From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
There was mild drama in Abuja, yesterday,
when hundreds of supporters of President Muhammadu Buhari clashed with
protesters who had taken to the streets, to register their anger over
the unbearable hardship inflicted on Nigerians arising from government’s
economic policies.
Protester from both camps, with distinct
identity, armed themselves with placards with different instructional
inscriptions, open truck with loud music, adopted several means of
communication, including social and traditional media, to outshine each
other.
As early as 7: 30am, yesterday,
protesters from both camps, began to assemble at the Unity Fountain, to
strategise on how to pass their messages to government.
Hundreds of policemen, Civil Defence
Corps, Federal Road Safety Corps officials were strategically positioned
along the route from the Unity Fountain, which was the starting point
to the Three Arms Zone. Presence
of security agencies were also felt at entire Federal Secretariat
Complex. They were positioned to provide security and ensure that the
protest was peaceful and not hijacked by hoodlums.
Musician turned activist, Charly boy,
former chairman, National Human Right Commission, Chidi Odinkalu,
Chairman, Partners for Electoral Reforms, Ezenwa Nwangwu, Co-convener,
#BringBackOurGirls group, Aisha Yesufu, among several other human
activists were some notable names who led the anti-government protest.
In unison, they insisted Nigerians can no
longer keep quiet while things become worse even as they insisted the
“Federal Government has lost bearing and solutions to the economic,
security, social and political problems bedeviling Nigeria.
“We cannot afford to continue to die in
silence while government continues to impoverish our people, through its
unrealistic policies. Time has come for Nigerians to rise and
collectively reject it,” they echoed. We thumbed Buhari into office in
2015 because he promised to do a lot, then, he got into power and he has
never addressed us. When he wants to talk to us, he gets into a plane,
travels abroad and starts gossiping about us. Are we so useless that our
president cannot address us? Are we so idiotic that our president
cannot tell us that things are hard? We don’t get answers, we don’t get
empathy and we are told we cannot protest too? What kind of country is
that? What kind of citizens are we?
“Who are we to be told we can only
protest if police licensed us. We have the right to protest. We don’t
know where our president is. We want to know because we care. On 18
January we were told that our president was going for a 10-day vacation.
Yesterday we were told he is waiting for his medical test before he
will return. Last week, fake pictures of the president meeting people in
London emerged.
“Our leaders have failed us. They are not
keeping their promises. We elected Buhari to bring about change. To
fight corruption, but under him, corruption has gone from bad to worse,”
he said.
“Enough is enough! We are asking the government to fix energy, and the economy. Those are our demands.”
“This administration came into power to
fight corruption and now, next to the president is the man now known as
the grass cutter general of the federation.”
Musician, Innocent Idibia, popularly
called Tuface, was supposed to lead the nationwide protest but backed
out on Sunday, February 5, citing security reasons,
Regardless, the pro-Buhari group, in a
determined effort to register their presence and pass their message
across to Nigerians, as well, defended government’s several policies.
They admitted that things have gone from bad to worst but appealed to
Nigerians to continue to support the government even as it strives to
restore the dignity of Nigeria, and offer better life to Nigerians. The
protesters, mostly women and men in their late 40’s and few younger
ones, were clothed in red and white fez cap with a bold inscription, “We
believe in you, sir”.
Meanwhile, exchange of words and fight
erupted at the camp of the pro-government protesters shortly the
exercise terminated at the Vice President’s entrance of the Presidential
Villa. At that point, a
team of mobile and conventional policemen, with the help of Civil
Defence Corps officials barricaded the entrance and denied them access
to villa.
After several efforts proved
unsuccessful, the pro-government protesters assembled at the car park of
the Eagle Square, opposite the National Assembly entrance, to share
money. Daily Sun learnt that women were paid between N500 and N1000 while some got N1,500.
But, some, who were either not satisfied
with the amount doled out money or who were not captured, revolted and
made to attack their leaders. It took the intervention of passersby to
quell tension and restore peace among the women.
A similar development was recorded at the
sharing table at the men’s section of the pro-government men
protesters. Some young people in the group told Daily Sun that their
names were totally omitted from the largesse.
…Civil society lists 10 demands from FG
From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
Conveners of
a national protest against the economy and rise in food prices in the
country, tagged #IStandWithNigeria, Enough is Enough Nigeria have
written an open letter to the Federal Government.
The letter addressed to acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, identified 10 challenges facing the country.
“Our call for this protest had 10 key
areas of concern – security, education, health, power, unemployment,
the high cost of living, social justice, transparency, the cost of
government and patriotism ranging from insecurity, high cost of
governance, to poor power supply and more.
