- Situation doesn’t warrant open demonstrations – Solomon Dalung
- ‘Some of us have been bought’, organisers lament over low turnout
It was a beehive of social and commercial activities on Tuesday in Katsina, the Katsina State capital, as residents of the state shunned the October 1 nationwide protest.
The protest, christened ‘#FearlessInOctober’, was propagated on social media, some months after the August #EndBadGovernance protests.
The Point, which monitored the situation in the state, observed that hordes of residents were seen busy observing their routine commercial and private activities unfettered
It was further gathered that markets, motor parks, supermarkets and other economic activities within and outside the shores of the ancient city were going on unhindered, oblivious of the proposed protest.
Commercial motorists, motorcyclists and tricyclists were also seen on major streets in the city conveying passengers to and from their various destinations as few security operatives were seen protecting critical state and national assets.
One of the residents, Abba Usman, said the protest was unnecessary, given the state and Federal Government’s efforts in cushioning the hardship and tackling the humanitarian needs of the citizens.
He said there are ongoing massive structural developments like roads and cottage hospitals as well as recorded strides in the health sector across the state that cannot be jettisoned for any sentiment.
Another resident, Mrs. Sunday Chukwu, appealed to Nigerians who plan to stage nationwide hunger protests to shelve the plan “because we did not record any achievement during the last protests”.
Chukwu, who is a businesswoman, added that previous protests carried out by the youths to press home their demands led to the loss of many lives and properties in the country.
Also, residents of Plateau State on Tuesday ignored the protests slated across the country to mark the nation’s 64th independence.
There were fears that the Independence Day protests would take the pattern of the August 1 EndBadGovernance in Nigeria protest in the state, where aggrieved youths took to the streets of Jos, demanding an end to economic hardship as well as a reversal of the petrol subsidy removal and electricity tariff increase.
However, our correspondents, who monitored the situation in Jos on Tuesday, observed that although there were no protesters in sight at the Secretariat junction and Old Airport junction, where they usually assemble before hitting the streets, security operatives were on the ground at both locations keeping watch.
It was also observed that major roads and streets were relatively quiet, with no heavy traffic, while shops and other petty businesses were open.
Checks at the major markets like Terminus, Satellite Market, and Bukuru Market showed that the majority of businesses were also open, with only a few of them shut.
When contacted, a former Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, who led the previous EndBadGovernance in Nigeria protest in Plateau, said they decided to change their methods of protest for October 1 because the situation in Plateau does not warrant open demonstrations by protesters.
Dalung said, “It is not as if we do not want to protest in Plateau State on October 1, except that the context of the situation we have now and the previous one are not the same.
“So, you should not expect us to adopt the same method. But the truth is that the economic hardship and suffering experienced by Nigerians that warranted the EndBadGovernance in Nigeria protest have not changed as we speak, so you cannot say that Nigerians in Plateau have stopped protesting for those responsible for the situation to change it.
“So, we will continue to protest the bad situation we have in Nigeria until the people get relief, but the method of this protest should not be expected to be the same here in Plateau.”
Residents of Kano metropolis also shunned the nationwide protests declared by activists nationwide.
A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria who monitored the situation in Kano said that the residents went about their normal businesses unhindered.
The streets were calm, with markets and shopping plazas operating as usual, and security personnel patrolling to forestall any breach of the peace.
Alhaji Isa Musa of Dakata quarters in Nasarawa Local Government Area said the protest was unnecessary, given the Federal Government’s efforts to address the demands of the Labour unions.
“We are more concerned about putting food on the table than needless protests,” Musa said.
On his part, Musa Abubakar of Farm Centre in Tarauni Local Government Area said that many residents were unaware of the protests as markets were for business as usual.
Malam Abubakar Muhammad of Unguwar Wambai of Gwale Local Government Area lauded the state government for taking measures to improve the well-being of Kano people.
Muhammad commended security agencies for the proactive measures they took to maintain peace in the city.
‘Some of us have been bought’, protest organisers lament over low turnout
Some of the organisers of the nationwide #FearlessInOctober protest have lamented low turnout of youths at the demonstration which commenced in Osogbo, Osun State capital on Tuesday morning.
