Nationwide Protests: Anxiety grips Nigerians as Senate begs organisers to shelve action

 

 

 

Ignatius Okorocha, Abuja, Emmanuel Awari-Jalingo , IBRAHIM QUADRI ,Lagos, Favour Ishember, Abuja

 

Senate, on Wednesday, pleaded  with aggrieved Nigerians, planning a nationwide protest against the economic hardship in the country, to jettison the idea, saying that one year is too short a time to access performance of President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government.

 

The Senate made the appeal, after about two hours of closed door session on issues bordering on workings of the Senate, the National Assembly and Nigeria in general.

 

Speaking after the closed door session, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, said: “On protest slated for tomorrow, 1st  of August, 2024, the Senate kindlly urge the planners to shelve their plans because one year is not long enough for the policies being implemented by the current administration of President Bola Tunibu to yield the desired results.

 

“The Senate urges the protesters to give the government more time to address their demands, considering the measures being put in place to ameliorate the situation in the country, such as the National Minimum Wage Act, the sale of crude oil to local refiners in Naira, the Implementation of Students Loan Act, the assent recently granted to the Southeast Development Commission and the Northwest Development Commission, bills passed by the National Assembly to further address developments at the grassroots.

 

“The Senate, and in fact the entire National Assembly, is willing to legislate on all matters that will bring about succour to Nigerians in general.”

 

Thereafter, he put his remarks to voice votes and the Senators all responded in the affirmative, leading to the adoption of the resolution.

.Restrict yourselves to two locations, Sanwo-Olu warns protesters

.Vows Lagos won’t be plunged into chaos again

 

Meanwhile, Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Wednesday said the protesters should restrict themselves to two locations while on procession for today’s protest.

 

The Govenor gave the directive in a statewide address at the State House, Alausa, Ikeja, saying the protest capable of rolling back the gains that had been made in various facets of socio-economic life.

 

A high court had given a ruling on Tuesday asking protesters to carry out the protest at Freedom Park, Ojota and Peace Park, Ketu.

 

The Govenor stated, “We have also seen the outcome of the court judgement that the government needed to get clarification, that if it is a true and peaceful protest, two locations, which were part of the recommendations coming from the event of four years ago.

 

“I am therefore reiterating that the Police have confirmed to us that the Gani Fawehinmi Park and the Peace Park that we all jointly set up are two locations where the Police have assured us that they would cover and provide all the necessary security arrangements to all of our citizens.”

 

Sanwo-Olu said, “Today, I stand before you as your governor and steward of your sacred trust, deeply committed to the well-being and prosperity of our great state and all residents. Lagos has always been a beacon of hope, a city of refuge, a city of resilience and melting port of our diverse cultures. No other State reflects the assemblage of the brilliance and energy inherent in our diversity as a people like Lagos.

 

“For a few weeks now, the nation has woken up to threats of protests aimed at what the organisers of have called “an end to bad government” beginning from 1st to the 10th Day of August 2024. While the original proponents of the idea of the peaceful protests may have noble intents, some of the narratives it has occasioned about its instrumentality for change of government by another means other than the one constitutionally provided for are disturbing.

 

“It is pertinent to ask, is protest the practical catalyst for progress the nation require at this time? Will such a protest suddenly ensure that all of our challenges disappear in ten days? Will the protest suddenly ensure the prices of food stuff drop by the 11th day? Will shutting down the economy for 10 days inspire economic growth we earnestly desire? I hold the strong view that a protest at this time will do none of these things for us as a nation. Rather, it would roll back the modest gains that we have made in various facets of our socio-economic life as a people.

 

“Are there challenges in our land? Yes. Is the government addressing them? Yes. So much is being done in many sectors to alleviate the pains of the people and prepare the path to  lasting prosperity.”

 

The Governor stated further that the President had signed the minimum wage into law and also came up with other intervention aimed at addressing the economic hardship.

 

“All that we require now is to be patient for the benefits of the economic recovery policies to blossom. Protests can never achieve in 10 days what carefully crafted economic reforms can achieve in matter of weeks and months. More than ever before, our nation is blessed with a courageous leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR). Let me assure you that, Nigeria is headed in the right direction and the benefits of these hard reforms will percolate to all.

