others impacted by the slow judicial process. We remember personal stories of trauma and loss during strikes involving professions especially the transport – road closures, fuel shortages, air/road/water travel interruption/cancelled plans/appointments/deliveries.

    The medical professions’ strikes cause absent/interrupted/delayed diagnosis/treatment, inadequate/absent staffing, many complications especially, deaths. Loss of life in a strike is a consequence of the absence of attention denied by the strike and by collateral damage. The EndSARS strike was painful in its outcome and the human rights debate around consequent deaths still rages after the inquiry. But the origin was a response to extreme unbridled prolonged unpunished and unchallenged excessive force and brutality by sections of the Police Services-unstopped for years by politicians. In the case of the EndSARS strike deaths, the situation was complicated with accusations of deadly force inflicted on unarmed citizens.

    We know where the victim becomes the accused, having to defend themselves, pay fines, are held in police custody, jailed and face strange charges sometimes ending in prison. 

    Abuse of office is not unique to our police force. Worldwide police services can be accused of excessive force and no accountability for actions, with excessive powers.  In the UK, the country is witnessing questionable Greater Manchester Police with a poor Police Complaints Commission function, excessive violence, strip searching vulnerable women and even men leaving them naked in the cell and the corridor of the cell block. The American police services will find it hard if not impossible to shake off the ‘Knee on My neck George Floyd’ murder in broad daylight. 

    Read Also: Drama as Senate rejects Ministry’s memoranda on Ajaokuta Steel

    Nationwide, in Nigeria people fear having anything to do with the police. The EndSARS was hijacked in many places by local idle groups, who naturally have a violent streak against any authority and many policemen in isolated situations were murdered and actually burnt to death in a rash of mindless violence which would not have happened if the EndSARS protest had been called off earlier. Timing matters.

     THERE IS IMMEASURABLE WISDOM IN KNOWING WHEN YOUR POINT HAS BEEN MADE, WHEN TO QUIT AND WHEN TO STEP BACK FROM THE TRENCHES.

    In Nigeria however, protests are often long in duration, tortuous and treacherous in progression, and uniformly poor in outcome.  In medical 5-6months strikes, paralysing and closing medical professional departments like nursing, pharmacy, or non-medical unions with consequent nonviolent sit-at-home by staff and paralysis of entire hospital networks usually lead to capitulation by strikers after stubbornly being ignored by relevant government organs – state or federal. All with little gain with more unfulfilled promises. Education strikes is most unrewarding and time consuming often losing an academic year with little succour at the end or remorse by government.

    There are different stages of disaster. The actual disaster. The response to disaster. The perception of disaster. The appreciation of the disaster. The prevention of disaster as a part of the learning curve. ‘I feel your pain’ cannot go with ‘I still want my gain’ from being in political office. We require remorse, not big agbadas. Learn from Ukraine’ leader. We too are at war and have five million suffering Internally Displaced Persons?

    The fake presidential speech on WhatsApp has several merit points and irrelevant ones. Those merit points stand out and have been discussed and digested ad nauseum since forever in this guest column and in thousands of other columns daily and airtime throughout the media by professional journalists and presenters vast in the frailty of the self-aggrandised political structures.

    The Nigerian Columnists Association is absolutely sick of the 1999-to-date repetition of the same solution to the growing malignant cancer of political cost killing Nigeria when the solution was so obvious. The country-preserving requirement for the need to save the country from a bloated politics is seen by everyone except the blind politicians blinded by power and greed. There is need for downsizing and cutting the cost of individual seats of the political hierarchy at every table sitting allowance. The political class immediately on assumption of office, greedily, haughtily and very insensitively always isolates itself from the citizenry’s pains.

    ‘Good governance’ demands shared suffering, especially the suffering pointed out daily in the media. The political and administrative classes have inserted themselves as middlemen between the citizens and the services when they should be mere fast-track conduits to improve lives of all.         

    Government must reduce itself to avert the protest, by wearing political sackcloth and ashes, stop its N100b corrupt officials, be seen to suffer and endure financial deprivation demonstrated by political policy implementation including a 50-75% cut in Salaries and Perks and Pensions and cutting the bloated political edifice eliminating huge costs. We pray for every Nigerian family and roadside business to survive the coming weeks with no loss of income, destruction and burning of property or loss of lives. Amen. All government property belongs to the citizens. Jaw-jaw is better than war-war!  

  • Kalu: August protests right but wrong timing

    Kalu: August protests right but wrong timing

    Former governor of Abia state, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, on Sunday, July 28, described the proposed protest scheduled to begin on August 1, as right but wrongly timed.

    Kalu in a post on his Facebook page urged youths not to act out of frustration and hopelessness but out of a deep desire to ensure the growth of the country.

    Kalu in the post titled: “August Protest I stand with you”, said: “I stand with you, but with peace through conversations and dialogue without going the path of violence to resolve whatever issues we have.

    “This is a great country, and we are not going to bring it down with any act of violence where discourse can win and bring all of us together.

    “The quest to make Nigeria greater and better for all is a collective responsibility.

