Barely 5 days to the commencement of the 10-day nationwide plan protest against economic hardship and pervasive hunger, religious groups, Traditional rulers, ethnic groups, Governors, government officials, and stake holders have come out to appeals to the organizers of the protest to shelve the planned protest and engage in dialogue.
In view of this, the Igbos in Lagos, on their part however said they would not be part of the protest as their businesses would be targets of attacks and looting by the hoodlums.
Other groups appealing to the organizers to suspend the planned end bad governance protest include the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI); Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN; Pan Niger Delta Elders Forum, PANDEF; Ijaw National Congress (INC); Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People, MOSOP and Enugu Innovative Youths.
They all argued the fear that the protest could be hijack by hoodlums thereby leading to chaos and violence
The JNI BEGS SPONSORS AND ORGANIZERS TO SHELVE PLANNED HUNGER PROTEST
The secretary of Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) , prof. Khalid Aliyu issued a statement issued in Kaduna yesterday , He said although Nigerians were passing through difficult challenges, protest might not be the solutions
He said calling for protest in Nigeria occasioned by hardship, food insecurity, high inflation rate, abject poverty and escalating national security challenges become worrisome and required immediate attention from the part of government.
However, the JNI under the leadership of Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, passionately appeal to the Sponsors and organizers of the protest to dialogue with the federal Government of Nigeria to immediately engage in critical and realistic dialogue before the situation degenerates into an uncontrollable heights.
He said Nigerians no doubt are passing through hard time and rare challenges, but protest might not be the way out. The prof in addition said we should learn from the bad experiences of protests especially the ENDSARS protest of 2020 and the protest in other climes and we should avoid the bobby traps they had fallen into.
The secretary in his statement said the JNI is compelled to make this clarion call and plea to all concerned parties. The Federal Government should make more frantic efforts to secure the country so that the citizens would have access to their lands”.
Christian Association of Nigeria beg for peaceful solutions to economic hardship
Similarly, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has call upon on Nigerians to exercise caution and use alternative means of expressing their grievances. \
The president of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Archbishop Daniel Okoh, in a statement issued on Friday, warned that the protests could be hijacked by miscreants, which may lead to looting, burglary, killing and loss of property as seen in previous protests.
It allows the populace to communicate their concerns and hold leaders accountable. However, the anxiety related to the impending protests is heightening, especially given the volatile experiences in countries like Kenya and Pakistan.
We urge all Nigerians to consider alternative means of expressing their anger to the government he said.
Peaceful protests are a powerful tool for civic engagement, allowing the populace to communicate their concerns and hold leaders accountable. However, the anxiety related to the impending protests is heightening, especially given the volatile experiences in countries like Kenya and Pakistan.
We urge all Nigerians to consider alternative means of expressing their grievances. Dialogue, petitions, and town hall meetings are viable options that can yield positive results without the risk of disorder.
Another apex socio-political group that spoke on the same issue of plan protest is the Ijaw National Congress (INC) worldwide,.
The apex Ijaw group urged the Federal Government and security agencies to exercise caution in their response to the planned nationwide hunger protest, warning against heavy-handed tactics that could exacerbate tensions and plunge the country into crises.
President of the Ijaw National Congress, Prof Benjamin Okaba, said in a statement, titled, “What the President Tinubu led Federal Government should do to avert the impending doom,” he see the state of the Nigerian nation as one of great concern faced with numerous challenges threatening its peace, stability and prosperity.
The prof said Nigeria is face with high corruption, security challenges, political instability , economic hardship, social inequality, environmental degradation, infrastructure deficits, Nepotism and governance issues.
A peace protest is not criminal in as much as we all play according to the rules and regulations guiding such civil demonstrations.
He said the proposed protest and its consequences can be avoided, if only the government takes urgent steps to address the root causes of the multifarious challenges we face as a nation that centered around bad governance.
The root causes are principally that of energy scarcity and expensiveness and the astronomical hike in the cost of basic amenities i.e. foods, housing, transportation, security, health care services and water.”
Enugu State Youths want protest Suspended
The Enugu Innovative Youth has also called for calm and suspension of the protest. In a communique issued at the end of its meeting in Enugu, the group said, “Nigeria is currently experiencing serious challenges, owing to the hunger and financial downturn occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy, coupled with high cost of food and the depreciation of the naira.
However, while the proposed nationwide protest is justifiable, owing to the current state of affairs of our country, we call for a rethink and retreat from the proposed protest by our youths. Importantly, we call for peace and calmness in Enugu State.
We strongly appeal that it is rather premature in our state, which is currently experiencing a breath of fresh air in all sectors under the leadership of Governor Peter Mbah. Our future has never been this bad .
We were all witnesses to the mayhem visited on Enugu in October 2020 when the ENDSARS protest was hijacked by hoodlums, hence, we appeal to fellow youths of Enugu State to withdraw and distance ourselves from what could result in such destruction of our common heritage a second time.
We are aware that any protest in Enugu will destroy our common heritage which Governor Mbah is assiduously working to revive by his massive infrastructural projects.
We do not want to lose the lives of our dear youths in such a protest, which hoodlums are planning to hijack by availing them the brazen opportunity to execute their sinister motives of triggering attacks on the peaceful youths of the state.
Call off proposed hardship protest, Tompolo begs organizers
Chairman of the Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, TSSNL, and ex-militant leader, Dr. Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, has appealed to the organizers of the planned hardship protest to put the demonstration on hold.
For example, there has been a great improvement in the oil and gas sector in the last year, which is still the main source of our economy. The citizenry has the right to protest government policies and programs in any country. however . it must be peaceful protest.
It is one sure way for the citizens to participate effectively in governance, by checking the excesses of any government. However, the organizers of this proposed hardship protest must know that the timing is wrong
The protest may have cause more harm than good, as security reports indicated tt unscrupulous elements are planning hijack the process.
It is against this background, that I have joined other patriotic Nigerians to appeal to prospective protesters to call off the proposed protest and engage governments at all levels to find lasting solutions to the country’s problems”.
