Hardship: Nigerians have right to peaceful protest — Presidency

By Dayo Johnson, Regional Editor, South-West, Johnbosco Agbakwuru, Omeiza Ajayi, Joe Erunke, Henry Ojelu & Favour Ulebor

AKURE — The Presidency has said Nigerians have the constitutional right to peaceful protest and no one can deny them this.

The declaration came on a day of pro-government protests, organised by statement chairmen of All Progressives Congress, APC rocked state capitals across the country and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja.

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The Federal Government is also said to be taking steps to placate youths in the country to stave off the protest slated for Thursday, August 1, billed to last for 10 days.

However, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, yesterday summoned the legal adviser to the organisers of the protest, Mr Ebun Olu-Olu-Adegboruwa, SAN, to a meeting at Force Headquarters in Abuja today over the August 1, nationwide protest.

The declaration came against the backdrop of calls across the country that the protest against hardship in the land should not hold for fear of its being hijacked by violent people.

This came as no fewer than 36 civil society organisations in the country also reaffirmed the fundamental rights of citizens to peaceful protest as a fundamental pillar of democratic governance.

This is even as one of the arrowheads of the planned protest and convener of Take-It-Back Movement, Damilare Adenola, said Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FECT, Nyesom Wike, has no right to deny organisers of the protest use of Eagle Square in Abuja, it being a public facility.

The minister had a weekend and threatened to stop the use of the facility unless organisers of the protest, slated for Thursday, August 1, applied officially for it.

Meanwhile, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, yesterday blamed the planned nationwide protest on politicians who lost the 2023 elections, alleging that they were intent on coming to power through the back door, just as the South-West Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress, APC, appealed to Nigerians that the present hardship will soon give way to meaningful livelihood for all and urged them to ignore the protest.

Ahead of the protest, the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, yesterday directed all universities to make arrangements for the security and safety of staff, students and property.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, who stated the Presidency’s position in an interview on TVC late Sunday night, said no one has the right to stop peaceful protest in the country, adding that it is the power of protest that brought the return of democracy to Nigeria.

He said: “There is nobody within our administration that has the standing, the command, or the gravitas to tell Nigerians that they cannot peacefully protest and that they cannot peacefully protest in any part of the country.

“We are not in office to dominate our people, we are in office to serve our people. And this is the position of the president.

“President Bola Tinubu has been very clear that the notion of peaceful protest is a central component of an effective function in democracy.

“Anyone who disagrees with the notion from inside the government, the notion that we are here to serve our people and not dominate them, they are lining up themselves against the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who will defend the right of Nigerians to peaceful protest in any part of the country. And we want to be very unequivocal about that.”

Ngelale noted that there were legitimate concerns that the protest might turn violent but stressed that was not enough to stop a peaceful protest.

On fears that the protest might turn the way for the #EndSARS protest which result in the massive destruction of property, especially in Lagos, he said it was unfortunate that the great majority of the people suffered the actions of a few, noting that the people were also deprived of benefits of infrastructure destroyed during the protest.

He said the government would ensure those out to hijack the protest do not succeed.

Nigeria bids to placate youth to avert looming inflation protests

Also, days before the protest, the Federal Government, according to Reuters, is offering young people jobs in the state oil company and billions of naira worth of grants among other incentives to discourage the action.

Nigerian activists have been looking to emulate youth-led protests elsewhere in Africa which have rocked the government in Kenya and prompted a tough security response in Uganda.

Nigeria’s state oil firm, which seven years ago warned job seekers against falling prey to fraudulent messages about job placements in the company, published on Friday nationwide job vacancies in a post on X for the first time in nearly a decade.

An NNPC Ltd spokesperson said a flood of applications crashed the company’s website.

Nigeria’s ministry of Youth Development on Friday, also relaunched a N110 billion ($70 million) youth investment fund that was started in 2020, aimed at providing grants to Nigeria’s youth to generate jobs.

The youth ministry had said in May said it would revive the programme but little had been heard about it until Friday.

Nigerians are organising online nationwide protests this week in response to a cost of living crisis that has seen inflation rise to a 28-year-high of 34.2 per cent which followed President Bola Tinubu’s removal of fuel subsidies and a currency devaluation.

