Government reacts over planned nationwide protest

As hardship continue increasing, some Nigerian youths are planning nationwide protests from August 1-10, 2024.

The planned protest is gaining momentum in the North and other states, is aimed at drawing the attention of the government to the plight of Nigerians.

Since President Bola Tinubu’s administration removed fuel subsidy in May 2023, the country has faced economic hardship, prompting calls for policy reversals aabelieved to be causing the distress.

Scheduled to occur in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), some organizers, particularly from the North, remain anonymous.

However, Omoyele Sowore, the 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), has been actively promoting the protest on social media, emphasizing that a revolution is imminent with his slogan, “Nothing Can Stop An Idea Whose Time Has Come” #RevolutionNOW.

Sowore wrote: “The REVOLUTION is now knocking on our doors! #RevolutionNow. Let everyone rise all at once in August 2024! Nothing can stop an idea whose time has come. They asked for a revolution and it is here now! @officialABAT once asked for a revolution, even @MBuhari once asked for a revolution and Nigerians now want a real revolution.”

A flyer circulating on social media titled “End Bad Governance in Nigeria 2024” by anonymous groups attributed the planned protest to ten government policies they claim have imposed undue hardship on Nigerians.

The groups demand the government end the “subsidy scam,” revert fuel prices to below N300 per liter, restore previous tertiary education fees, make electricity tariffs affordable, reduce import duties, and disclose and reduce lawmakers’ salaries and allowances, among other reforms.

The Nigeria Police Force is reportedly planning to halt the protest.

An internal memo, dated July 8 and circulated to zonal Assistant Inspectors-General of Police, urged proactive measures, including mobilizing equipped personnel and working with other agencies to disperse unlawful gatherings.

Popular social commentator and investigative journalist @PIDOMNIGERIA shared the leaked memo on his verified X handle, noting that the planned protest has instilled fear among public officials, particularly lawmakers.

The Nigerian Senate recently debated their concerns about potential attacks from angry citizens facing severe hardship.

Former Senate President Ahmed Lawan warned that Nigerians’ patience is running out, urging immediate action to address food insecurity and economic challenges.

Former lawmaker Shehu Sani advised Senate President Godswill Akpabio to avoid certain routes in the FCT.

He recounted his encounter with protesters in Wuse 2 who allowed him to pass but might not extend the same courtesy to Akpabio.

Labour Party chieftain Mr. Kayode Oyeniran expressed concern that if the protest proceeds, government officials might need to hide.

He revealed that Nigerians are angry over lawmakers’ high salaries and allowances.

“If the protest is allowed to hold, government officials may have to find where they will hide themselves.

“The truth is that Nigerians are angry. For the past few months now, there has been debates on the salaries and allowances of the Federal lawmakers.

“I don’t know how much they earn but the way it is painted in public, many Nigerians now see them as their number one enemies.

“It is my prayer that the organizers find other means of expressing their grievances. It must not always be a protest. You see what is happening in Kenya?

“Both the government and the protesters are having a bad time. Protests most times make things worse”

“Sometimes you can’t blame these people. They have had enough and have been patient enough.

“Since 2023, the government has only been making promises. The Port Harcourt refinery that they said would work last year December, I don’t think it is functioning now.

“They said when the CNG vehicles are rolled out, prices of goods will crash, where are the vehicles? How long would Nigerians wait? People are suffering.

“People have come to a level where they are no longer afraid of anything. If you stay back, you may die of hunger and if you protest you may die, so they will tell you that it is better to protest and die. We have never had it like this”