Natiowide protest tagged #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria begins in Niger State

By OUR REPORTERS, Minna and Abuja

Brandishing placards with messages like ‘Enough is Enough,’ ‘Stop Anti-Masses Policies,’ ‘We Are Not Slaves In Our Country,’ ‘Hardship Is Unbearable,’ and ‘Fuel Subsidy Must Be Back,’ the protesters voiced their discontent.

Infornation reaching The DEFENDER says despite pleas by Federal Government, Nigerians have flagged off their planned nationwide protest against the hardship in the country.

This was coming even 72 hours ahead of August 1 notice as the youths commenced the protest in Niger State, against the publicised misinformation by some South West Yoruba people profiling the Igbo as being behind the nationwide protest to destroy Lagos.

Abanikanda Olumoro, in his article from United Kingdom, had however countered them saying they are non-indigenes of Lagos State and so should allow owners of Lagos that is the indigenes to speak forvm themselves as according to him, they do not see Igbo as their problem but the same fellow Yoruba from other five South West states who are their problem.

Monday protest in North Central Nigeria, a source said, is a signal to those reading ethnic lines into the public action to know that hunger neither has tribe nor belong to any religion and, so, that the hardship in the country since Bola Tinubu came to power on May 29, 2024 is one fire that burns everyone including the rich.

Brandishing placards with messages like ‘Enough is Enough,’ ‘Stop Anti-Masses Policies,’ ‘We Are Not Slaves In Our Country,’ ‘Hardship Is Unbearable,’ and ‘Fuel Subsidy Must Be Back,’ the protesters, who took to the streets of the Niger, voiced their discontent.

The demonstrators marched through the Abuja-Kaduna expressway in Suleja Local Government Area of the state chanting anti-government songs to express their frustration, according to media reports.

This protest, the report said, reflects the growing dissatisfaction among citizens over the economic policies that they believe are worsening their living conditions.

The demands for the return of fuel subsidies highlight the financial strain many are experiencing.

When contacted, Wasiu Abiodun, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Niger State Command, reportedly asked for time to confirm the situation.

However, as of the time of going to press report, he had not responded to the enquiry  regarding the situation on the ground, Sahara Reporters said.

Omoyele Sowore, the convener of #RevolutionNow, had earlier released a list of 15 demands from Nigerians to President Bola Tinubu’s administration, aimed at addressing the country’s governance challenges.

The demands, published on Sowore’s X social media handle, are a result of inputs from Nigerians participating in the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria campaign.

The demands include, “1. Scrap the 1999 Constitution and replace it with a People-made CONSTITUTION for the Federal Republic of Nigeria through a Sovereign National Conference to be immediately followed by a National Referendum.

“2. Toss the Senate arm of the Nigerian Legislative System, keep the House of Representatives (HOR), and make lawmaking a part-time endeavour.

“3. Pay Nigerian Workers a minimum wage of nothing less than N250,000 monthly.

“4. Invest heavily in education and give Nigerian students grants, not loans. Aggressively pursue free and compulsory education for children across Nigeria.

“5. Release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu unconditionally and demilitarize the South East.

“6. Renationalise publicly owned enterprises sold to government officials and cronies.

“7. Reinstate a corruption-free subsidy regime to reduce hunger, starvation and multidimensional poverty.

“8. Probe past and present Nigerian leaders who have looted the treasury, recover their loot, and deposit it in a special account to fund education, healthcare, and infrastructure.

“9. Restructuring of Nigeria to accommodate Nigeria’s diversity, resource control, decentralisation and regional development.”

It was gathered that the protest in Niger State on Monday July 28, 2024 broke out a week after Governor Mohammed Bago wooed residents of the state with welfare packages to prevent the planned demonstration.

He had announced a N20,000 wage allowance for state and local government civil servants, ordered the immediate release of 50,000 metric tonnes of assorted grains to be sold at subsidised rates to mitigate the current economic hardship.

In the meantime, Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, may have run into troubled waters with a statement credited to him saying Nigerians protesting will not be allowed access into the Eagle Square platform because, according to him, it is a public property.

But organisers of the planned hunger protest in Abuja, who are actually members of the public owners of the property, have told Minister Wike that there is nothing that would stop them from using the Eagle Square for their protest.

Recall that a group, Take It Back Movement, had written to the Minister requesting the use of Eagle Square for its protest on August 1, as well as the provision of security and utilities for the duration of the protest.

In a letter signed by its Director of Mobilization, Damilare Adenola, on Friday July 26, 2024, the group also stated that the Minister must “ensure the provision of a 24-hour power supply, toilet facilities, water, and security for the convenience of Nigerian citizens who will be camped out at Eagle Square”.