A former Nationwide Vice Chairman, North-West of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Lukman stated the President Bola Tinubu-led authorities is desperately mobilising opposition to the protest scheduled to happen between August 1 and 10, 2024.
Lukman famous that the president final Thursday, July 25, 2024, met with governors, conventional rulers and non secular leaders who in flip known as on Nigerians to be affected person with the federal government and appealed in opposition to the protest.
In an announcement in Abuja on Sunday, the previous APC chieftain stated that on the identical day, the Division of State Providers (DSS) claimed that it uncovered a plan by some legal components to hijack the protest whereas Defence Headquarters additionally issued warning to protesters in opposition to any type of violence.
He maintained that these had been outdated scripts, which have been used up to now to dam makes an attempt of Nigerians to legitimately categorical their dissatisfaction with authorities insurance policies.
“All those that are within the forefront of the marketing campaign in opposition to the protest have by no means been related to any well-liked marketing campaign within the nation. Each time, Nigerians attempt to interact authorities via protests or different modes of contestations, these similar teams are all the time there with the identical messages and warnings in opposition to so-called violence.
“They all the time uncover plots by opposition, legal components, and so on. to hijack protests and campaigns in opposition to governments. If something, it might have been information if they are saying something opposite. The fact is that, usually the response of the safety businesses via makes an attempt to forcefully disperse protesters is the supply of violence.
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“In all previous experiences, irrespective of those so-called appeals, which threatened organisers of the protests, protests nonetheless happen and in various levels recorded success. As somebody who’s privileged to have organised protests within the nation, one can say with none worry of contradiction that Nigerians, throughout each a part of the nation, have by no means been pushed to the wall like they’re right now,” Lukman stated.
He burdened that, “If President Asiwaju Tinubu has turned out to be an impatient chief who’s in a rush to implement insurance policies that has impoverish residents, why ought to residents be affected person with him?
“Here’s a President Asiwaju Tinubu who even earlier than settling right down to resume work as President of the Federal Republic, declared an finish to petroleum subsidy with none plan. On the similar time, he proceeded to drift the change charge of the Naira in opposition to different worldwide foreign money.
“For an import dependent nation, why ought to any leaders be in a rush to implement such insurance policies with out having any plan to spice up native manufacturing? Within the case of withdrawal of subsidy, does it require any counselling to time such coverage with guaranteeing capability for native refining?
“With all of the discuss of fixing the 4 refineries within the nation and the start of manufacturing exercise by the Dangote refinery, why is President Asiwaju Tinubu in a mad rush and unable to align his coverage initiatives with these expectations? As a substitute, needlessly, Nigerians watch the shameless legal dispute between NNPC and Dangote Refinery.
“And having push the nation to a hopeless trajectory, which has worsened residing circumstances of all Nigerians, what plan has President Asiwaju Tinubu put in place to repair the issue? Even when it comes to ameliorating the problem going through Nigerians, the federal government has demonstrated lack of capability to handle initiatives leading to compounding the allegations of embezzlement surrounding initiatives to ameliorate worsening circumstances of residents.
“For multiple 12 months, it’s been one clarification after the opposite, with hardly any clear blueprint or timeline when the downward slide of the Nigerian economic system will finish. Day by day, the hopelessness of the federal government will get extra uncovered.
“For these of us who had been related to President Asiwaju Tinubu and campaigned for him to turn into President, it’s a large disappointment. We did campaigned for him with the conviction that he’s a strategic politician who is a superb expertise hunter. The magic of how Lagos State was remodeled beneath his management was our reference level.
“Sadly, multiple 12 months on the helm of affairs because the President of Nigeria, it’s a totally different Asiwaju Tinubu we’ve got who’s changing into a superb hunter for political mercenaries.
“He has turn into extra strategic in taking determination with out trying on the drawback, which could possibly be why he promised Nigerian employees residing wage, however his negotiation expertise may solely retain the outdated hunger minimal wage,” Lukman stated.
