By Obaike Ode-Ihue
The nationwide protest which began on Thursday across the major cities of Nigeria is unarguably one of the most difficult issues for the federal and state governments to handle in recent times. Unlike the protests by the organised labour and students’ unions, the ongoing 10 days protest has no identifiable leadership to be engaged with by the authorities. It is akin to the EndSARS protest at least, in terms of mobilisation through the social media platforms.
The decision of the organisers to mask their faces has been largely criticised as an attempt to evade responsibility for their actions, just in case the outcome goes contrary to their plans.
Starting as a mere rumour over a month ago, the #EndBadGovernace protest was not taken seriously by anyone, talkless of the authorities, due to the shadowy nature of the organisers, until only a fortnight ago when the authorities began to have a robust engagement with Nigerians as they simultaneously appeal to the protesters to sheathe their swords and embrace dialogue.
Although, the protests began in earnest on Thursday as scheduled by its promoters, it has been generally believed that but for the continuous engagement of ministers, the security agencies and President Bola Tinubu, the tension that was mounting would have escalated and, the protest from the start would have been more devastating.
Last week, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris was in the Aso Rock Presidential Villa to see President Tinubu as a routine and briefed him on what he called some general developments in the polity. He, however, used the occasion to make an appeal to the general public to have a larger picture of the future by carefully considering the enormity of interventions that the President was making to improve the living condition of Nigerians. That was the first major appeal on the planned protest by any public official.
Also last week, President Tinubu probably sensing that the proposed mass action was no longer a mere threat or child’s play, followed suite with three separate engagements ostensibly to persuade the youth who are usually the arrowhead of such actions, to allow reason prevail and give peace a chance. He met with the governors elected on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, the traditional rulers and the Ulamas.
At the meeting with the traditional rulers, President Tinubu said the nation’s economy is on a gradual but steady path of recovery and assured citizens that his administration will do more to meet their needs, adding that their plight remained a deep concern to him.
“Yes, it is true that I asked for this job, and I approached some of you to support me. So, I have no excuse not to do the job with sincerity of purpose and honesty. I have committed myself to it diligently, and I will never look backwards.
“I have accepted the assets and the liabilities of my predecessor. How I will take Nigeria forward should be my concern, and that is my concern.
“I have been extremely busy. The only exercise I have had here is the walk from the residence to this place and then continue with the work.
“Nigeria is hilly, and it is the largest democracy in Africa. No other democracy comes close to us in terms of population on the continent. We cannot blame God for giving us these children, and we have to seek peace and better livelihoods,’’ the President said.
President Tinubu stated that the interventions to bring the government nearer to the people are already yielding results, with the activation of the student loan programme, the consumer credit scheme, and the affirmation of fiscal autonomy for local government councils.
He said the Ministry of Finance will continue to ensure that funds go to the grassroots for human and infrastructural development.
“Today, the Bank of Agriculture is empty. We have to reactivate it. If they are not talking about flooding, they are talking of banditry. We have to start all over again. Yes, infrastructural decay is there.
“The Lagos-Calabar coastal road is not being done without studies. It is an economic energizer. From it, we can create infrastructure along the route to develop wind energy and generate power, and we can expand our irrigation network.
“The economic viability of infrastructure has to be studied before we embark on projects. How many dams are there on the corridors of Sokoto- Badagry? From there, we can energize electricity. We can do irrigation and additional farms.
“Even if it is two million hectares of arable land, you can create opportunities for farmers on a small scale. Then you have to find capital for them.
“Nigeria is on the path of recovery. You have heard it from the Minister of Finance, Mr. Wale Edun. We are not afraid of protests. Our concern is the ordinary people, and the damages that will be done. Till today, I cannot forget the brand new 60 and 100 seater buses, down there in Lagos that were burnt down, and we are now complaining of transportation. That is the problem. That is why I must say thank you for talking to the citizens,’’ the President told the traditional rulers.
The President also said security was getting more attention and will be enhanced.
“Security is getting better, but we cannot take our eyes off the camera because it takes one accident for things to flare up. We are managing it.
“We have created instruments to support the students so that they get education, consumer credit to expand the economy, to improve the purchasing power of the people in order to rejuvenate the economy within a short period of time. We are still recalibrating our oil usage,’’ the President stated.
President Tinubu said he will continue to explain the economic reforms and projected benefits to the nation, adding that he remained open to dialogue for the development of the country.
President Tinubu urged the royal fathers to reach out to citizens on the genuine intentions of the government to deliver on its promises of Renewed Hope.