Religious clerics, traditional rulers and other prominent Nigerians have joined the government in discouraging young people from embarking on protests slated to begin on August 1, fearing Kenya-style protests will wreak havoc on the economy.

The government has sought more time to end hardships and both the police and army leadership have warned against the protests, saying they could get out of control.

Protesters have said they have a right to peaceful demonstrations, calling the government’s warnings of violence a smokescreen for a potential crackdown.

Protest: IGP summons Adegboruwa

Also yesterday, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Kayode Egbetokun summoned Mr Ebun Olu-Olu-Adegboruwa, SAN, to a meeting at the Force Headquarters in Abuja today over the August 1, nationwide protest.

Adegboruwa had previously written to the IGP on July 26 seeking protection for members of the “Take-It-Back Movement,’ who are part of the civil society organizations taking part in the protest.

In response to Mr Adegboruwa’s request, the IGP through his Principal Staff Officer, CP Johnson Adenola, said the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Operations and Intelligence), the Assistant Inspectors-General of Police in charge of Zonal Police Headquarters, and the Commissioners of Police in charge of state commands across the country had been mandated to accede to his requests.

The letter read: ‘’I am to inform you that the Inspector-General of Police has directed the Deputy Inspectors-General of Police (Operations and Intelligence), the Assistant Inspectors-General of Police in charge of Zonal Police Headquarters, and the Commissioners of Police in charge of State Commands across the country to attend to your request.

‘’I am to also inform you that the Inspector-General of Police wishes to have a meeting with you at the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters, Abuja on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, to deliberate further on your request.”

Right to peaceful protest, pillar of democratic governance as constitutionally guaranteed

Similarly, civil society organisations, CSOs, have also the right of the people to peaceful protest.

In a statement jointly signed 36 CSOs, the groups said: ‘’This right is a cornerstone of any democratic society and a critical means for citizens to express their dissatisfaction, demand accountability, and advocate for change.

‘’Protesting is a legitimate form of expression enshrined in international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, UDHR, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution (as amended), among others.

‘’It allows citizens to publicly voice their concerns, challenge injustices, and participate actively in the democratic process.

Protests serve as a vital mechanism for holding leaders accountable and ensuring that government actions reflect the will and needs of the people.

‘’History has shown that protests can lead to significant changes in government policies, processes and practices, highlighting the power of collective action to address grievances and promote good governance.

‘’While the right to protest is a fundamental principle of democratic nations, we concede that it must be exercised peacefully and responsibly without violating the rights of others. Accordingly, we urge all parties engaged, including protest organisers, participants, and law enforcement agencies, to prioritise safety and the rule of law.

‘’Law enforcement must safeguard protesters while upholding public order. Demonstrators must avoid activities that might exacerbate tensions, cause unrest or threaten public safety.

“Attempts to suppress demonstrations through intimidation, excessive use of force, or unjust legal actions are unacceptable and counter-productive.

‘’Every protest is deemed peaceful, and if intelligence indicates otherwise, it is the role of the appropriate government agencies to identify such saboteurs and arrest them immediately.

Arresting protest organisers shows a lack of understanding of the enemies of the state.

‘’We urge the Nigerian Judiciary and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to uphold the rights of all protesters and establish a mechanism to promptly address and dismiss oppressive charges that may arise from these protests.

‘’The demands include reducing the cost of living, curbing insecurity, reducing the cost of governance, electoral reform, judicial reform, and constitutional reform, which are all recurring themes in Nigeria’s journey towards a healthy democracy.

‘’We reaffirm our commitment to the principles of democracy and human rights and stand in solidarity with those who decided to exercise the right to peaceful protest.

‘’We encourage all citizens to actively participate in shaping a just and accountable society, and we call on all stakeholders to uphold the principles of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.

No going back on Eagle Square usage, protest campaigner tackles Wike

Similarly, one of the arrowheads of the planned protest has said the Eagle Square in Abuja is a public property and that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has no choice than to allow “hungry Nigerian youths” demonstrate their displeasure on the facility.

Damilare Adenola, the Director of Mobilisation of Take It Back Movement, a non-governmental organisation, stated this in an interview on Channels Television.

Adenola had signed a letter, dated July 26, 2024, addressed to the minister seeking the use of the facility.

