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Hoodlums on Sunday morning chased #EndBadGovernance protesters who gathered around the Gani Fawehinmi Park in the Ojota area of Lagos State.
At 10:30 am, a major disagreement played out amongst the organisers of the protest in Ojota.
A lawyer, who simply identified as JP, came to address the protesters to leave the protest grounds, on the basis that President Bola Tinubu has addressed the nation.
But another group led by 70-year-old Adegboyega Adeniji of Peace Action Transformation insisted on remaining on the protest ground until further notice.
The police stepped in to speak to the small group of protesters to leave.
Shortly after the police addressed the protesters, a group, the protesters claimed, was sponsored, came from the other side of the road to disperse them.
By 11:30 am, the hoodlums returned, chasing all the protesters in Ojota away. The police have since occupied the protest grounds.
Before they were chased away from the area, the protesters chanted solidarity songs, shortly after President Bola Tinubu’s address to the nation.
The protesters said the President has not addressed core issues raised by them despite touching on efforts by his administration.
Security agents had on Sunday morning barred the protesters from holding a procession beyond the designated ground at Gani Fawehinmi Park, Ojota.
The protesters had complied without argument and returned to the designated point.
The nationwide protests against hunger and economic hardship entered Day 4 on Sunday. From the first till the third day, policemen dispersed protesters using tear gas, even as civil society organisations condemned the action of the police.
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Hoodlums on Sunday morning chased #EndBadGovernance protesters who gathered around the Gani Fawehinmi Park in the Ojota area of Lagos State. pic.twitter.com/kS75Ax9Evo
— Channels Television (@channelstv) August 4, 2024
Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar in a strongly worded response to the killings of unarmed protesters across the country has reported President Bola Tinubu to the United Nations and the International Criminal Court or ICC and asked them to immediately monitor the situation in order to step in.
This followed actions of armed policemen alongside operatives of the DSS, who on Saturday opened fire on innocent protesters in Abuja killing an innocent teenager, who was not partaking in the hunger strike in Kubwa while a police man was accused of pointing a gun at another teenage boy in the same place.
Also, security agencies stormed the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abuja on Saturday to force out unarmed protesters from the stadium shooting live bullets at them, shattering a car of one of the journalists from Premium Times.
Journalists were also shot at as were protesters, forcing them to run for cover.
Similarly, there were ugly scenes in Kano where police opened fire on unarmed protesters forcing them to scamper for safety.
All across the country, there have been tales of woes as the protest which began on Thursday entered the third day in a bloody fashion.
Journalists have been hounded, tear gassed, kicked and bundled into police vehicles to unknown locations in places like Calabar, Cross River State, Yobe, Delta, Kano, Jigawa, Kaduna, Adamawa, Lagos, Rivers in what human rights groups such as Amnesty International, HURIWA, religious groups have condemned as amounting to use of excessive force.
Atiku “vehemently condemned” what he called “heinous act of using live ammunition” on citizens peacefully protesting against bad governance.
Eyewitnesses and video evidence showed police in full battle gear descending on unarmed protesters including women with babies in places like Plateau where a nursing mother was reportedly arrested.
Atiku described the situation as “utterly intolerable” which he said is “reminiscent of the dark days of military dictatorship.”
The former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party or PDP noted that it is crucial to remind the government and security agencies of their paramount duty to ensure a safe and secure environment where citizens can exercise their right to protest without fear.
“When security forces open fire on innocent protesters,” he said “they do nothing but exacerbate tensions, transforming peaceful demonstrations into chaos.
“I refuse to believe that inciting violence is the intention of our authorities,” Atiku stated.
He urged “the international community, including the United Nations and the International Criminal Court, to closely monitor the situation in Nigeria and hold its leadership and security apparatus accountable.”
He reaffirmed his “counsel to protesters to steadfastly exercise their right to peaceful protest and reject any form of violence.”
Those engaging in looting and the destruction of public and private property he said must be isolated and prosecuted according to the law.
