OPINION: Call For National Protest And Implications For Cross River State
Some nigerians seems to be drawing emotional succour and inspiration from the just concluded impactful and successful nation wide protest in Kenya. Widely circulated media reports shows that the organisers of the protest in Nigeria are in the last stage of their strategies for implementation on August 1.
This development has thrown the Federal government into a chaotic and panic mode. Since President Ahmed Bola Tinubu assumed office in May, 2023 this will likely be the first national protest confronting him and he is not taking it with a pinch of salt.
All Nigerians and security Agencies are red alert. The top Military Command after their meeting a few days ago said that after assessing the looming strike which from facts and circumstances, has the full potentials of destabilising the nation and possibly raise a may- hem, it will take full charge of the situation so as to keep the nation intact.
Since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was sworn into office, his Presidency has been vicariously and severally plagued with controversies associated with corruption, hunger and insecurity. Statistics placed food inflation at 40% while inflation stands at 34.19%.
Newspaper report shows that the nation wide protest allegedly planned by Northern Initiatives for growth has called on Youths across the 36 states including, Abuja Capital Territory to pour out in mass to the streets to pour out their frustrations on government .
They have asked youths to take to the streets to demand better ways and an end to severe economic hardship. Now, we must get it clear that withing the purview of our extant laws peaceful protest is quarantined and must be protected. What the law does not guarantee or confer legality is perpetuity of violence and wanton destruction of public or private properties.
The Presidency on its own is not sleeping as it has through one of its spoke persons, Dada Olusegun : President Tinubu's Special Adviser on Social Media on Tuesday March, 23rd, 2024 said that current government was battling with evil forces over the nation wide protest scheduled for the 1st of August, 2024.
According to him through his tweet " those who want to burn down the country in what ever guise will meet the strongest resistance of their lives".
Former Governor of Eastern Region, Chief Michael Okpara once said first fool, no be fool..., second fool na proper foolish. For we in Cross River State the audacious lingering memory of the #EndSars# protest of 2022 still ravage our memories. How in one moment of madness we brought down into the drain all that government and individuals have laboured to build in the state.
Still thinking what was the nexus between the original intentions of the organisers of #EndSar# with the massive destruction and burning of the Exam body WAEC, Children Hospital, Psychiatric hospital, Tinapa, International Convention Center, Nigerian Chronicle office, State Emergency Relive Agency and bank POS.
Motivational speakers and social media influencers during #EndSars# protest had convinced Nigerians that it was going to be a harmless exercise. Today, our state is still limping in financial pain and penury over damages inflicted on its psyche by the protest.
If we allow this national strike to go on without adequate protection to check its civility and decorum within the ambit of legality then we are the proper foolish as we may not know the extent it will be driven to.
Thank God His Excellency, Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu, the Governor of Cross River state, has asked the youths of the state through his Commissioner for Information to stay of the coming national strike as the state can not afford more damages to its depleted structures.
The Governor of Imo State, His Excellency Hope Uzodinma and Sir Engr Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu (now late) President World Wide of Ohanaeze have jointly have asked Ndi Igbo to focus on raising the contents of their various businesses than engaging in a strike that when the chips are down they will become the sacrificial lamb.
This is not the best of time for citizens of Nigeria, the extent of hardship is so irritating and provoking that it can trigger of national protest but President Tinubu begs for time to enable the skills and dexterity he deployed in restructuring the economy of the country previously skewed to doom to show virtalisasation and rejuvenation.
The government instead of dissipating energy searching for organisers of the protest must tackle seemingly unbearable hardship on citizens with massive revitalizations of industries, production, manufacturing and refineries.
DR. Ugoj Nwabueze is the former Snr. Special Assistance To Governor on Non-Ndigene
