President Bola Tinubu has urged Nigerians to cancel the ‘#EndBadGovernance’ protests scheduled for next month.
Information Minister Mohammed Idris, after a meeting with Tinubu, conveyed the President’s request for organisers to wait for the government’s response to their complaints.
“The President sees no need for the protest. He’s asked them to await the government’s response,” Idris said.
The nationwide protest, aimed at addressing economic hardship, is gaining support on social media and is planned for August across all states and Abuja. Rising prices and severe inflation, driven by policies like petrol subsidy removal and forex unification, have spurred public dissatisfaction.
The Federal Government, National Orientation Agency, Nigeria Police Force, and House of Representatives have all warned against the demonstrations.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga warned that the protest could lead to destruction similar to the #EndSARS protests in 2020.
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun had similarly urged Nigerians to abandon the planned #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests.
The police boss said this on Tuesday during a meeting with commissioners of police in Abuja, stating that holding a nationwide protest would add more woes to the country’s socioeconomic challenges.
He said, “Before concluding this address, it is important I address an issue of urgent national importance which appears to have gained some momentum, particularly on social media, in the past few weeks.
“Some groups of people, self-appointed crusaders and influencers, have been strategising and mobilizing potential protesters to unleash terror in the land under the guise of replicating the recent Kenya protests....[CONTINUE READING HERE ▶▶]
“While the force acknowledges the right to peaceful protest as enshrined in our constitution, we must ensure that these protests do not snowball into violence or disorder.
“As a nation, we have had more than our fair share of violent protests, with rather dastardly consequences. The last #EndSARS protest led to one-tenth destruction of public assets, including police stations, courts, and transport infrastructure, and the loss of several lives.
“Tales of sorrow, tears, and blood followed what was supposedly intended to be a well-intentioned exercise. Rather than lead to any positive outcome, EndSARS merely aggravated crime rates and insecurity in several parts of the country. Indeed, we are yet to fully recover from the huge economic losses and deep-seated psychological and emotional trauma inflicted upon our people by these protests.”
He asked citizens to abandon the planned protest, stating that the police had a responsibility to safeguard citizens and their property.
Egbetokun continued, “Hence, our position is that the proposed violent protests are ill-advised and should be jettisoned fortuitously. We have the responsibility to protect properties and everyone, irrespective of their race, colour, ethnicity, or tribe, who are lawfully embarking on their daily activities. We will therefore not sit back and fold our arms to watch violent activities unleash violence on our peaceful communities or destroy any of our national critical infrastructure and assets again.”
Egbetokun stated that measures are in place to ensure that any hoodlums attempting to disguise themselves as protesters will be apprehended.
He said, “We have mapped out plans to ensure that no individual or group succeeds in fostering a reign of terror and anarchy on other law-abiding and dissolving Nigerians. Consequently, I want to seize this opportunity to sound the note of serious warning to hoodlums who may want to take laws into their own hands in the name of protests. Do not worry.”