By indulging in such acts, Atiku said they undermine the legitimate protests and play into the hands of those who oppose their right to protest.
President Tinubu, the former vice president said “must demonstrate true leadership by immediately addressing and implementing the demands of the Nigerian people.”
Amid the ongoing excessive use of force, the president has announced he would be making a national address on Sunday morning.
…CNG Initiative To Save Nigeria N2tn Monthly Import Bill On Petrol, Diesel
The Executive Order signed by President Bola Tinubu to unlock the potentials of Nigeria’s oil and gas sector is beginning to yield results as two Foreign Direct Investments worth over $500m have been signed.
The President revealed the figure on Sunday in his ‘State of Nation’ address after hunger led to a nationwide protest with a major theme: #Endbadgovernance.
The Presidential Executive Order on Oil and Gas Reforms is aimed largely at improving the investment climate and positioning Nigeria as the preferred investment destination for the Oil and Gas sector in Africa.
The three Executive Orders, which became effective 28th February 2024, are the Oil and Gas Companies (Tax Incentives, Exemption, Remission, etc.) Order, 2024; Presidential Directive on Local Content Compliance Requirements, 2024; and Presidential Directive on Reduction of Petroleum Sector Contracting Costs and Timelines, 2024.
Nigeria is endowed with large oil and gas resources and Executive Order aligns with the transformational leadership of the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd, Mele Kyari who had conceived the idea of monetising Nigeria’s huge gas resources through various gas projects.
The target of the Executive Order is to unlock up to $10bn fresh investments in the nation’s oil and gas sector.
This is expected to come through fiscal incentives for non-associated gas, midstream and deepwater oil and gas.
The Executive Order streamlines contracting processes, procedures, and timelines from 36 months to six months and also ensured that local content requirements are implemented without impeding investments or the cost competitiveness of oil and gas projects
Speaking on Sunday on the impact of the initiative, Tinubu said the once-declining oil and gas industry is experiencing a resurgence on the back of the reforms he announced to address the gaps in the Petroleum Industry Act.
Specifically, he sald the nation has seen an increase in oil production to 1.61million barrels per day, and the gas assets are receiving the attention they deserve.
He said, “Our once-declining oil and gas industry is experiencing a resurgence on the back of the reforms I announced in May 2024 to address the gaps in the Petroleum Industry Act. Last month, we increased our oil production to 1.61million barrels per day, and our gas assets are receiving the attention they deserve.
“Investors are coming back, and we have already seen two Foreign Direct Investments signed of over half a billion dollars since then.”
To address the challenge created by the removal of petrol subsidy, the president said his administration has launched the Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (CNG) to power transportation economy and bring costs down.
This, he added, will save Nigeria over N2tn a month spent to import PMS and AGO and free up resources for more investment in healthcare and education.
He said, ” To this end, we will be distributing a million kits of extremely low or no cost to commercial vehicles that transport people and goods and who currently consume 80 per cent of the imported PMS and AGO.
“We have started the distribution of conversion kits and setting up of conversion centres across the country in conjunction with the private sector. We believe that this CNG initiative will reduce transportation costs by approximately 60 per cent and help to curb inflation.”
Bola Tinubu, the President of Nigeria, has called for dialogue and an immediate end to the nationwide protests that have rocked the nation since Thursday.
Tinubu, who said his administration is ready to listen to and address the concerns of protesters, affirmed that he has heard their calls “loud and clear”.
“I hereby enjoin protesters and the organisers to suspend any further protest and create room for dialogue, which I have always acceded to at the slightest opportunity,” he affirmed in a nationwide broadcast on Sunday morning on the #EndBadGovernance protests.
He said the country requires all hands on deck and needs all citizens, regardless of age, party, tribe, religion or other divides, to work together in reshaping its common destiny.
The 10-day planned protest, which began on Thursday, primarily against the rising cost of living and hunger, deteriorated into violence, destruction of property and loss of lives in many parts of the nation.
At least 17 persons were reported dead in the “days of rage” protests.