 

As a State, Sanwo-Olu stated that to cushion the effect, of the hardship, his administrator launched the EKOCARES, introduced the Sunday Discount Markets where residents bought basic foodstuff at 25% discount rate across the State.

 

“Our Ounje Eko came as a form of immediate relief to hundreds of homes and millions of our vulnerable people. Similarly, under the EKOCARES Initiative, we reduced transportation cost by 25% on all our public transport services. We introduced free delivery for expectant women in all our public health facilities. Besides, our Health personnel ran a Medical Outreach under which thousands of residents were treated free of charge,” he said.

 

Continuing, Sanwo-Olu said, “Our workers earn the Wage Award announced by the Federal Government. In fact, the least paid Lagos State Worker earns more than the National Minimum Wage.”

 

He promised to bring back Sunday Ounje Eko Discount Markets and the Medical Outreach to continue providing free medical care for the people.

 

“I urge you all to consider the potential repercussions of joining a protests that may, once again, expose us to the fiendish actions of those who do not admire our unity and common compassion for our dear state. Let us not allow our city to be plunged into chaos again. Let us work together to build a Lagos that is safe, secure, and prosperous for all. Our strength lies in our unity, and our future depends on our collective efforts to maintain peace and stability.”

 

.As court restricts protesters in Ogun to 4 locations

Also, The Ogun State High Court on Wednesday ordered the sponsors of the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests to limit their activities to four locations in the state.

 

The court also restricted the time frame of the protests to between 8 am and 5 pm.

 

Granting an application moved by the State’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwasina Ogungbade (SAN), Justice O. Ogunfowora directed that all protests under the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria slogan or any other slogan from 1 August 2024 to 10 August 2024 must be limited in place and time.

 

The judge prohibited the protesters from protesting anywhere in the state except at the MKO Stadium, Abeokuta; Ansar-ud-Deen Comprehensive High School, Ota; Remo Divisional High School, Sagamu; and Dipo Dina Stadium, Ijebu-Ode.

 

The Attorney-General explained that the four locations are across the four divisions of the state in the three senatorial districts, allowing protesters in those vicinities to conveniently participate in the protests under adequate protection and without infringing on the rights of any non-protesting members of the public.

 

The judge, in his ruling, also prohibited any protest from taking place outside the hours of 8 am to 5 pm.

 

The judge further directed the Commissioner of Police in Ogun State to enforce the order and ensure that the protests are held only in the specified locations and during the time periods stated in the order.

 

The judge declared that the order would last for seven days and ordered the State to serve the application on notice within that period.

 

Justice Ogunfowora shortened the time for the protesters to respond to the application to 72 hours.

 

The case was adjourned to 6 August 2024.

 

.Why FG is worried about nationwide protests – Minister

However, The Federal Government says it acknowledges protest as fundamental right of citizens, but worried because the process might be hijacked by hoodlums and dissidents to unleash mayhem.

Minister of State for Youth Development, Mr Ayodele Olawande, stated the position on Wednesday, shortly after participating in a Forum of Councillors in Nigeria,  held at Shehu Yar’Adu Centre, Abuja.

 

Fielding questions from newsmen, the Minister stressed that hoodlums might seized the opportunity of the nationwide protests to destroy and loot critical public infrastructures built many years, thereby setting the country backward.

 

Olawande listed the giant strides of President Bola Tinubu’s administration in the last one year and charged the councillors to spread the message of hope to people at the grassroots.

 

“We have more than 8, 809 councillors spread across the 774 local government areas of Nigeria.

 

“As critical stakeholders, if you help to educate people at the grassroots, we will reduce the problem of misinformation,’’ he said.

 

The minister said with the recent financial autonomy granted the local government councils,  the President had shown political will to right the wrongs of decades of maladministration that held the nation down.

 

Earlier, Mr Hyacinth Turnoe, National Coordinator, Grassroots Councillors Development said the group is for Nigerian councilors drawn from the 36 states and Federal capital territory.

 

He said the group came together with the  objectives of helping to disseminate messages of Renewed Hope to the people at the grassroots

 

Turnoe said that the present administration had done well in the past one year, saying “Tinubu’s government under the Renewed Hope Agenda has done a lot in the provision of road, rail and port infrastructures among other”.

 

Dr Okwute Ochayi, a lecturer from the Department of Physiology, Baze University, Abuja, in a keynote address, commended the efforts of the federal government in rebuilding the economy.