However, the FCT minister said this weekend that he hadn’t received the letter, which non-delivery the activist blamed on bureaucratic bottlenecks in government but said the minister would get the letter unfailingly yesterday, ahead of the demonstration starting on Thursday.

The protest mobiliser said: “It is possible that the receipt of the letter is being delayed by most likely bureaucracy in government or the minister is likely being insincere about receiving the letter.

“If he (Wike) insists that he hasn’t received it, the alternative is that he was served by publication because many Nigerian ministries streamline what to receive or not. If he says he didn’t get it physically, then we could as well say that he was served by publication.

“The organisers of the protest are hungry Nigerians; they are a host of unemployed Nigerians, they are a host of hopeless Nigerians who are roaming the streets. They are the out-of-school children spread across the country.

‘’These are the organisers of the protest and the greatest motivation of this #EndBadGovernance protest is hunger. People are really hungry,” he said.

“This is the idea of battered Nigerian people, this is the idea of hungry Nigerian people, this is the idea of hopeless Nigerian people.

“Young people are tired and need to express their displeasure against government’s malfeasance.’’

NBA urges dialogue, warns against anarchy

The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, yesterday called on the Federal Government, organisers, proponents and supporters of the planned nationwide protest to call off the protest, and come together for a frank discussion on what must be done to immediately begin to turn around the plight of the people for good.

In a statement, the outgoing President of the NBA, Mr Yakubu Maikyau, SAN, said mechanisms should be put in place for government and people’s engagement regularly.

He said: “This is not about protesters versus non-protesters, it is about our dear country Nigeria, and no more. There cannot be any interest greater than Nigeria. Truth is, we all are protesters in one way or the other.

“It is how we protest and where we express our protests that differ from person to person, or from one group of persons to the other. So, in essence, it is about all of us. I have also not set out to talk about the legality or otherwise of the planned protest.

‘’While the importance of conducting ourselves in a lawful and orderly manner cannot be overstated – representing our respect for the supremacy of the rule of law, my appeal is to our collective duty as Nigerians, to see to the peace and order in our country which is necessary to guarantee its existence.

“We must all remember that our individual and collective aspirations can only be realised if Nigeria remains in existence. Therefore, dissatisfied as we may be with the state of affairs, we must find reasons to exercise restraint/caution, by avoiding anything that could cost us our dear country.’’

Losers in 2023 polls behind planned protest — Akpabio

In a similar development, President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, yesterday blamed the planned nationwide protest on politicians who lost the 2023 elections, alleging that they were intent on coming to power through the back door.

He stated this at the Presidential Villa Abuja, shortly after signing into law the new national minimum wage bill by President Bola Tinubu during yesterday’s Federal Executive Council, FEC.

While stressing the need for those behind the protest to abandon it, Akpabio appealed to the nation’s youths not to allow themselves to be used to destroy the country, highlighting the efforts of both the executive and the legislature to lessen hardship in the country.

He said: “People who probably do not have their fortunes in the 2023 election are thinking they can come through the back door and that will amount to anarchy.”

On the signing of the new minimum wage into law by President Tinubu, the Senate president said: “I’m ecstatic, I’m excited about the Nigerian worker and the national minimum wage amendment is for the whole nation; for the Federal Government, the states, the local governments, for the private sector, and even for individual employers.

“So, I think this is a great day for workers in the country. We are not only doubling the minimum wage, we have added something on top. Initially, it was N30,000, now it is N70,000.

“So, my appeal to the Nigerian youths is do not allow any group to mislead you politically. Any destruction of any property will cost Nigeria money. We don’t have the money. Instead, let’s put the money in developing you and developing your environment, instead of going to rebuild.’’

FG directs varsity VCs to secure staff, students, property

Ahead of the protest, the Minister of Education,Prof. Tahir Mamman, yesterday directed all universities to make arrangements for the security and safety of staff, students and property.

The minister specifically directed the National Universities Commission, NUC, to convey the directive to vice-chancellors of universities in a memo to the commission.

NUC Acting Executive Secretary, Chris Maiyaki, conveyed the minister’s directive in a circular, marked:”NUC/ ES/138/Vol.38″, dated July 28, 2024.