Bennett Igweh, the Federal Capital Territory Commissioner of Police, has said his men were not responsible for the death of a teenager in the Kubwa area of the FCT.
In a viral video, a man claimed that police, while dispersing protesters, shot dead a teenager in the Kubwa area.
However, the FCT command spokesperson , Josephine Adeh, in a statement on Saturday said police officers deployed to the area were not given lethal arms that could kill.
She said, “In response to the video footage making the rounds alleging the killing of a yet-to-be-identified teenager by police operatives in Kubwa by Zenith Bank while protesting on August 3, 2024, the FCT police command hereby debunks the allegations, stating that its operatives are not responsible for the killing of the teenager, as the operatives deployed to the axis were not issued lethal arms but only with anti-riot equipment not capable of occasioning the death of the teenager.”
Angered by the incident, she said the CP ordered an investigation into the matter to establish the cause of the teenager’s death.
Adeh said, “In light of the rather infuriated incident, the commissioner of police has ordered that an immediate investigation be conducted to ascertain the remote cause of death of the deceased, calling on well-meaning residents to provide the command with necessary information to aid the investigation.
“While expressing profound condolences to the family of the bereaved, he assures the family and public of swift justice, as effort is ongoing to apprehend the perpetrators of the unfortunate incident.
“Also, the command is aware of the antics of mischief makers who may want to exploit the current situation in the country to spread false information with the aim at misleading and causing apprehension in the populace; it therefore calls on residents to shun such misinformation, as the command is committed to ensuring the security and safety of all and sundry.”
In a decisive move against ongoing #EndBadGovernance protests, President Bola Tinubu has firmly rejected calls to reinstate the fuel subsidy.
Addressing the nation in a broadcast on Sunday morning, President Tinubu acknowledged that removing the subsidy was a painful decision but deemed it necessary for the nation’s economic health. He stated that the subsidy had become a severe impediment to Nigeria’s economic development.
“The removal of the fuel subsidy was crucial because it was choking our economic growth and progress,” Tinubu said. He emphasized that the move was essential to eliminate economic distortions and improve national prosperity.
The President reassured the public that law enforcement agencies would continue to protect innocent lives and property responsibly. “Our democracy thrives when every Nigerian’s constitutional rights are upheld,” he added.
Tinubu outlined his vision for Nigeria as a just and prosperous nation where democratic governance ensures peace, freedom, and meaningful livelihoods. He criticized the long-standing economic issues that have hindered growth, explaining that temporary fixes were no longer viable.
The President described the subsidy and multiple foreign exchange systems as burdens on the economy, benefiting smugglers and foreign entities at the expense of Nigerian citizens. He justified the tough decisions as necessary to address decades of economic mismanagement.
“I take full responsibility for these decisions. However, my commitment remains steadfast towards delivering effective and transparent governance,” Tinubu affirmed.
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFund) has disbursed over N2 billion in school fees to students at six institutions nationwide.
Nasir Ayitogo, the Fund’s spokesperson, announced the update in Abuja on Friday. He stated that 22,120 students have benefited from this initiative so far.
This move aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to improving educational opportunities for Nigerians. The effort aims to reduce financial barriers for students, helping them continue their education.
According to Ayitogo, the disbursements were timed according to the institutions’ academic calendars. “So far, six of the twelve institutions have received full payment for their institutional fees, benefiting over 20,000 students. The total disbursed amount is approximately N2,026,163,340. Payments for the remaining six institutions will be completed in the coming week,” he said.
These payments are intended to support students’ academic progress and provide relief to them and their families. Additionally, NELFund has started distributing upkeep funds, with N442 million allocated for July to cover living expenses.
“This initiative will support all 22,120 students across the twelve institutions, with further payments expected in the coming weeks and months,” Ayitogo added.
Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has expressed sorrow over the deaths of several Nigerians during the ongoing nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests.
On his X handle, Obi stated on Saturday that the protesters died fighting for a better Nigeria. He expressed hope that their legitimate demands would be addressed and that Nigeria would improve.
