THE recent endorsement of the President Bola Tinubu led administration by the Council of State, comprising former Presidents and Heads of State, through a vote of confidence few days after the end of 10 days hunger protests by Nigerians tagged, # End bad governance, is not only surprising but in sharp contrast to the prevailing economic hardship in the country.
According to the Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr. Dele Alake, who spoke to Journalists after the meeting, the Council while passing the vote of confidence on Tinubu’s administration, commended Nigerians for resisting any unconstitutional change of government during the protests. The Council’s perception of the hunger protests as an attempted regime change negates the right of the citizens to carry out a peaceful protest to express their disapproval of government policy that adversely affects their living conditions as enshrined in the constitution.
Agreed that the confidence vote is their prerogative, but their position is at variance with stark reality and popular views of majority of the citizens.
Considering the fact that the major function of the Council is to advise the government on policy making, it was expected that their view point would have to a large extent not deviated from the aggregate opinion of the people.
Presently, most Nigerians are suffering to feed themselves and their families and in the midst of the excruciating hardship, they felt the only way to draw government attention to their plight was through a peaceful protest, the #Endbadgovernance protests. It is therefore perturbing that these eminent leaders would endorse Tinubu administration of doing well in the face of extreme poverty and hunger across the country.
As a matter of fact, it is only those in government and few privileged individuals that are insulated from the current economic hardship ravaging the country. The adverse conditions affecting the people have made it difficult for even government workers and businessmen to cater for themselves, families and dependants due to hyperinflation that have kept the prices of goods and services beyond the reach of most Nigerians.
We do not support the position of the Council of state on the hunger protests as it is contrary to the real economic situation in the country today. The challenges of insecurity and scarcity of food that have increased the problem of hunger as a result of some policies of the government is incontrovertible. It is also a common knowledge that the country has never witnessed the unity of purpose exhibited by the people in resisting the policies of the incumbent federal government.
To well-meaning Nigerians, the opinion of the Council of State concerning the #EndBadGovernance protest is self- serving, as they were speaking for themselves and not majority of the citizens who are daily traumatized as a result of some policies of government that have made life unbearable for them.
No matter how the government views the protests, and the number of endorsements by the Council of State and other government lackeys, the truth is that the citizens, during the period of the protests, exercised their constitutional and democratic rights to assemble and express their perception and opinions on prevailing hardship and hunger to the government and the world at large. The government should understand that all the efforts made to abort and frustrate the protest by agents of the state rather than project its interest, portrayed the insensitivity of government to the welfare of citizens.
We urge the government to meaningfully engage the people of Nigeria on the issues raised during the protests. The resort to subterfuge by the government to make the reason for the protest look as if all is well with the people, will not change the reality of the scourge of widespread hardship and hunger in the country. Government should see the Council of State endorsement as a mere demonstration of solidarity with President Tinubu and accept the truth as expressed by the people during the protest and be more committed to finding quick solutions to biting hardship and hunger in the land to avert any further protest.
