Call for protests in Nigeria - Di issues Nigerians want goment to address

As di date for di 1 August planned protest for Nigeria dey near, di presidency don meet wit prominent traditional rulers, di All Progressive Congress govnors plus key stakeholders, as part of effort to ensure say di protest no hold.

On Thursday, President Bola Tinubu bin meet wit traditional leaders wey di Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III and di Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi follow go di State House, Abuja.

For di meeting, di kontri leader president Bola Tinubu tell dem say di goment no dey afraid of protest but dia concern na di ordinary pipo and di tins wey go spoil.

“Till today, I no fit forget di brand new 60 and 100 seater buses wey dem burn down for Lagos, and no we dey complain of transportation.”

Di traditional leaders wey follow tori pipo tok afta di meeting say make Nigerians exercise patience and give goment time.

Dem also call for caution so dat hoodlums no go hijack di protest.

Di rising cost of living, economic hardship, hunger, insecurity, among odas for di kontri na im dey ginger di planned protest.

Dis meeting dey come afta presidency ask kontri pipo to hold on for one planned protest across di kontri.

Di Minister of Information Mohammed Idris wey speak on behalf of President Bola Tinubu as e dey follow State House tori pipo tok for Abuja, di kontri capital, tok say di president dey beg Nigerians, especially young pipo sake make dem no do any protest and give goment more time to actualise government plans.

E add say di ginger for protest na di work of “bad” pipo “wey dey capitalise” on di kontri economic problems.

“On di issue of di planned protest, Mr president no see any need for dat. E ask dem to cancel di plan. E say make dem wait for goment response to all dia pleas,” di minister tok.

Meanwhile, reports dey say di Nigerian goment don schedule one emergency meeting for Wednesday 24 July, to address di mata of di planned nationwide protest.

Why Nigerians wan protest?

Di protest against economic hardship, don dey trend for social media continuously for some weeks now.

Pipo dey complain say dem no fit afford to buy some food and basic commodities sake of say di price don go high.

Nigeria dey battle one of di kontri worst inflation and economic crisis wey goment policies on petrol subsidy removal and unification of forex windows join cause.

Figures released by di National Bureau of Statistics on Tuesday show say di prices of staple foods for Nigeria like rice, beans, tomatoes, potato and yam rise by more dan 250% between May 2023 and June 2024.

Even though President Bola Tinubu don approve a new minimum wage of N70,000 from di N30,000 wey be di current minimum wage, some pipo believe say e no reach.

Apart from dat, di Nigerian goment don roll out palliative measures to address di harsh economic reality wey di removal of fuel subsidy bring wey include di Student Loan Scheme, suspension of tax on some imported food, distribution of trucks of rice to states across di federation, among odas.

Members of di House of Representatives also agree to cut dia salary by half for six months as sacrifice to kontri pipo sake of di economic challenges and high cost of food prices dem dey face.

Who be di protesters?

Di organisers of di protest dey faceless at di moment as nobody don come out to claim say na dem dey front for di calls for di demonstration.

But plenty ginger and reactions about di protest dey go on for social media from notable Nigerians wey don show support for or kick against di planned protest.

For 20 July, one tok-tok pesin for President Tinubu, Bayo Onanuga for im X account bin accuse di supporters of di Labour Party Presidential candidate, Peter Obi say na dem dey behind di planned protest.

“Di mischief-makers wey dey plan to stage nationwide protests na supporters of Peter Obi, di failed presidential candidate of di Labour Party. And dem suppose hold am responsible for whatever crisis wey come from di action.” E tok.

Oga Peter Obi Labour Party don deny di accuse. For one statement, e say di allegations na “figment of di author imagination” and e brand di government as “puerile”.

“Labour Party, Peter Obi and our supporters no dey plan any protests,” di statement continue, but pointedly add say: “Di pipo get di right to protest and e dey within dia constitutional right”.

Meanwhile, dis dey happun as young pipo dey lead protests for East African kontris, of Kenya and Uganda.

Protesters for Kenya bin call on dia President William Ruto to resign afta e give in to dia key demands – wey include dropping im plan to increase tax rise and sacking almost everyone for im cabinet.

For Uganda, protest hold on Tuesday 23 July, against allegations of corruption wey involve plenty high profile public officials.

Nigeria last mass demonstration happun for 2021, wen Nigerians especially di youth bin lead di protest against one police unit dem accuse of extra-judicial killings.

Di #EndSARS movement bin achieve dia aim as goment disband di unit, but di protest end for violence and deaths. As miscreants bin hijack di protests, police arrest protesters and military open fire on protesters for di Lekki Toll gate for Lagos.

When be di protest?

Reports say e go hold across all states of di Federation plus di Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, for 1 August.

According to di Nigeria Police Force, dem say di protest dey scheduled to hold for 1 August.

Meanwhile some state governments and associations don dey caution dia pipo say make dem no follow for di protest.

Wetin security agencies tok about di planned protest?

Di Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun for one meeting wit Strategic Police Managers on Tuesday tok say dem go respond to some Nigerians planned protest on 1 August “in a most professional manner.”

E say di police dey committed to provide security for those wey dey protest peacefully.

“If di protest dey peaceful, you go see us dey protect di protest as long as dem remain peaceful.

“But we get duty to protect lives and property, so we no go sit back and watch hoodlums burn down facilities in di name of protest.”

Trade union bosses don ask Tinubu to sit down wit di protest organisers, and make dem no reason dia concerns as “sponsored political dissent”.

“A situation wia most Nigerian families dey forced to eat one miserable food a day and chop from di dustbin call for serious intervention by di government,” di Nigeria Labour Congress tok.

Di Department of State Services (DSS) tok say dem don identify sponsors and pipo wey dey fund di planned nationwide protest.

Peter Afunaya, tok-tok pesin for DSS for statement say “some elements dey plan to use di protest start crisis and extreme violence.”

Di security agency tok say, dem no tink say na aggression go resolve di mata as dem urge stakeholders to stop dem from dia “undesirable objectives.”

Di Nigerian Military don also warn against di planned protest.

Di Defence Headquarter tok say based on di situational analysis by high ranking command, di protest get di tendency of turning into anarchy.

Di Director of Defence Media Operations, Edward Buba, as e dey follow tori pipo tok say Nigerians get right to protest peacefully but di demonstrations dem dey plan from 1 Aug. fit turn violent.

E add say na di protests wey dey happun for Kenya dey ginger Nigerians, wia young pipo enta streets and force dia government to scrap one proposed tax increase.

Wetin else government tok about di planned nationwide protest

Some state govnors also don react to di protest as dem tell dia pipo to comot hand for di protest.

Ogun state govnor Dapo Abiodun, Hope Uzodinma of Imo state dey among di govnors wey don kick against di protest and instead call for dialogue.

Different unions and groups don like di National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), di Organised Labour, among odas don say dem no dey follow for di protest.