“I sincerely pass my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protests. I deeply mourn these brothers and sisters who died struggling for a better nation.
“I hope their legitimate demands, made within the law, will not go unanswered. I urge the protesters to remain peaceful and behave well.
“Shun violence, as we cannot build a new nation by destroying what we have. I also call on security agencies to remain civil while ensuring the security of lives and property during the protests,” Obi said.
He expressed his belief that Nigeria would rise and that issues of hunger, poverty, insecurity, corruption, and mismanagement of public funds would be confined to the past.
“Then, Nigeria will be one of the exemplary countries on earth, leading in human and national development. May God grant eternal rest to the dead and grant quick recovery to the injured,” Obi added.
Amnesty International, a global human rights organization, reports that over 80 peaceful protesters have been remanded in prison in Sokoto State.
The protest, which began peacefully, took a dramatic turn when some miscreants hijacked the movement in various states, leading to the destruction and looting of properties.
As the protest escalated, security operatives responded with teargas, chasing away and arresting several protesters.
In Kano State, the police command reported the arrest of at least 269 individuals connected to the looting and destruction during the nationwide hardship protest.
On the third day of demonstrations, police forced some #EndBadGovernance protesters away from the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja. Despite initially avoiding the venue, protesters later assembled with flags and placards. However, police fired into the air and released teargas to disperse them.
Arrests were also made in other states, including Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Nasarawa, and Sokoto.
Amnesty International condemned these actions in a tweet on Saturday, calling for the unconditional release of the youth remanded in Sokoto State for participating in the peaceful protest against hunger.
“Amnesty International condemns the Nigeria Police Sokoto state command for the arbitrary arrest of 81 youth who participated in the peaceful protest against hunger. #EndBadGovernance,” the tweet read.
“Our investigation shows that the protesters were arrested and then taken to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), where a mobile court hurriedly remanded them in prison. We urge the authorities to release them immediately and unconditionally.”
[FULL SPEECH] Broadcast By His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President And Commander-In-Chief Of The Armed Forces Of The Federal Republic Of Nigeria On The Nationwide Protest
Admin![[FULL SPEECH] Broadcast By His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President And Commander-In-Chief Of The Armed Forces Of The Federal Republic Of Nigeria On The Nationwide Protest](/media/k2/items/cache/30fddbf178d5956fba740074098baa02_S.jpg)
My fellow Nigerians,
1. I speak to you today with a heavy heart and a sense of responsibility, aware of the turmoil and violent protests unleashed in some of our states.
2. Notably among the protesters were young Nigerians who desired a better and more progressive country where their dreams, hopes, and personal aspirations would be fulfilled.
3. I am especially pained by the loss of lives in Borno, Jigawa, Kano, Kaduna and other states, the destruction of public facilities in some states, and the wanton looting of supermarkets and shops, contrary to the promise of protest organisers that the protest would be peaceful across the country. The destruction of properties sets us back as a nation, as scarce resources will be again used to restore them.
4. I commiserate with the families and relations of those who have died in the protests. We must stop further bloodshed, violence and destruction.
5. As President of this country, I must ensure public order. In line with my constitutional oath to protect the lives and property of every citizen, our government will not stand idly by and allow a few with a clear political agenda to tear this nation apart.
6. Under the circumstances, I hereby enjoin protesters and the organisers to suspend any further protest and create room for dialogue, which I have always acceded to at the slightest opportunity. Nigeria requires all hands on deck and needs us all - regardless of age, party, tribe, religion or other divides, to work together in reshaping our destiny as a nation. To those who have taken undue advantage of this situation to threaten any section of this country, be warned: The law will catch up with you. There is no place for ethnic bigotry or such threats in the Nigeria we seek to build.
7. Our democracy progresses when the constitutional rights of every Nigerian are respected and protected. Our law enforcement agencies should continue to ensure the full protection of lives and properties of innocent citizens in a responsible manner.