“Nigerians are facing difficult economic
challenges and do not see any end in sight. Our standards of living have
worsened and we are also disappointed in the lack of transparency and
an ineffective fight against corruption in a government that made a
fight against corruption a key pillar of its campaign. In summary, the
change that Nigerians were promised has not been delivered and a road
map to the desired destination is yet to be communicated.
Meanwhile, youths took to the streets of
Ibadan, Oyo State, yesterday, and converged at the main entrance to the
University of Ibadan, to register displeasure about the state of the
nation. They staged the protest under the aegis of Oyo Voice. Students,
who refused to join the protest, staff and visitors to the institution
were seen going about their normal business activities. Tight security
was, however, mounted by the police around protesters in order to
prevent breakdown of law and order. The protest was led by a human
rights lawyer, Femi Aborisade; a social commentator, Abiodun Bamgbose;
two ex-presidents of UI, Tokunbo Salako and Babatunde Badmus.
The convener, Oyo Voice, Tokunbo Salako
said: “Nigerians are suffering. The national protest is long overdue.
This present government was voted in because Nigerians were tired of the
wastefulness of the last administration. If they cannot change the
course of the country, they should vacate the office and let people who
are innovative manage this country…”
to take over. Nigerians are tired and would not take this anymore.”
“This is not about ad-hoc programmes or
sound-bites, but, a sincerity in governance, from the Presidency, to its
various ministries and agencies; that, this government means what it
says and says what it means. The various spokespersons for the
administration are dismissive of Nigerians’ concerns, repeating that
Nigeria is working when it is clear, even to the blind, that it is not!
“For example, a lot of work has gone into
attempts to scuttle the peaceful gatherings in Lagos and Abuja, when
the citizens right to free speech is inalienable. Furthermore, the
implied attempt by some elements in security agencies to stifle the
inalienable rights of Nigerians to freedom of speech and assembly cannot
be allowed. We are in a democracy and citizens must be able to express
their displeasure with their elected representatives in a lawful manner.
If as much attention was paid to good governance, our circumstances
would be much better.
“We all suffer from the country’s
dysfunction and we are saying – Enough is Enough! Nigeria must come
first! Not personal interests, not sectional interests; not business
interests. From the impact of perennial power shortage to the lack of
decent health care facilities and a good education for our children, we
all pay the price, one way or another, for bad governance.
“The police who are here with us
today,(yesterday), the teachers, hawkers in the street, traders in the
market, labourers, all of us suffer when Nigeria doesn’t work. The
hardship we are going through, is why we are gathered here today.
Thousands of jobs have been lost over the last one year, factories have
closed, people are struggling not just to keep their kids in school but
provide the most basic of things – food.
“We have watched the price of some of our staple foods double, even triple, in some cases.
“Yet, the response to our decision to
protest, a freedom and a right guaranteed by our constitution, was
multiple attempts to intimidate us and discredit us. May we remind you
that repressing angry and frustrated citizenry never bodes well for
those in power?
“Perhaps, it isn’t surprising that
political office holders have no idea how bad things have become, after
all, their office, the political power they wield, their jumbo pay and
allowance, means that their reality is very much removed from that of
regular Nigerians, the people they promised, nay, swore to serve.
“We are also speaking to the National
Assembly whose job it is to represent Nigerians at the Federal level and
their responsibilities include law-making; appropriating monies and
ensuring they are spent judiciously. However, they have so far spent the
last two years in office fighting for spoils, buying expensive cars,
spending time on corruption allegations against several members and
unanswered questions around the budgeting process and allegations of
budget manipulation.
“At the State level, several states owe
salaries and have refused to be accountable and transparent in the
spending of resources, including the bailout funds they received from
the Federal Government. This is simply unacceptable.
Meanwhile, award-winning musician,
Innocent Idibia, popularly known as Tuface, has denied being arrested
and detained by the Department of State Services (DSS), over his earlier
planned anti-government’s protests in Lagos and Abuja.
In his tweet, yesterday, Tuface expressed gratitude to those who have shown concern over the purported arrest.
“Thanks for the concern, guys. I am fine
and free. Reports about DSS arrest are not true. We are still compiling
responses for the leadership. State your opinion on the social media
with the #IStandWithNigeria. Peace! One luv always!!!”
Tuface backed out of the Monday rally on Sunday.
He cited “security concerns and public safety consideration.”
His cancellation did not, however, stop
other groups from carrying on with the protest, which took place at the
National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos.
Culled from Sun
No comments:
Post a Comment