“Now, we are sending money to the local governments. I addressed the governors today on that issue. I have been distributing fertilizer, rice, and other items to support the recovery of citizens. I assure you, Nigerians, we are looking at the light at the end of the tunnel. I can assure you, this economy will be revived, will survive, and prosper,’’ the President emphasized.
Tinubu’s address to the Ulamas was not different. He told them to impress on their followers to spare a thought for the efforts that his administration was making to secure the future of the nation. That message resonated when he said:
“What should be uppermost in our minds is the future of our children. We have a lot to teach them on what it takes to be a good citizen and what it takes to be a responsible citizen,’’ the President stated, adding that protests, fuelled by anger and hate, could degenerate into violence and set the country backwards.
“We are reworking the social welfare scheme to reach the ward level, which is the closest to our people. We are going to ensure that we re-establish connection with the wards, again, so that we can give allowances to the poor and the vulnerable.
“The student loans will pay for school fees. There will be monetary support for the education of our children. The consumer credit will support citizens to buy cars and houses, and they can repay gradually.
“We have increased the minimum wage by more than 100 percent,’’ the President said.
He added: “The sponsors of protests do not love our country. They have no love for the nation. They do not understand citizenship. They have alternative passports.”
Tinubu, in further interventions, expeditiously singed the N70,000 minimum wage bill into law three days after it was passed by the National Assembly, even as the Federal Executice Council, FEC, over which he presided on Monday took some far reaching decisions in response to the hardship being faced by the citizens.
The Information and National Orientation Minister, Idris who has earned Nigerians’ admiration for consistently speaking to the issues without insults have never been tired of explaining to citizens how much President Tinubu cared about them and is working hard to secure the future of their children.
At the post FEC press briefing on Monday, he insisted that with what government has been able to do in one year, the Tinubu administration deserved kudos, not vilification. He said the protest was unnecessary, particularly since the possibility of its hijack by hoodlums was high.
He said: The position of FEC is that most of the demands that the protesters are making are actually being addresses by the federal government, and therefore it is the view of the government that there is really no need for the protests again because most of those things that the protesters are putting forward are already actually being addressed by government; and like we have said repeatedly, this is a listing government. The President has listened to the voices of all those who are planning this protest. And the message is that there is no need for it.
“Indeed, the President is already protesting on their behalf by doing those things that they want the government to do. For example, the effort that government is making in ensuring that food is being made available. The last Council meeting here at the briefing, we announced that a number of trucks 20 Precisely had been given to the state governors for onward distribution to those who actually In need of them: the poorest of the poor in society and those who are actually in need. But government did not stop there, rice is A
also being sold at about 50% of its cost, a bag of rice is being sold as we speak now. This rice has been taken to various centers across all the states of the Federation, and is being sold at N40,000.
“In the first instance, about 10 trucks have been made available to each of these states and indeed, this is just the begining. I know that some of the comments you hear is that it is never enough. Government has not pretended that this supplies are indeed enough. But these are necessary first steps that are being made and more of such interventions are being made in the interim.
“Of course, this is, like I said, an interim measure because there is so much investment that is going into the agricultural sector. And the rainy season is here. We expect that the prices of food items will come down as investments are also being made not just for the traditional agricultural practice, but also for the irrigation activities in many of the states of the federation. So we expect that as we move forward, prizes of food items, commodities will of course, come down.
“These are part of of the measures and the president feels, and the Federal Fxecutive Council believes, that already some of the youth that wont to protest , some of the answers that they are looking for are already actually being provided. For example, only recently the federal government has begun the disbursement of the students loans. There’s a provision already for
over 2 million students.
“Government is appealing once again, to those who have the intention of embarking on this protest to please think about it once again. There is just no need for that. Of course, it is the democratic right of every Nigerian to engage in peaceful protests. And the government is not an opponent of that . But what government is doing is to ensure that while there is this right for you to protest, your right will also end where someone else‘s own begin. Therefore, while you are thinking of protesting, government is appealing to you to first shelve it because it has the great likelihood that this protest may be hijacked and may turn violent by unscrupulous elements, and Nigeria will not be good for it.
Though the appeals by President Tinubu and his ministers did not avert the protest in its entirely, but they have, to a great extent reduced the anxiety and tension that were loosely having over the political horizon, which in effect limited the participation by many Nigerians.
These were in concert with the intensified efforts by the Agriculture Minister who ensured that the food palliative and other agricultural incentives reached their destinations in good time, and the national security architure which, using its intelligence network, ensured massive deployment of personnel to prevent widespread destruction by criminal elements as the protest unfolds.