8. My vision for our country is one of a just and prosperous nation where each person may enjoy the peace, freedom, and meaningful livelihood that only democratic good governance can provide – one that is open, transparent and accountable to the Nigerian people.
9. For decades, our economy has remained anaemic and taken a dip because of many misalignments that have stunted our growth. Just over a year ago, our dear country, Nigeria, reached a point where we couldn’t afford to continue the use of temporary solutions to solve long-term problems for the sake of now and our unborn generations. I therefore took the painful yet necessary decision to remove fuel subsidies and abolish multiple foreign exchange systems which had constituted a noose around the economic jugular of our Nation and impeded our economic development and progress.
10. These actions blocked the greed and the profits that smugglers and rent-seekers made. They also blocked the undue subsidies we had extended to our neighbouring countries to the detriment of our people, rendering our economy prostrate. These decisions I made were necessary if we must reverse the decades of economic mismanagement that didn’t serve us well. Yes, I agree, the buck stops on my table. But I can assure you that I am focused fully on delivering the governance to the people - good governance for that matter.
11. In the past 14 months, our government has made significant strides in rebuilding the foundation of our economy to carry us into a future of plenty and abundance. On the fiscal side, aggregate government revenues have more than doubled, hitting over 9.1 trillion Naira in the first half of 2024 compared to the first half of 2023 due to our efforts at blocking leakages, introducing automation, and mobilising funding creatively without additional burden on the people. Productivity is gradually increasing in the non-oil sector, reaching new levels and taking advantage of the opportunities in the current economic ambience
12. My dear brothers and sisters, we have come this far. Coming from a place where our country spent 97% of all our revenue on debt service; we have been able to reduce that to 68% in the last 13 months. We have also cleared legitimate outstanding foreign exchange obligations of about $5billion without any adverse impact on our programmes.
13. This has given us more financial freedom and the room to spend more money on you, our citizens, to fund essential social services like education and healthcare. It has also led to our State, and Local Governments receiving the highest allocations ever in our country’s history from the Federation Account.
14. We have also embarked on major infrastructure projects across the country. We are working to complete inherited projects critical to our economic prosperity, including roads, bridges, railways, power, and oil and gas developments. Notably, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and Sokoto-Badagry Highway projects will open up 16 connecting states, creating thousands of jobs and boosting economic output through trade, tourism and cultural integration
15. Our once-declining oil and gas industry is experiencing a resurgence on the back of the reforms I announced in May 2024 to address the gaps in the Petroleum Industry Act. Last month, we increased our oil production to 1.61million barrels per day, and our gas assets are receiving the attention they deserve. Investors are coming back, and we have already seen two Foreign Direct Investments signed of over half a billion dollars since then.
16. Fellow Nigerians, we are a country blessed with both oil and gas resources, but we met a country that had been dependent solely on oil-based petrol, neglecting its gas resources to power the economy. We were also using our hard-earned foreign exchange to pay for, and subsidise its use. To address this, we immediately launched our Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (CNG) to power our transportation economy and bring costs down. This will save over two trillion Naira a month, being used to import PMS and AGO and free up our resources for more investment in healthcare and education.
17. To this end, we will be distributing a million kits of extremely low or no cost to commercial vehicles that transport people and goods and who currently consume 80% of the imported PMS and AGO.
18. We have started the distribution of conversion kits and setting up of conversion centres across the country in conjunction with the private sector. We believe that this CNG initiative will reduce transportation costs by approximately 60 per cent and help to curb inflation.
19. Our administration has shown its commitment to the youth by setting up the student loan scheme. To date, 45.6billion Naira has already been processed for payment to students and their respective institutions
20. I encourage more of our vibrant youth population to take advantage of this opportunity. We established the Consumer Credit Corporation with over N200billion to help Nigerians to acquire essential products without the need for immediate cash payments, making life easier for millions of households. This will consequently reduce corruption and eliminate cash and opaque transactions. This week, I ordered the release of an additional N50billion Naira each for NELFUND – the student loan, and Credit Corporation from the proceeds of crime recovered by the EFCC
21. Additionally, we have secured $620million under the Digital and Creative Enterprises (IDiCE) – a programme to empower our young people, creating millions of IT and technical jobs that will make them globally competitive. These programmes include the 3Million Technical Talents scheme. Unfortunately, one of the digital centres was vandalised during the protests in Kano. What a shame!