It was captioned:” Urgent Arrangements for the Security and Safety of University Staff, Students and Property During The Proposed Nationwide Protests.”

The circular read:” The Honourable Minister of Education has directed that the attention of Vice-Chancellors of all Nigerian Universities be formally drawn to the plan by unknown groups to embark on nationwide protests.

“The Federal Government is not unaware of the right of any Nigerian to peaceful protest, but is concerned about the safety of staff, students and university property should there be any protest action.

“Consequently, the Honourable Minister has directed that Vice-Chancellors of all Nigerian Universities should take proactive steps to ensure the security and safety of the university community, including staff and students. In addition, Vice-Chancellors are to please issue specific statements to assure staff and students of their safety. It is also advisable that students remain on campus to focus on their academic pursuits so as to avoid exposure to any potential danger during the planned protests.”

Wike mobilises stakeholders against protests in Abuja

Also, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike, has embarked on a series of troubleshooting meeting, mobilizing relevant stakeholders against joining the planned strike.

Wike, who had on Saturday met with religious, traditional, women and youth leaders, also met with youths from Abuja South Federal Constituency, in Kwali Area Council of the FCT weekend, said: “There is no need for the protest. The current administration is barely one year in office and not enough to assess its performance.

“You cannot judge leadership within one year. I have not been in office for up to a year, but I have done so much that should be appreciated and convince people that FCT is working.

“It is not fair to say we have not done anything on insecurity when we have improved security in FCT. We want peace in FCT and so, we cannot fold our arms and allow it to be destroyed in the guise of protest.’’

Don’t turn South West to theatre of war, hardship’ll soon give way- S/W APC leaders

Ahead of the protest, the Southwest Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress, APC, also yesterday appealed to Nigerians that the present hardship would soon give way to meaningful livelihood for all.

Rising from an emergency meeting of the party’s zonal executive committee in Akure, Ondo State, they appealed for caution and pleaded that Nigerians should be patient with the present administration.

In a communique signed by National Vice Chairman/ Chairman South West, Isaacs Kekemeke, and Zonal Secretary, Vincent Bewaji, the party, called on all South Westerners, both home and abroad, to refuse to allow the Southwest of Nigeria to be used as a theatre of war or centre of criminality via violent protests.

The communique read: “The party in the zone recognises that every Nigerian has a right under our Constitution to peaceful protest and expresses himself or herself over the programme(s) of government.

“The party in the zone notes the giant and monumental steps already taken by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to give a new socio-economic direction to Nigeria to ultimately ensure prosperity and abundance for all Nigerians.

“The Party in the zone further notes that, as to be expected, the monumental structural economic changes undertaken by the government have brought hardship to a great number of Nigerians. Members of the party in the Southwest are not insulated from the pains and hardship.

“The party, while acknowledging the right of all those who abode/live in the Southwest to peaceful protest, called on leaders of the Southwest, including traditional rulers, leaders of opposition parties, elites, union leaders, market women, students, and religious leaders in the Southwest to stand up and protect all socio-economic interests of the South West by ensuring that no violent protests of any sort are held in any part of the Southwest.’’

APC to organise counter-rallies, says it won’t allow election losers topple Tinubu

In relation, the forum of states chairmen of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, have declared their resolve to mobilize members of the party across wards, local councils, and states to organize nationwide solidarity rallies for President Bola Tinubu for the next two weeks, starting from July 29 to August 11.

The forum urged those planning to protest against the president to shelve the idea as security reports had uncovered plans by some partisans to hijack the protests in a bid to topple the administration.

Declaring that protests were legitimate in a democracy, the forum said the government would, however, not allow some persons who lost in the last general election to hijack the process to further their sinister objectives.

Speaking on behalf of the Forum, its Secretary and Chairman, APC Cross River State, Alphonsus Ogar Eba, said the protest would only worsen the current challenging socio-economic situation of the country.

He said the forum had become fully aware through public utterances of some persons that the protest was more political than the economic concerns earlier expressed.

Two-week counter rallies

“Against this background, in the next two weeks, commencing from today (yesterday), July 29 to August 11, 2024, and from this press briefing, we shall follow with a solidarity rally by all structures of our party across all political wards, LGAs and states capital, including Abuja, FCT.’’