The federal government Wednesday revealed alleged plot by some elements to hijack the planned August 1 nationwide protest by an unknown group, and in the process unleash mayhem on the nation.
It also said while the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration acknowledges the rights of every Nigerian to engage in protests, the authorities would ensure the public order rights of others were not violated.
Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris said this in a statement by his media aide, Rabiu Ibrahim.
The statement quoted the minister as saying this when he received in audience the Charismatic Bishop Conference on a courtesy visit to his office in Abuja.
He said the government was aware that some people would want to hijack the planned protest and unleash violence on innocent Nigerians.
“You see, the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu believes in the freedom of everyone within the confines of the law to do what he thinks is right for him. Therefore, the President is not an opponent of protest of any kind but the President is an opponent of violence and anything that will negatively hamper the wellbeing of Nigerians.
“He believes and he has always been saying that within the tenets of democracy, you have every right to do whatever you want to do provided that right does not infringe on another person’s right.
“Why everybody is very cautious and very wary of this national protest is because we have seen what has happened around the world. We know that it’s almost impossible to hold this protest and then have peace at the end of the day. We cannot do that because some people are waiting to take the laws into their own hands,” the minister said.
Idris said Tinubu was fully aware of the genuine concerns and complaints expressed by Nigerians across the nation, and actively working to implement effective policies aimed at alleviating the challenges faced by the citizenry and bringing relief to all Nigerians.
…Stipends for unemployed graduates
The minister said in an unprecedented move, President Tinubu was fashioning out a policy of paying stipends to all young university and polytechnic unemployed graduates in the country pending their formal employment in any sector of the economy.
“But beyond that, there is also another new policy that the President has formulated, which will begin to be seen very soon and that is that all young men and women who have finished universities and polytechnics and have certificates and have done their mandatory NYSC and have not been able to get jobs, will have something from the government to keep them afloat until the time they get jobs,” he said.
He explained that because of the president’s commitment to the welfare of Nigerian workers, even after the Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage concluded its assignment and submitted its report, he sustained his engagement with the Organised Labour Unions until an amicable resolution was reached, which gave birth to the N70,000 national minimum wage.
Idris said “the introduction of the Compressed National Gas (CNG) policy by the president is a game changer in the country’s economy because of its ability to bring down the cost of transportation by about 60% thereby providing a viable alternative for petrol and diesel.”
The minister also highlighted the significant improvement in the security situation in the country, saying “since the advent of the Tinubu administration, there has been a remarkable improvement in most of the flashpoints in the country, especially the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway, which used to be a nightmare for motorists.”
…Bishops disown protest
In his remarks, President General of the Charismatic Bishops Conference, Archbishop Leonard Kawas, dissociated the conference from the planned national protest, saying they had been approached by some groups to join the protest.
“Your Excellency, recently, we received some calls from some other religious organizations and other organizations asking us to join in preparation for a nationwide protest, which would start from 1st August 2024. We are here to let you know that we do not think the same. That we have rather decided to go all out and call for a truce.
” We have decided to sue for peace and humbly request that our brothers and sisters who are aggrieved in one way or the other, that they should give us some time while we continue to communicate and negotiate with this government on areas that are pertinent to them,” he said.
Northern coalition, CSOs, NLC too
Also, the Rebuild Arewa Initiative for Development (RAID) has distanced itself, like-minded Civil Society Organisation and other Coalitions from across the country against the proposed protest. #Endbadgovernance.
The group which is a non-profit organization with presence in all the Northern19 states including the FCT, stated this in a joint communiqué after a roundtable with CSOs, groups, community-based groups and other stakeholders on the state of the nation, in Abuja.
President RAID Comrade Balarabe Rufa’i identified a gamut of challenges like insecurity and hunger as regrettable, urging Tinubu to deploy technology to fight insecurity and also review its economic policy to stem hunger in the land.
It called on the president to ensure the country’s refineries were fixed and in good condition before the end of the year.
The communique highlighted other challenges to include “economic, hunger, poverty, unemployment, poor Infrastructure, destitution, corruption, weak electoral system, healthcare, educational among others that the country is facing,” saying only dialogue, effective management of multicultural dynamics and mitigating conflicts can promote economic growth.
The RAID leader cautioned that mass action and protests “often turn out to be something else especially in the third world countries of Africa.”
While acknowledging mass actions and protests as constitutional worldwide, the group recalled that previous protests in Libya, Sudan, Kenya, the June 12 protest and the most recent #EndSars protests, all turned violent at the end as bad examples.
It , however, said: “Government should fund education, healthcare as well as look into food security, development infrastructure and pay a living wage to workers, military, police and other security operatives whose families are starving and groaning.
“Mass actions/ Protest are a constitutional gift to the citizens meant to improve good governance, strengthen Democracy, hold leaders accountable and demand for the betterment of citizenry. It is universally accepted and practiced as steps in improving services and reawakening consciousness.
“While recognizing the right of every citizen to peacefully protest, we remain cautious of the fact that political maturity is still lacking in our system.
“In essence, we want to use this opportunity to caution our fellow country men and women, especially the younger generations, that at this very critical time, protest is not the answer to the lingering problem of our Nation.”
Also in a statement Wednesday, President Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) said the body has nothing to do with the planned protest, denying reports it had withdrawn.
“A news report of the withdrawal of the Nigeria Labour Congress from the widely discussed national protest has been brought to our attention. The Nigeria Labour Congress debunks such a story as patently false.
“The truth is that the Nigeria Labour Congress cannot withdraw from a protest that it did not organise. It is only the organisers of the speculated national protest can decide to pull out or continue with the protest.
“The Nigeria Labour Congress has internal trade union mechanisms, especially leadership decision-making processes that its industrial actions such as protests pass through before such activities are undertaken,” he said.
He, however, advised the government to meet with the leaders of the protest to avoid any untoward consequences.
He said: “The fact that the Nigeria Labour Congress is not the body organising the protest does not mean that Organised Labour is oblivious to the dire living conditions Nigerians have been subjected to by the harsh economic policies of the government.
“We have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to invite the leaders of the protest movement to dialogue on their demands.
“We have advised that it would be counter-productive for the government to meet the widespread anger in the land with brute force.
“Once again, we implore the Federal Government and the sub-national governments to listen to the cries of the Nigerian people and do the needful. After all, it is said that the voice of the people is the voice of God,” the statement added.
…Group cautions
Similarly, the Africa Development Studies Centre (ADSC) Wednesday cautioned against the protest, saying, “we urge all citizens to engage in peaceful demonstrations.”
ADSC leader, Victor Walsh Oluwatemi, said while it may be crucial to express grievances and demand change, it can be done “without resorting to violence, which only exacerbates the issues we face as a nation.”
He said Nigerians should unite for change and reflect on the fallout of recent protests in some countries.
“Recent examples from around the world highlight the destructive outcomes of violent protests. In France, the yellow vest protests, which began as peaceful demonstrations against fuel tax increases, escalated into violent clashes with police, resulting in significant property damage and injuries.
“Similarly, in Chile, protests over economic inequality and living costs turned violent, leading to widespread destruction and a heavy-handed government response. These instances serve as a reminder that violence undermines the legitimacy of protests and often leads to severe repercussions for all involved.
“We must also learn from the recent events in Kenya, where protests against rising living costs and economic hardships turned violent, resulting in severe economic disruptions and further strain on the country’s fragile economy,” Oluwatemi stated.
He said the violence not only led to loss of lives and property but also scared away investors, causing long-term damage to the nation’s economic prospects.