22. In addition, we have introduced the Skill-Up Artisans Programme (SUPA); the Nigerian Youth Academy (NIYA); and the National Youth Talent Export Programme (NATEP).
23. Also, more than N570 billion has been released to the 36 states to expand livelihood support to their citizens, while 600,000 nano-businesses have benefitted from our nano-grants. An additional 400,000 more nano-businesses are expected to benefit.
24. Furthermore, 75,000 beneficiaries have been processed to receive our N1million Micro and Small Business single-digit interest loans, starting this month. We have also built 10 MSME hubs within the past year, created 240,000 jobs through them and 5 more hubs are in progress which will be ready by October this year.
25. Payments of N1billion each are also being made to large manufacturers under our single-digit loans to boost manufacturing output and stimulate growth.
26. I signed the National Minimum Wage into law last week, and the lowest-earning workers will now earn at least N70,000 a month.
27. Six months ago in Karsana, Abuja, I inaugurated the first phase of our ambitious housing initiative, the Renewed Hope City and Estate. This project is the first of six we have planned across the nation's geopolitical zones. Each of these cities will include a minimum of 1,000 housing units, with Karsana itself set to deliver 3,212 units
28. In addition to these city projects, we are also launching the Renewed Hope Estates in every state, each comprising 500 housing units. Our goal is to complete a total of 100,000 housing units over the next three years. This initiative is not only about providing homes but also about creating thousands of jobs across the nation as well as stimulating economic growth.
29. We are providing incentives to farmers to increase food production at affordable prices. I have directed that tariffs and other import duties should be removed on rice, wheat, maize, sorghum, drugs, and other pharmaceutical and medical supplies for the next 6 months, in the first instance, to help drive down the prices.
30. I have been meeting with our Governors and key Ministers to accelerate food production. We have distributed fertilisers. Our target is to cultivate more than 10 million hectares of land to grow what we eat. The Federal Government will provide all necessary incentives for this initiative, whilst the states provide the land, which will put millions of our people to work and further increase food production. In the past few months, we have also ordered mechanized farming equipment such as tractors and planters, worth billions of Naira from the United States, Belarus, and Brazil. I can confirm to you that the equipment is on the way.
31. My dear Nigerians, especially our youth, I have heard you loud and clear. I understand the pain and frustration that drive these protests, and I want to assure you that our government is committed to listening and addressing the concerns of our citizens.
32. But we must not let violence and destruction tear our nation apart. We must work together to build a brighter future, where every Nigerian can live with dignity and prosperity.
33. The task before us is a collective one, and I am leading the charge as your President. A lot of work has gone into stabilising our economy and I must stay focused on ensuring that the benefits reach every single Nigerian as promised.
34. My administration is working very hard to improve and expand our national infrastructure and create more opportunities for our young people.
35. Let nobody misinform and miseducate you about your country or tell you that your government does not care about you. Although there have been many dashed hopes in the past, we are in a new era of Renewed Hope. We are working hard for you, and the results will soon be visible and concrete for everyone to see, feel, and enjoy.
36. Let us work together to build a brighter future for ourselves and for generations to come. Let us choose hope over fear, unity over division, and progress over stagnation. The economy is recovering; Please, don’t shut out its oxygen. Now that we have been enjoying democratic governance for 25 years, do not let the enemies of democracy use you to promote an unconstitutional agenda that will set us back on our democratic journey. FORWARD EVER, BACKWARD NEVER!
37. In conclusion, security operatives should continue to maintain peace, law, and order in our country following the necessary conventions on human rights, to which Nigeria is a signatory. The safety and security of all Nigerians are paramount.
