- Soyinka, Ezekwesili, Others Speak
BY PATRICK MGBODO/PRISCA OGBO WITH AGENCY REPORT
Some prominent Nigerians, yesterday, reacted to the broadcast of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the #EndBadGovernance protests in the country, with many saying it falls short of expectations and failed to address the pertinent issues on the state of the nation. Addressing the nation four days into the scheduled 10-day protest, President Tinubu tried to justify the removal of fuel subsidy, even as he charged Nigerians to discontinue the protests as his decisions were beginning to pay off.
In yesterday’s national broadcast, President Tinubu reeled out measures that his administration has undertaken to ameliorate the sufferings caused by the subsidy removal, including the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) initiative, students’ loan scheme, the new National Minimum Wage, several incentives to stimulate agriculture and small and medium scale businesses, among others.
‘’A lot of work has gone into stabilising our economy and I must stay focused in ensuring that the benefits reach every single Nigerian as promised. My administration is working very hard to improve and expand our national infrastructure and create more opportunities for young people.
“Let nobody misinform you about your country or tell you that your government does not care about you. Although there were many dashed hopes in the past, we are in a new era of Renewed Hope. We are working hard for you and the results will soon be visible and concrete for everyone to see, feel and enjoy.
‘’Let us work together to build a brighter future for ourselves and for generations to come. Let us choose hope over fear, unity over division, and progress over stagnation. The economy is recovering; Please, don’t shut out its oxygen.
‘’Now that we have been enjoying democratic governance for 25 years, do not let the enemies of democracy use you to promote an unconstitutional agenda that will set us back on our democratic journey. Forward Ever, Backward Never!’’ he said.
Recall that thousands of Nigerians across the nation commenced a nationwide protest on August 1 2024 demanding, among other things, that President Tinubu return the fuel subsidy and end the biting hunger in the country.
….Speech Didn’t Address Brutal Crackdown On Protesters, Says Soyinka
Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka faulted the nationwide address by President Bola Tinubu, saying it failed to address the brutal crackdown of #EndBadGovernance protesters by security agencies.
In a statement, yesterday, Soyinka specifically criticised the steps reeled out by the President since the protests started.
“His outline of the government’s remedial action since inception, aimed at warding off just such an outbreak, will undoubtedly receive expert and sustained attention both for effectiveness and in content analysis. My primary concern, quite predictably, is the continuing deterioration of the state’s seizure of protest management, an area in which the presidential address fell conspicuously short,” Soyinka said.
To Soyinka, the “nation’s security agencies cannot pretend unawareness of alternative models for emulation, civilized advances in security intervention”.
“Such short-changing of civic deserving, regrettably, goes to arm the security forces in the exercise of impunity and condemns the nation to a seemingly unbreakable cycle of resentment and reprisals.
“Live bullets as a state response to civic protest – that becomes the core issue. Even tear gas remains questionable in most circumstances, certainly an abuse in situations of clearly peaceful protest. Hunger marches constitute a universal S.O.S., not peculiar to the Nigerian nation. They belong indeed in a class of their own, never mind the collateral claims emblazoned on posters.
“They serve as summons to governance that a breaking point has been reached and thus, a testing ground for governance awareness of public desperation. The tragic response to the ongoing hunger marches in parts of the nation, and for which notice was served, constitutes a retrogression that takes the nation even further back than the deadly culmination of the watershed ENDSARS protests.
“It evokes pre-independence – that is, colonial – acts of disdain, a passage that induced the late stage pioneer Hubert Ogunde’s folk opera BREAD AND BULLETS, earning that nationalist serial persecution and proscription by the colonial government,” he said.
…. Terribly Underwhelming To Read – Oby Ezekwesili
Former Minister of Education, Obiageli Ezekwesili also criticised President Bola Tinubu’s yesterday address to Nigerians concerning the ongoing nationwide protests against bad governance in the country.
The ex-minister said the speech was terribly underwhelming to read.
Ezekwesili said Tinubu’s speech was a monumental missed opportunity to placate citizens with sound answers and an outline of convincing evidence-based actions that his government will take to address bad governance in the country.
The government critic claimed the speech was written from a mind-set focused on “getting back at Tinubu’s imaginary enemies.
However, in a statement on her X handle, the former Minister said it is unfortunate to see Nigerian public “Leaders” talk and behave like losers on matters of public governance.
She said: “@officialABAT,As one of millions of Nigerians who were at church when you delivered your late-in-coming Speech to Citizens on the #EndBadGovernancelnNigeria protests, let me loudly say it was terribly underwhelming to read.
‘Your Speech reads like a page from your party manifesto and terribly failed to connect to what our Citizens on the Streets are angry and protesting about.