    “Having travelled extensively, I have seen what can be considered ideal or visionary in other countries. With our country’s potential, we should not just aspire to these ideals – we should have already achieved them. But what is holding us back?

    “We are the problem, starting from the grassroots to the top. We the led and leading, yet we are still searching for solutions. I write this with a heavy heart, knowing we are gearing up for another protest. How long will this continue? It has become a tradition to take to the streets at every political turn.

    “Is the August protest justified? Yes, it is. Not just because it is our constitutional right or a democratic norm, but because we need to express our dissatisfaction.

    “However, we must consider our approach. Are we asking questions from a place of hopelessness, frustration, disappointment, and anger, or are we asking with a burning love in our hearts, seeking a better country?

    “The protest is right, but is it timely? Even the wealthy are struggling, and the administration is still in its early days. Some economic policies may be harsh, but they are not intended to punish Nigerians. We must face our economic reality and acknowledge that tough decisions are necessary to achieve our ideals.

    “Some of us have endured the bitter experiences of this country, and what has it left us with? The hope and conviction that things cannot get worse and that a better future awaits if we take responsibility and avoid divisive issues.

    Read Also: Why Abians, Ndi Igbo should not join planned protest, says deputy speaker, Kalu

    “In my opinion, the planned protest should be reconsidered, and if the reconsideration does not happen, it should be done with our humanity intact, rather than letting anger, frustration, and disappointment consume us. We cannot attempt and afford to put this great country of ours on the right track through the acts of violence and destruction.

    “I agree with the president, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, that we should never curse this country come what may, we should never do anything to disrupt its unity, because this country is a prosperous one.

    “Over the years, as a nationalist who believe in this country, its unity and progress; I have always believed we shall overcome all the shortcomings that seemingly hold us back. We will get there and we must get there! But getting there is not going to be achieved by any act of violence, but through peace, through the expression of whatever our dissatisfactions are by conversations and dialogue within and outside of us.

    “This is a sweet country, a loving country, a country with people with the best mentality, which should not be allowed to wane because of some temporary setbacks. We will get there, as a people and a country.

    “The President means well for the country, and the economic policies are not intended to punish individuals. Perhaps the government should consider revisiting the idea of a regional system to address the ongoing issues. This would involve dividing power between the central authority and regional entities, allowing for national unity and regional autonomy.

    “The benefits of this system include: Decentralization: Power is distributed evenly, enabling regional governments to respond to local needs.

    “Diversity: Regions can maintain their unique cultural identities.

    “Efficiency: Regional governments can tailor policies to suit local circumstances.

    “Participation: Citizens can engage directly with regional leaders, fostering ownership and accountability.

    “This approach can end the constant pressure on the federal government and promote more effective governance.

    “Adopting a regional system of government does not guarantee immediate victory, as it comes with its own set of challenges: Coordination: Balancing regional autonomy with national unity can be complex.

    “Inequality: Regions with more resources or population may dominate decision-making processes.

    3. Conflict: Regional interests may clash with national priorities, leading to tensions.

    “However, with dedication and focus, we can overcome these challenges and succeed like other countries that have implemented regional systems. Examples include:

    “Federalism (e.g., United States, Germany): A constitutional division of power between national and regional governments.

    “Confederation (e.g., Switzerland, Canada): A looser association of regions with significant autonomy.

    “Devolution (e.g., United Kingdom, Spain): Transfer of powers from a central government to regional authorities.

    “These countries have successfully implemented regional systems and enjoy relative peace. If Nigeria adopts a regional system, it can strike a balance between national unity and regional diversity. While challenges will arise, the benefits make it a viable option for empowering local communities while maintaining a strong central government.

    “The benefits of Nigeria adopting a Regional System of Government include: Decentralization of Power: Reduces federal government control, allowing regions to manage their affairs.

    “Promotes National Unity: Fosters cooperation and understanding among regions, promoting shared citizenship.

    “Efficient Resource Allocation: Regions can tailor development projects to their needs, optimizing resources.

    “Cultural Preservation: Regions can preserve and promote their unique cultural identities.

    “Economic Growth: Regions can develop local economies, reducing dependence on the federal government.

    6. Improved Security: Regional governments can address local security concerns effectively.

    “Enhanced Participation: Citizens can engage directly with regional leaders, increasing political participation.

    “Reduced Ethnic Tensions: Regions can manage local conflicts, reducing ethnic tensions.

    “Increased Autonomy: Regions have more control over their affairs, allowing for self-determination.

    “Better Service Delivery: Regional governments can provide services like healthcare and education more effectively.

    “By adopting a regional system, Nigeria can address diverse regional needs, promote national unity, and drive development, reducing the need for endless protests.

    In the meantime, with a few days left until the planned protest, the federal government and stakeholders should engage in deep conversations and dialogue with the protest organizers. Both parties should be willing to listen and find common ground. While some may be hesitant due to sentimental concerns, prioritizing peace and progress is essential.

    “Everyone acknowledges that governance has been subpar, and this government is working tirelessly to address it.”