38. Thank God -- and Thank you for your attention, and may God continue to bless our great Nation. Thank you very much.
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The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, on Saturday, urged the police and other security agencies to stop shooting and killing protesters demanding good governance in Nigeria.
Atiku who reacted to reports of killings in some states, amidst the ongoing ##EndBadGovernance protests, questioned the professionalism of the security agencies in the handling of the ongoing demonstrations.
He said the shooting of protesters reminds him of “the dark days of military dictatorship.”
He called on President Bola Tinubu to address and implement the demands of Nigerians
The statement released by the former Vice-President reads, “I vehemently condemn the heinous act of using live ammunition on citizens peacefully protesting against bad governance, as witnessed today in Kano and Abuja. This is utterly intolerable and reminiscent of the dark days of military dictatorship.
“It is crucial to remind the government and security agencies of their paramount duty to ensure a safe and secure environment where citizens can exercise their right to protest without fear.
“When security forces open fire on innocent protesters, they do nothing but exacerbate tensions, transforming peaceful demonstrations into chaos. I refuse to believe that inciting violence is the intention of our authorities.
“I urge the international community, including the United Nations and the International Criminal Court, to closely monitor the situation in Nigeria and hold its leadership and security apparatus accountable.
“I reaffirm my counsel to protesters to steadfastly exercise their right to peaceful protest and reject any form of violence.
“Those engaging in looting and the destruction of public and private property must be isolated and prosecuted according to the law. By indulging in such acts, they undermine the legitimate protests and play into the hands of those who oppose their right to protest.
“President Tinubu must demonstrate true leadership by immediately addressing and implementing the demands of the Nigerian people.”
…Governor appeals for calm in statewide broadcast
Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, has vowed to ensure protection of lives and property of citizens of the state in the wake of the planned nationwide protests over current economic situation in the country.
Governor Oyebanji said Nigeria and its people cannot afford “another massive destruction of our economic base” as witnessed during the #EndSARS protest that led to the destruction of many private and government infrastructures.
Addressing the people of Ekiti State in a statewide broadcast on Wednesday morning, the Governor expressed concern that the planned protest has the potential to degenerate into violence and reverse his administration’s steady progress to shared prosperity.
Governor Oyebanji, in the address which was broadcast across all radio and television stations in the state, clarified that while his administration is not averse to free expression of opinions and displeasures over socioeconomic issues, it strongly believes that it should be after due consideration of the overall security implication of such a protest.
Acknowledging the constitutional rights to freedom of expression and the right to air views freely, Governor Oyebanji argued that “a protest should be conducted under a peaceful atmosphere without recourse to any violent disturbances to other citizen who also enjoy inalienable right to unhindered movement and life.”
The Governor pointed out that he has the primary duty to ensure the security and wellbeing of the people at all times as the Chief Security Officer of the state noting that security agencies will be on high alert and will not allow anybody to destroy Ekiti’s good image as a peaceful and progressive State.
He appealed to the residents of the state not to fall into the agenda of individuals “who might just be interested in wreaking havoc while pretending to be fighting for the interest of the ordinary people.”
While contending that protest, violence and destruction of lives and property can be counterproductive, the Governor said “a lot of fifth columnists are trying desperately to weaponize the current economic crisis for their own destructive agenda.”
Recalling the havoc wreaked in Ekiti during the #EndSARS protest of 2020, Governor Oyebanji disclosed that some public buildings, infrastructures and assets are still in ruins nearly four years after they were savagely vandalized by protesters with government struggling to repair or replace them.
According to him, “nothing much will change by blocking roads and prevent distribution of goods and services, instead, it will aggravate poverty and sorrow and will also worsen the situation as it did in 2020 when we had to slip into deeper economic recession as a result of the combined effect of COVID 19 pandemic and the #EndSARS wanton destruction of economic infrastructure across the country.”
“Multimillion naira businesses were completely ruined and the owners destroyed forever. Till today, the Ekiti State Emergency Management Agency’s store room and other government institutions remain in ruins because of the arson and looting that were visited on the State by retrogressive elements masquerading as protesters.