 

He also praised the government for its efforts in the areas of strengthening security and law enforcement, education, agriculture and food security, among others.

 

Ochayi, advised the youths to be patient with the government, noting that, embarking on nationwide protests might not be the ideal measure towards addressing the nation’s challenges at the moment.

.Tinubu should emulate Jonathan, fully restore fuel subsidy- Taraba cleric, Dopah

The Director, Connectional Ministries of the Southern Nigeria Conference of the United Methodist Church (UMC), Rev. Philip Micah Dopah has called on President Ahmed Bola Tinubu to emulate Former President Jonathan and reverse fuel subsidy.

The clergyman noted that  during former president Jonathan’s regime when there were protests for lack of good governance, he listened to the people and reversed the pump price of fuel from N130 per liter, to N97 per liter.

 

 

The Taraba clergy, while speaking with DAILY CHAMPION in Jalingo explained that

“During the regime of former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, the incumbent President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu was among the Nigerians that protested.

 

Dopah explained that the situation at that time calmed down after the pump price of fuel was reduced by Jonathan and believes same thing will happen if Tinubu should listen to the people.

 

“ I support President Tinubu’s call on well meaning Nigerians not to embark on the protest. I support him because it’s not the beginning of the protest that matters but how it will end, that will be the major problem”,

 

“I want to also say, if Nigerians refuse to protest and the food crisis persists, what happens?”,

 

“Let Mr. President therefore, take the bull by the horn and say no to the planned protest by doing the needful”,

 

“If President Tinubu will today announce that the issue of fuel subsidy has been reinstated, about 80% of Nigeria’s problems are over”, he said.

 

The Clergy advised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to borrow a leaf from former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan by reversing the fuel subsidy.

 

“The best thing is for President Tinubu to take responsibility just like former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan did by reversing the fuel subsidy. This will calm the situation automatically” – he added.

 

Speaking on the high cost of food items in the market, the Clergy lamented that many Nigerians are dying daily because of hunger. He said the palliatives being sent by the federal government are not enough and will not bring solution to the country’s numerous problems.

 

He suggested for a strong economic policy by the federal government saying highly experienced economists like the Director General, World Trade Organisation (WTO) Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, President of the African Development Bank (AFDB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, among others can be invited to be part of the team.

 

“Our highly experienced sons and daughters in diaspora can be invited to form and build a strong economic team that will help minimize the food crisis we are facing.

 

Dopah, who doubles as the Chairman, TEKAN/ECWA bloc of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Taraba State also called on Mr. President to form a strong economic team that will help him manage the economy of the Country.

No approval for use of Eagle Square –Wike

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr Nyesom Wike, has denied approving the use of Eagle Square for any event, prompting enhanced security measures to protect national infrastructure.

 

He made this statement while inspecting an ongoing road project in Abaji on Wednesday.

 

Wike emphasized the importance of security, stating, “We don’t want to take anything for granted; we want to make sure that security is tight and intact.”

 

“I never approved the use of Eagle Square for anybody, which likely informed the security measures to ensure all public areas are well protected. We will not allow hoodlums to take advantage and begin to vandalize our infrastructure.”

 

He also highlighted the administration’s focus on rural development, aligning with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

 

We have always said that we are not only concentrating on the city center but are also trying to open up the satellite towns. This is in line with the President’s belief in discouraging migration to the city by providing necessary infrastructure in rural areas”.

 

“Urban and rural migration is discouraged when such infrastructure is provided, addressing the root cause of migration.”, the Minister added

 

 

The Minister expressed satisfaction with ongoing infrastructure projects, particularly those connecting communities, which will improve livelihoods and transportation. He urged patience, noting the substantial achievements made within just one year of President Tinubu’s administration.

 

Wike emphasized that critics may not have witnessed the progress firsthand, and he encouraged dialogue over violent protests. He concluded by expressing collective happiness with the ongoing improvements, underscoring the administration’s commitment to comprehensive development across all areas of the FCT.

 

“People who say nothing is happening in the rural areas can now see that significant developments are underway. This is why there is widespread support for the President’s approach, which emphasizes discussion and dialogue over violent protests,” Wike noted. “Even the press can attest to the unprecedented developments in the administration of the FCT. Today represents a complete

revolution in transforming our rural areas.”