At about 8:30am when some of the protesters converged at Old Garage, their number was very scanty.
Checks by The Point showed that the number of security operatives outnumbered that of the available protesters.
When our correspondent approached one of the leaders of the EndBadGovernanceProtest, he craved anonymity, saying “the truth is that some of us have been bought.”
Another organiser said President Bola Tinubu’s 64th Independence Anniversary speech where he made mention of a forthcoming youth conference, would have made some of the youths in the state change their minds as regards the struggle, stating, “Some of our youths decided not to show up again after hearing of the Youth Conference. They felt that participating in the protest may disqualify them from being picked.”
All the same, the protest, organised by the coalition for concerned Nigerians, started fully at about 10:00 am with the protesters, whose number had increased, singing anti-government songs and displaying placards with several inscriptions.
The protesters said the demonstration was a reaction to governments’ failure to address the economic hardship in the country.
They had gathered at the Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo, and later moved to the Oke Fia Area of the state capital.
Security operatives from the Nigeria Police, Department of State Services, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the Correctional Service moved along with the protesters to forestall breakdown of law and order.
Addressing journalists, the coordinator of the groups which organised the protest, Adetunji Ajala, said President Bola Tinubu’s administration has brought nothing but pain to the citizens.
He said, “It is so sad that those in power now do not pity the masses. They squander our collective resources and bring policies that make life unbearable for the masses.
“Enough is enough. Our demands during the EndBadGovernance protest have not been met, and we will continue protesting as long as they are not willing to do what the masses want.”
Meanwhile, many residents shunned the protest and embarked on their daily businesses.
However, some residents of Ondo State on Tuesday stormed the streets to express their displeasure over the current economic hardship ravaging the country under the present administration led by President Bola Tinubu.
The residents, who were joined by human rights activists in protest tagged #FearlessInOctober, trooped to the roads in protest to demand an immediate action over the high cost of foodstuffs and inflation amid growing frustration on the price of petrol nationwide.
The protest came despite warnings by the state police command against any demonstration on the streets with the celebration of October 1 Independence Day.
Precisely, the state Commissioner of Police, Abayomi Oladipo, had earlier on Monday in a statement issued by the spokesperson of the command, Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, asked residents not to join any protest in the state.
Oladipo said the command has deployed its men in the town to ensure no protest is staged to truncate the celebration of the Independence Day.
However, the angry protesters turned deaf ears to the warning by trooping out to the popular Cathedral Church junction in Akure, chanting solidarity songs while demanding that President Tinubu should address the issue of hunger, reduce pump price of petrol and electricity tariffs in the country.
The protest, which was closely monitored by the combined team of armed police officers and men of the state security services, also drew the attention of commercial drivers and motorcyclists, who lamented the disparity in the prices of fuel at filling stations in the state.
Addressing journalists, one of the protesters, Kunle Wiseman Ajayi, accused the government of not being sensitive to the needs of Nigerians in the face of the economic challenges in the country.
Ajayi explained that the various “anti-people policies” of the current government have further plunged the country into economic crisis, noting that Nigerians can no longer bear the hardship.
“As you can see, Nigerians are angry and at the same time hungry because of the poor economic policies of Tinubu’s government. Imagine the price of fuel. The high price of food, the common man can no longer feed well. Do they want to kill us? Why is this government not listening to the people?
“There is hunger in the land. Inflation in the country is high because of poor and unfavourable economic policies. We are demanding an end to this suffering. They should immediately reverse both fuel subsidies and electricity. This government continues to waste our resources and enrich their own pockets. We want to say ‘Enough is Enough’. They should allow the common man to breathe,” he said.
While listing some of the demands of the protesters to include an end to hunger and high cost of food, creation of jobs for the youths, reduction in the price of fuel and electricity tariff, introduction of free education, Ajayi vowed that the people would continue with their action by demonstrating on the streets until the government addresses their grievances.
Also speaking, Seyi Ogundipe said the economic hardship in the country has worsened the plans of many youths who are self-reliant and entrepreneurs.
He added that if the situation persists without being addressed, the country may continue to record a high rate of unemployment with the youths resulting in crime.
