Protest: Beyond Tinubu’s Broadcast to the Nation

Deji Elumoye looks at the variables around the five-day old nationwide protests embarked upon by aggrieved Nigerians over the rising cost of living in the country and various government interventions before and since the commencement of the protests.

Aggrieved Nigerians made good their threat on Thursday as they embarked on peaceful nationwide protests over the escalating cost of living in the country as they stormed major cities like Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Kaduna, Osogbo, carrying various placards calling for an end to bad governance in the country.

While the organisers of the protests appear unknown, the protests on the first day were peaceful in Lagos, Ibadan, Osogbo and Abuja, the reverse was however the case in towns like Kano and Kaduna where the protests were hijacked by hoodlums who damaged government properties as well as looting warehouses and public buildings and stores.

Before the protests began last Thursday, the government at the centre had taken some bold steps to inform the public especially the teeming youths that their grievances were being looked into.

At various fora, the Information and National Orientation Minister,  Mohammed Idris, had highlighted some policy initiatives of the Bola Tinubu-led federal government which had direct impact on the  citizenry especially the youths.

One of such instances was last month at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Tinubu when the Information and National Orientation Minister told newsmen at the State House, Abuja that the federal government had dispatched of a total of 740 lorry loads of rice to the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to cushion the effect of food shortage across the country. He explained that the food supply was part of the President Tinubu’s intervention to Nigerians, aimed at alleviating persisting food crisis. Idris, who appealed to state governors to ensure an effective distribution of the food supply to reach the most vulnerable in the society explained further that each state, including the FCT took delivery of 20 trucks containing 1,200 bags of 25kg of rice.

According to the Minister, the President has directed the Minister of Agriculture to ensure that food is made available to Nigerians.

He explained that the distribution of trucks of rice was also to ensure that the hardship in the country is ameliorated, adding that it’s expected that the state governors will distribute the trucks of rice to the most vulnerable.

His words: “Now, the council deliberated on the state of affairs in Nigeria, especially the issue of food supply and shortage of food on the tables of many Nigerians and after exhaustive deliberation, the Minister of Agriculture had earlier been directed to ensure that food is being made available to Nigerians and the understanding is that about 20 trucks of rice has already been supplied to each of the states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory. Each of the trucks is carrying about 1,200 bags of kg rice.

“This is part of the measures that government is taking, in addition to so many others, to ensure that the hardship being experienced by Nigerians is drastically ameliorated”.

At another forum, Idris told newsmen about the President’s appeal to the organisers of the protests to shelve their plans, assuring them that he has listened to their concerns and working diligently to address them.

According to him, the President asked the youths to exercise patience as he’s already addressing the issues raised and assured them that government will promptly react to all their grievances

Idris, said “Mr President has asked me to again inform Nigerians that he listens to them especially the young people that are trying to protest. Mr President listens to them he takes what they say seriously and he is working assiduously to ensure that this country is good not just for today but also for the future.

“In the issue of the planned protest, Mr President does not see any need for that he asked them to shelve that plan and he has asked them to await government’s response to all their pleas, he has listened to them like I said”.

The Minister further disclosed that intervention measures had been taken by the Bola Tinubu’s administration including the new minimum wage of N70, 000 already passed by the National Assembly, trucks of rice already dispatched to all the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory as well as the Student Loans Fund launched recently by the President.

His words: “A lot is happening, only today the National Assembly has expediously passed the bill on National minimum wage, you can see how the President is working it was transmitted only yesterday today it has been passed. A lot of other interventions that the President has also put in place are also going to be looked at expediously in the interest of Nigerians so there is no need for strike the young people out there should listen to the President and allow the President more time to see to the realization of all the goodies he has for them”.

The legislative arm of government was also not left out of the call on the aggrieved Nigerians to jettison the protests as the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, appealed to the organisers to reconsider their decision and shelve the idea so that the fragile peace in the country would not be disrupted. Barau, who is also the First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, said President Bola Tinubu is making genuine efforts to address the country’s challenges. In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ismail Mudashir, the Deputy Senate President, urged the promoters to give the government more time to implement lofty programmes and policies of the administration as captured in the Renewed Hope Agenda for the country’s socio-economic development.

According to him, since the government was inaugurated on May 29, 2023, it has diligently worked hard to restore the country’s glory and return it to the path of progress and prosperity for the benefit of all.

‘As we all know, one year is not enough to address the challenges facing the country for decades. Various interventions have been rolled out, and more are being conceived by this administration. Short, medium and long-term measures are being put in place to tackle the challenges that have been with us for decades,” he said.

Also last week, Vice President Kashim Shettima pleaded with Nigerians especially the youths not to protest saying it is time for unity and focused development in the country. According to him, protest has never been a solution for nations to solve their challenges, but rather an avenue for destruction of human lives and properties, even as he called for peace and unity.

Appealing to Nigerians to shun the protests, he said, “I want to use this opportunity to call on our people to eschew violence. There can never be development without peace; there can never be peace without development. I wish to implore all our youths not to follow the part of anarchy, of destruction.

According to him, President Tinubu feels the pulse of the nation and remained committed to making the nation’s challenges mostly inherited over the years a thing of the past. He implored Nigerians “to keep faith with the Federal Government, and in no distant time all of the administration’s efforts at emphatically repositioning the nation as one with the most powerful economy and social welfare for its citizens will become obvious”.

Noting that the masterminds of the proposed nationwide protest were operating from outside the shores of the country, the Vice President asked the citizens to draw lessons from what happened in Sudan, Syria and Libya.

“They are not in this country; we need to learn a lot of lessons from what happened in Syria and in Libya. So, what they are agitating for is a road to Khartoum, what they are agitating for is a road to Damascus, what they are clamouring for is a part to Tripoli, and, Insha Allah, the people of Nigeria will not dance to the tune of these anarchists and saboteurs,” he stated.

Despite all the pleas by top government functionaries, the organisers of the protests went ahead to moblise for the protests which effectively took off last Thursday.

Four days into the protests, President Tinubu decided to intervene directly by making a broadcast to the nation on Sunday morning and pleaded with the protesters to suspend the protest forthwith.

He appealed to Nigerians to be calm, urging protesters and organizers of the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protests to suspend further demonstrations calling them to come for dialogue.

Emphasising need for dialogue, the President said: “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.

“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.

“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”.

As the protest enters day five today, the question to ask is are the organisers ready to  suspend the protest and embrace dialogue as canvassed by the President in his national broadcast yesterday morning? Those behind the protest should consider the nation’s interest first in whatever action they are pursuing especially in this trying period of the nation’s development.