“Many of our silos which serve as national strategic reservoirs for food and seedlings were burnt, looted and vandalized. Government is still struggling with replacing or repairing these infrastructures, even in the face of scarce resources,” the Governor said.
The Governor appealed to parents, guardians, traditional rulers and religious leaders to appeal to the youths not to submit themselves to those he referred to as “evil merchants who want to use them to cause violence in our state as protests can easily be hijacked by hoodlums.”
He stressed “that no matter how peaceful a protest might seem at the beginning, no one can predict its eventual dynamics and its ending.”
The Governor also used the opportunity of the broadcast to assure the people o the state that efforts are on to ameliorate the current challenges relating to food price inflation and high cost of transportation while also ensuring that the provision of welfare packages to workers, retirees and other citizens.
He added: “It is for this reason that we have undertaken different palliative measures across the State to many of the eligible people based on different criteria for each batch.
“Indeed, we are not in anyway deluded that food handouts will be the magic bullet to end the food related inflation, more and abundant production of foodstuff is the golden bullet to fight food poverty and government has put in place various measures to ramp up food production in the State through the Ministry Agriculture and Food Security and the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“It is in the realization of this, that we are investing in an unprecedented level, in agriculture. We are supporting our farmers to increase their capacity in production through clearing and ploughing of land in thousands of hectares.
“The second phase of the land clearing is about being concluded. We are not only clearing and ploughing for our farmers, we are also providing them free and subsidized seedlings, fertilizers and other farm implements.”
A former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has warned President Bola Tinubu that he cannot win against Nigerians in the ongoing nationwide protests.
She stated this while reacting to Tinubu’s failure to address the situation.
Ezekwesili opined that no leader has ever won against their people.
The former vice president of the World Bank’s Africa region stated this via a statement on social media.
She explained that “when a people tell their leaders that they are hungry and angry because you have governed them badly, the wise thing to do is not to shut them up, threaten, taunt and brutalise them thereby demonstrating a tragic empathy deficit syndrome.
“The wise things to do are listen, listen, listen. Persuade with factual counterpoints.
“Present convincing plan of action.
“Mobilise the people to ‘Arise and Build!’,”
Ezekwesili, who also served as a minister of Solid Minerals, said the Nigerian President, the National Assembly, and state governors and their state assemblies still have an opportunity to do the right thing.
She said they can “use it (opportunity) as the golden moment of opportunity for a reset of Nigeria being offered by our citizens and launch a credible National Conversation on the Most Effective Structure and Direction for Good Governance at all levels for productivity, competitiveness, prosperity, justice, equity, equality, order, peace, harmony, stability and resilience.”
She also said they can “come out to the protest grounds all over the country and engage your citizens, hear them express their demands to you directly.”
She warned them, “not lock yourselves away behind the High Gates of your publicly-funded State and Government houses enjoying indulgent lives while your citizens are crying out in pain from the severity of economic hardship. Come out.”
President Bola Tinubu is monitoring the #EndBadGovernance protests across the country, Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, has said.
For the third day running, Nigerians have been out on the streets, demanding reversal of fuel subsidy removal and other policies they tagged anti-masses.
The protest have degenerated into violence in some states, with more than 40 persons killed, according to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
Human rights activists, public commentators, politicians and other stakeholders have asked Tinubu to address the nation.
In a statement on Saturday, opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said Tinubu’s silence was worrisome.
“It is worrisome that President Tinubu could remain silent as Nigerians are on the streets demanding for good governance, protection, security and welfare, which are the primary purpose of government, Debo Ologunagba, spokesman of the PDP said in a statement, on Saturday.
However, when he featured on a Channels Television programme, Bagudu, said the president is well aware of the situation and keeping tabs.
“Mr President has been monitoring the situation, as he ought to. Very responsibly, and alert. I am a minister. I also have responsibilities. I have also been monitoring this thing. I have been noting this thing so that I can make inputs.”
“We have been monitoring and listening carefully to hear what is being said and what noting them.”
[DailyTrust]