By Steven Agbado, reporting from Kano
The ongoing protest against the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu tagged #badgovernance has been roundly condemned by civil societies for lack of merit and purpose
A coalition of civil society organizations has roundly condemned the ongoing #badgovernment protest organized by select Yoruba intellectuals to express their angst against what they call “bad governance”. The protest scheduled to last for ten days in the first instance has drawn the ire of a cross-section of law-abiding citizens who feel their rights disrupted. The cross-section of Nigerians feels particularly aggrieved because the channels of communication with the government and dialogue were not fully utilized before the call for the protest. “We cannot afford another round of disorder”, claimed the leader of the coalition group Comrade Emmanuel Ifunanya who spoke on behalf of his colleagues. Comrade Ifunanya is particularly irked that President Tinubu has not even spent a year in office and this is happening. “Look around and you will find the country has gradually come alive with all the powerful innovations”, Ifunanya disclosed.
President Tinubu unlike his predecessor Muhammadu Buhari appears to have reduced the burden faced by the citizens, allowing food importations, removing tariffs on essential commodities, and opening the borders. “These are changes never witnessed in the years of Buhari and now we have someone who is boldly attacking these negatives”, said Ifunanya. The comrade alongside his colleagues in the Civil Society coalition frowned at the protest organizers for throwing all sense of reason and embarking on this suicide mission. “Protest has never benefitted Nigerians; it is a known fact that some people exploit the opportunity for their selfish ends”, revealed the comrade. Throwing more light on the protest, Comrade Ifunanya and his colleagues urged President Tinubu not to be distracted stressing that the Protesters are playing the script of hidden masters. “We know the game; come out, protest, register your presence, and then behind the scenes, collect your “package”, he stated.
In reality, President Tinubu has set the ball rolling by focusing on every strata of the society including bringing back student loans, creating the enabling environment for local government councils to prosper, providing soft credit facilities for manufacturing companies to grow, and much more. “They all know President Tinubu is not sitting down in one place as did his former boss; at least, here is someone that listens and makes changes; what is then responsible for the protest”, Ifunanya queried. The protester’s main grouse is the non-reversal of petrol subsidies, electricity tariff, and inability to contain the spiraling cost of food items, thus opening the doors to hunger and possible starvation. “These are tough policies that cannot easily be reversed; the government would have to study the pros and the cons and try to redeem itself”, Ifunanya, who is also a practicing lawyer declared.
The protesters also claim that Tinubu had enclosed himself with friends and family members to the detriment of the majority of Nigerians; they also accused the president of encouraging dissent against Dangote whose Refinery is said to produce substandard products; this claim has been stoutly denied by Dangote himself, but the protesters are not impressed; they insist that it was a ploy to encourage the continuous importation of petrol from overseas. “The real minus is that Tinubu has barely spent a year in office; why would anyone think of a protest like this?”, questioned Ifunanya. He went on to explain that Nigerians on their part have a huge role to play in stabilizing the country. Ifunanya explained that Nigerians by nature are very proud, expensive, and independent. “Go to the supermarkets, shops, airports, and luxury joints; you will see Nigerians buying and buying”, he said stressing that upon the so-called hardship in the land, Nigerians were nonplussed going about their normal duties! “The organizers of the protest may have a point to prove, but they should learn to adopt practicable methods provided by arbitration channels”, he noted.
He went on to blast those hoodlums in Kano waving Russian flags and calling them illiterates. “What concerns the Russian flag with protest? This is what we mean; the protesters have themselves to blame if the process is hijacked”, he said. President Tinubu has so far responded by reeling out a lot of measures. Amongst them is a promise to open the doors for dialogue with the youths! Meanwhile, a youth who watched the last procession of #badgovernance organizers at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja, laughed and joking said these are people who beat traffic lights, drive against the rules, arrive at work late, and often, in a rush; they claim to be very religious, sit in the front seats at sermon and wants to be called “deacon”, “minister of God”, and so on.
He disclosed that Nigerians love big things, drive big cars, mostly Jeeps, and want to belong at all times; he blasted Nigerians for being too proud, haughty, and arrogant! they always want to be at the forefront, calling the shots; and when they are dislodged, it becomes a problem. “They always want to be the minister, director-general, and Executive Secretaries” ¸he explained adding that if not them, then, nothing else works! The youth who gave his name as Rasheed Bawa dismissed their complaints and wished he could have access to Tinubu to tell him to ignore these protesters he branded as irritants. “They will even perform worse if you avail them of the opportunity just like the Yahaya Bello and Abdulrasheed Bawa examples.
