On Monday, the United Action Front of Civil Society, a coalition of organized Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), issued a stern warning to all levels of government, cautioning against any attempts to intimidate protesters during the nationwide demonstrations planned from August 1 to 10.
The protests are aimed at addressing the issue of hunger.
In a statement released by Wale Okunniyi, the Head of the Secretariat, the CSOs urged citizens to hold the government accountable for any adverse outcomes resulting from the protests.
The planned protests, scheduled from August 1 to 10, 2024, have gained significant traction on social media with hashtags such as ‘#EndBadGovernance,’ ‘#TinubuMustGo,’ and ‘#Revolution2024.’
Both the presidency and police authorities have urged youths to abandon their protest plans.
The statement emphasized, “We wish to advise the Tinubu government to immediately take proactive steps to address the demands and concerns already raised by citizens groups participating in the planned nationwide citizens’ protests, if they are really sincere about averting the mass action beyond grandstanding and hoodwinking of Nigerians, as no amount of threats and gimmicks presently being deployed by agents of the Nigerian government can stop the nationwide mass demonstrations.”
The statement outlined two key demands from the protest organizers: firstly, the immediate reduction of the fuel price from its current unofficial rate of ₦1,000 per liter back to the pre-January 2023 price of ₦167 per liter. Secondly, a substantial cut in government spending, specifically a 50 percent reduction in the emoluments and allowances of all elected officials.
Read also: BREAKING: IG orders police to safeguard #EndBadGovernance protesters nationwide
The CSOs stressed that the government must be held accountable for not addressing these critical issues. The statement continued, “For the Nigerian Civil Society and citizens, the most fundamental of the problems of stability, insecurity, and development in Nigeria are entrenched in the warped and undemocratically imposed constitution of the country by the military as decree 24 of 1999, which has been largely corruptive and divisive of the country and sadly has no remedy except it’s replaced through a democratic and legitimate process.”
In light of this, the organized civil society declared that the government must be held responsible for failing to address the critical concerns of Nigerians, which are central to the planned nationwide protests and any unintended consequences that may arise.
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Last modified: July 29, 2024
