Protesters have reacted to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s address to the nation, stating that he failed to address their demands.
According to the protesters, the President should address their demands and the current hardship before coming to the negotiation table.
The protest, which started on Thursday, crippled socio-economic activities across the states, as motor parks, shops, malls, markets and roads were deserted.
Speaking to LEADERSHIP, one of the leaders of the protesters, Deji Adeyanju said they are willing to engage the government in the coming days.
“This is the only way the protest can be highly successful. We must learn from EndSARS. President Tinubu should listen to the people and meet their demands. The voice of the people is the voice of God.
“There should be a national dialogue with protesters. The president should be sincere. All politicians should be ready to make sacrifices and stop collecting pay. It’s ‘operation saves Nigeria from total collapse,’” Adeyanju said.
According to him, the president’s claim that the protest was politically motivated was wide off the mark.
Meanwhile, civil society organisations (CSOs) have called for a dialogue with the President. The CSOs applauded President Tinubu for his recent address urging protesters and organisers to suspend further protests and embrace dialogue.
The CSOs are Transparency International (TI), Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) and the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC).
Speaking through their leader, Awwal Musa Rafsanjani, the CSOs said they acknowledge the President’s recognition of the grievances driving this protest and his commitment to listening to and addressing Nigerian citizens’ concerns.
“President Tinubu emphasised the need for unity and collective effort in reshaping the nation’s future, calling on all Nigerians, irrespective of age, political affiliation, tribe, or religion, to work together for a better Nigeria.
“We stands firmly with the demands for justice and reform within the administrative justice system and improved governance, as this will ensure a just and prosperous nation where peace, freedom, and meaningful livelihoods are enjoyed under a transparent and accountable government,” Rafsanjani said.
Don’t truncate our democracy, Kachikwu warns
On his part, the former presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mr. Dumebi Kachikwu, yesterday asked protesters to sheathe their swords because the blood of the innocent was being shed for nothing.
He urged protesters not to truncate Nigeria’s democracy and pointed out that of the 19 victims of the protests, no child of any politician or big man was killed.
He pleaded with those aggrieved to wait for the next presidential election to end bad governance.
He also asked the opposition to proffer solutions to the problems of the country instead of instigating violence and seeking overthrow of the democratically elected administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Kachikwu advised Tinubu to be broadminded and consult widely instead of running the affairs of the nation alone.
Kachikwu, who made his position on the state of the nation known in a statement in Abuja, said it was time to stop the blame game in the country.
He said: “We can’t continue killing ourselves. Our streets flow with the blood of the innocent. Over 19 killed in this scam of a protest, all for what? No child of any politician or big man was killed. Just the poor, average Nigerian. Only their family members will cry and mourn for them quietly while those who have made billions from this scam laugh to the bank.”
Why protest is peaceful in Niger Delta – Ex-agitators
The national chairman Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) Phase 2 Leaders Forum, Ibena Rufus Salvation, has attributed the peaceful nature of the hunger protest witnessed in the Niger Delta region to the outstanding performance of President Bola Tinubu and the PAP administrator, Dr. Dennis Otuaro.
In a statement in Yenagoa on Sunday, Ibena said though the protest recorded in the region was very peaceful, he has joined the administrator to plead with all citizens of the country, particularly the Niger Delta region, to stop the protest.
He urged the protesters to consider those areas in which the President has made positive within his one year in office, and assured President Tinubu and the PAP administrator of total support from all programme beneficiaries.
Sanwo-Olu Hails Lagosians For Rejecting Anarchy
As the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protest ends in Lagos State, Lagos State Governor Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu commended the residents for rejecting anarchy and conducting their protest peacefully.
The protest, which has seen incidents of death, looting, and harassment by security operatives across various parts of the country, ended in Lagos State after the nationwide broadcast by President Bola Tinubu.
In a statement by the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, the governor said he had opened new engagement channels between the government and the people.
The commissioner quoted the governor as saying, “Your stoppage of the protest today is a crystal clear affirmation that you know your collective voice has been heard by the government. What you have done is not only noble but the civilised thing to do.
Address police brutality, Soyinka tells president
Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka has called on President Bola Tinubu to address police brutality in the ongoing protest.
Soyinka, who was reacting to President Tinubu’s national broadcast, criticized him for not addressing the violent crackdown by security forces on #EndBadGovernance protesters.
Soyinka, in a statement, expressed concern at the president’s omission of this critical issue.
He said: “My primary concern, quite predictably, is the continuing deterioration of the state’s seizure of protest management, an area in which the presidential address fell conspicuously short.
“Such short-changing of civic right, regrettably, goes to arm the security forces in the exercise of impunity and condemns the nation to a seemingly unbreakable cycle of resentment and reprisals.
Protest: Police Arrest 108 Suspects In Yobe
The Yobe State police command has arrested 108 suspects for various crimes, including those who defied the imposed curfew in the affected areas.
The commissioner of Police, Garba Ahmed, stated that the efforts are ongoing to recover stolen property, with discreet investigations underway.
A statement signed by Police Public Relations Officer DSP Dungus Abdulkarim said the nationwide protest resulted in looting, property destruction, and unrest.
Tinubu vows not to allow individuals with selfish political agenda to destroy Nigeria
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu earlier expressed deep concern over the nationwide hunger protests, which have resulted in the loss of life and property in various parts of the country.
In a nationwide broadcast yesterday, Tinubu acknowledged the protesters’ grievances and called for the immediate suspension of further demonstrations.
He said: “Under the circumstances, I 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.
“To those who have taken undue advantage of this situation to threaten any section of this country, be warned: The law will catch up with you. There is no place for ethnic bigotry or such threats in the Nigeria we seek to build.
“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.
In the address, Tinubu outlined various economic measures and initiatives his administration has undertaken in the past 14 months.
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