‘Your speech is quite a monumental missed opportunity to placate citizens with sound answers and outline of convincing evidence-based actions that you and your @NigeriaGov will immediately take to address the priority #BadGovernance concerns.
“Your Speech was sadly again written out of a mindset that is focused on “getting back at our enemies”. Imaginary enemies at that! No true Leader has the luxury of having “enemies” among their Citizens. Not at all. A Public Leader becomes the Leader of ALL with a mind that does not think of any as their enemies.
“This is why it is ever unfortunate to see Nigerian public “Leaders” talk and behave like Losers on matters of public governance where they are expected to rally their ALL Citizens behind the common purpose of nation building.
“It is nauseating to observe this recurrent innate unwillingness of Nigerian public leaders to admit responsibility for the demands of the same public leadership that they kill and maim citizens to assume.
…Did Not Address Protesters’ Demands, Says Falana
In the same development, human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) called on President Bola Tinubu to address the demands of the peaceful protesters.
In a statement, yesterday, Falana said the presidential speech fell short of addressing the key demand of the protesters: reversal of the policy of withdrawal of fuel subsidy.
“If the government takes the fight against corruption to oil dealers and crude oil is processed in government-owned refineries, there will be no basis for fuel subsidy, which is induced by the importation of petroleum products. A positive response to the key demands of the youths to review the protesters could make them review their actions. Insensitivity to their demands can only provoke continued action,” he said.
While congratulating the protesters for drawing the attention of politicians who are eating in Abuja to the plight of millions of Nigerians who are hungry, Falana demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all protesters that were arrested and detained saying they had not committed any criminal offence.
Falana also condemned the repression of the peaceful protesters while commiserating with all those who lost loved ones in the protest.
He called on the government to set up commissions of inquiry to bring to justice those responsible for the reckless killings.
“We commiserate with the families of the patriots’ peaceful protesters that were killed and call on the Federal and State Governments to set up Commissions of Inquiry, which should include representatives of credible human rights organisations and the NBA to investigate the killings with a view to bringing to justice prosecute the reckless murderers in Police uniform and ensuring that.
“The family members of the deceased should be adequately compensated by the federal government. The victims of the barbarous police killings should be identified and celebrated as heroes and heroines of the struggle for the emancipation of the downtrodden Nigerian people.
…Failure To Address Protesters’ Demands Worrisome, Says INC
The Ijaw National Congress (INC) has expressed concerns regarding President Bola Tinubu’s nationwide broadcast, yesterday, stating that he failed to address the demands of ongoing protesters across Nigeria.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Ezonebi Oyakemeagba, the INC criticised the President’s address for not adequately responding to these pressing issues.
“The president’s speech did not address the demands of Nigerians as expressed through the protesters,” the statement read.
Oyakemeagba noted that while Tinubu highlighted some of his achievements, he overlooked critical issues, saying, “He didn’t address the issues of cost of governance, corruption, the removal of subsidies on petroleum products, or the increase in electricity tariffs. Nigerians expected concrete statements on how these issues would be tackled, including a timeframe for solutions.”
He emphasised that the current economic climate is one of the worst in Nigeria’s history, lamenting, “The larger population of Nigerians is going through extreme poverty and hunger.
“The clear message from the protesters is that there is hunger in the country, a direct result of bad policies. Reducing the pump price of petroleum products could alleviate many of the challenges we are facing.”
The group also criticised the distribution of food aid by state governments, stating, “Imagine various state governments sharing rice and garri to citizens. This can only be experienced during war or natural disasters.”
…. Speech Shocked Me – Dele Momodu
The publisher of Ovation Magazine, Dele Momodu, has expressed concerns regarding President Bola Tinubu’s nationwide broadcast, stating that he failed to address the demands of ongoing protesters across the country.
In a statement issued via his X handle, yesterday, Momodu said he had little hope of Tinubu granting some concessions to the protesters, adding that he was shocked by the presidential speech.
The social commentator and politician stated that it would be difficult for Tinubu to change a winning formula that has worked for him ever since he was the Governor of Lagos State.
Momodu asserted that it was wishful thinking that the President was going to listen to the protesters and have mercy on hapless and helpless Nigerians.
He wrote, “Fellow Nigerians, good morning. After the long-awaited speech of President Bola Tinubu finally came this morning, I’m sure most of you would be as stupefied as me.
“I must confess that I had little hope of Tinubu granting some concessions to the aggrieved Nigerians. As a man who has held an iron grip on Lagos State for the last 25 years, it would be difficult for him to change a winning formula that has worked for him ever since.
“Also, what did we expect his advisers to be telling him when most of them have been his most fanatical cronies from Lagos who have learnt never to challenge the master?
“So it was merely wishful thinking on the part of incurable optimists like me to think he was going to have mercy on hapless and seemingly helpless Nigerians.”
