OPINION

ON PLANNED AUGUST NATIONWIDE PROTEST, WHAT TO DO 

By: Yahaya Abdulrahman 

Media platforms, convention and otherwise have been inundated with discussion surrounding nationwide protest that may be staged on 1st August. Hard times Nigerians are passing through, arising from unfavourable policies, has been pointed at, as sole reason for the protest. 

If one is to be honest, this reason is justified. Nigerians have for so long, endured untold hardship, sadly, with no hope in sight. While this is the case on the one hand, cost of governance has reached its unimaginable limit, to the chagrin of citizens. 

Yet still, insecurity lingers amid hunger, illiteracy, disease, unemployment and a wide range of factors that besets development. To this day, government has yet to declare proposed minimum wage. Meetings to that effect keep ending in deadlock. This can surely get hungery, angry, hopeless and frustrated citizens agitate for good governance through nationwide protest or any other means within the ambit of the law. I must add that Nigerian constitution permits peaceful protests as means to call government to action. 

However, Islamic clerics from the North have come out to publicly dissuade youths from embarking on the protest, stating that it is unislamic to do so. Others who joined them in their call cited fear of things getting out of hand should the protest begin, as witnessed during #EndSars protest where destructions, looting and avoidable deaths of both civilians and the Police took over the scene. 

As of now, to my knowledge, no one can point to particular individual or group as organizer(s)/leader(s) of the protest who can be reached for dialogue should things go soar. Or in an event where there is need to relax or even end it. Moreso, there is no specific demand for the protest, which once met, the protest would seize. Good governance, which has been stated, is a generic term. 

The point is, protest is constitutionally guaranteed and protected. But, considering certain factors, including unhealthy politics, insecurity and more, I personally do not encourage this protest. Biafran agitators are lurking around, waiting for the slightest opportunity to cause violence, whose end we cannot tell. So are criminal bandits, Boko Haram insurgents and the rest of criminal elements in our midst. We must not give them the opportunity they have been waiting for, by starting a protest now. 

But we must not remain idle as things take new turn, for bad. We must call government to action, regardless of our political, religious, ethnic, regional and whatever backgrounds. Mr President and our Governors must rise to the occasion, and fast, to bring succour to the downtrodden and restore hope in them. Do not mention palliative here, please. We all know it has not worked, in the past, will obviously not work now or anytime in the future. 

Lives and property must be adequately secured. Government at all levels must be seen prioritizing this responsibility. State Police can be a pathway. I shall discuss this in my subsequent article. Importation of rice and maize earlier announced by the the Federal Government  should take immediate action. Talk on minimum wage should be fast tracked, with payment commencing in no time. Small and medium scale businesses should be supported through facilities, with low interest rates to be charged. Most importantly, cost of governance must be reduced to win lost trust and confidence of the wider population.

Personally, I blame government for allowing the situation to not only fester but deteriorate, in spite of calls by concerned individuals and institutions. I recall months ago, the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alh. Sa'ad Abubakar pointed to this at a meeting in Arewa House, Kaduna. He said traditional and religious leaders have been calming their subjects down, and that because nothing seems to get better, they fear being revolted against. We are almost there. Should we eventually get there, may Allah forbid, Mr President and the rest of the leaders should take the blame.