#FearlessInOctober: Presidency moves to stop protest

Ordinarily, Tuesday, the 1st of October, 2024 will pass on as a day of merriment, in line with tradition, to celebrate Nigeria’s independence from colonial rule in 1960. But there are signs that aside the expected burst of conviviality, pomp and panoply, this year’s Independence Day, the 64th, may be different. As the government, on […]

Ordinarily, Tuesday, the 1st of October, 2024 will pass on as a day of merriment, in line with tradition, to celebrate Nigeria’s independence from colonial rule in 1960.

But there are signs that aside the expected burst of conviviality, pomp and panoply, this year’s Independence Day, the 64th, may be different.

As the government, on one hand, is trying to mark the day with the usual formalities, though on a low key, certain individuals and groups have slated it as a day to begin a sustained match in protest against the current hardship in the country owing to what they describe as ‘bad governance.’

A similar protest held between August 1 and 10, with thousands of people across several states of the country pouring into the streets to protest, among other things, reversal of government policies, prominent among which is the removal of subsidies on petrol, floating of the naira and increase in electricity tariffs despite passionate pleas, intense lobbies and not so subtle cautions from various authorities on citizens to reconsider the action.

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People used the opportunity of the protests to express their grievances with the policies of the current administration and in many instances the protests became violent with attacks on persons and infrastructure and in the extreme, call for a regime change while waving Russian flags. The violence was more pronounced in the northern part of the country.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who addressed the nation then, said though his government was feeling the pain of citizens, the measures his government had taken were necessary to guarantee better living standards for the people.

The organisers, obviously not impressed with the government’s reaction, had since then promised another round of protests.

The October 1 planned mass action tagged #FearlessInOctober, and in some instances EndBadGovernanceProtestInNigeria 2.0, is to be the promised sequel.

The prelude to the Tuesday protest is, however, nowhere near the last one in which several efforts were made to stop the protests, using clerics and other respected personalities.

But the government said it is talking with the organisers of the proposed protest with a view to reaching an understanding with them before October 1.

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, while reacting to enquiries from Weekend Trust, said the security agencies are already engaging some of the organisers.

“Government is not against any peaceful protest by Nigerians. After all, it is their fundamental right to stage any protest. 

“But government is always apprehensive about such protests degenerating into a riot as we experienced in August or the 2020 EndSARS protest in many parts of the country.

“Security agencies have been discussing with some of the organisers and they are being monitored so that they do not plunge the country into chaos or allow themselves to be used by internal and external forces which want to subvert the country and the 16-month-old administration”, he said.

Onanuga added that the Tinubu administration has always acknowledged the difficulties citizens are facing, adding that hard times are transient as the economic reforms being implemented have started to yield dividends, based on economic indicators published by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

“The government wishes to assure Nigerians that there is already light at the end of tunnel and seeks the patience and understanding of our compatriots,” he said.

The organisers, however, insist that the protest would hold and that there is no going back.

Political activist, Omoyele Sowore, who has been at the forefront of calls for the planned mass action, said: “I can tell you that there will be protests. I can also confirm to you that I will be out there on the protest lines, joining my voice to that of other Nigerian patriots, to denounce the anti-people policies of this government”, he said.

Another known face behind the planned protest, Deji Adeyanju, said: “If organisers feel the need to implement specific precautions, it suggests that the protest may be orchestrated or sponsored. I cannot support or participate in such events. 

“True protests arise organically from the collective grievances of the people, without external manipulation or influence. It’s important for movements to remain authentic and driven by the genuine voices of those affected,” he said.

Our correspondents report that people feel the situation that triggered the August protest has not only remained but also worsened and would be looking forward to the action.

Checks reveal that at the time the 10-day August protest held, the pump price of petrol stood at about N700 per litre in many states while the exchange rate to the dollar stood at slightly above N1500.

Currently, the exchange rate is over N1,600 while the price of petrol has shot up to over N1,000.

Sowore said the last protest was to call the attention of government to the economic pains, insecurity and injustices in the land, but that the situation has not improved since then. “In fact, they have become worse! Inflation has gone up. Insecurity has increased. Our people are drowning in floods because the government failed to secure the dams. Bandits wiped out an entire village just a few weeks ago. Things have gotten worse for the Nigerian people”, he said.

There are some Nigerians who, however, feel that the protest is not necessary.

Professor Kamilu Sani Fagge, a renowned political scientist at the Bayero University Kano, said the planned protest is not necessary since in a democratic setting policies are supposed to be based on the wish and will of the people.

The organisers justified the need for another round of protests as they demand for among other things: the release of all protesters being detained; a living wage for Nigerian workers; reversal of the subsidy removal; decisive action against banditry, terrorism and other security challenges.

On the shape that the proposed protests are likely to take, Sowore said they will occur across all parts of Nigeria and that they will be peaceful.

During the last protest, the security agencies had it tough controlling the protesters. Spokesman of the police, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, told our correspondent that so far, the police are yet to receive any notification on the October 1 planned protest. 

“As of now, we don’t have any letter from any quarter to that effect. Nobody has notified the police that they want to carry out any protest. So, we’re not aware of the development,” Adejobi, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, told Weekend Trust.

 

IGP puts officers on alert 

Despite the statement by the police spokesman, a signal sighted by Weekend Trust, on Friday showed that the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, had put top police officers in zonal and state commands on red alert ahead of the October 1 planned protest and independence anniversary. 

In the wireless message, the IG charged the Assistant Inspectors-General of Police in zones and commissioners of police to take necessary steps to forestall any break down of law and order. 

The top cop specifically ordered the AIGs and CPs to order their men to be kitted in camouflage with ballistic hat in order to show that they are battle-ready to forestall any unwanted occurrence. 

Similarly, Egbetokun ordered those in intelligence departments to continue carrying out covert operations regarding the activities of suspected hoodlums and miscreants who may want to destroy lives and property. 

The signal read: “NIGERIA’S 64TH INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS PLANNED NATIONWIDE STRIKE BY SOME UNSCRUPULOUS ELEMENTS, INGENPOL HAS ORDERED X YOU CONTINUE TO ENGAGE IN MEETINGS/DIALOGUE WITH LEADERSHIP OF IDENTIFIED GROUPS  TO DISSUADE THEM FROM THE PLANNED PROTEST DEPLOY COVERT OPERATIVES TO ALL NOOKS AND CRANNIES YOURS X FOR INTELLIGENCE GATHERING/SHARING ALL NECESSARY MEASURES SHOULD BE TAKEN PARTICULARLY DURING THE INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATIONS X TO ENSURE THAT NOTHING UNTOWARD IS ALLOWED.  

“ANY ATTEMPT BY MISCREANTS/HOODLUMS TO ENGAGE IN DESTRUCTION OF LIVES AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE PROMPTLY RESISTED. COMPOLS SHOULD DIRECT OFFICERS/MEN TO BE AT RED ALERT MAINTAIN WELL KITTED STANDBY MEN AT COMMAND HQTS, AREA COMMANDS X DIVISIONAL POLICE HQTS, TO FORESTALL ANY BREAKDOWN OF LAW AND ORDER MODE OF DRESS CAMOUFLAGE UNIFORM WITH HAT TACTICAL UNITS TO USE BALLISTIC HELMETS WHILE PERSONNEL FOR COVERT OPERATIONS X OTHER SPECIALIZED SECTIONS X SHOULD APPEAR IN THEIR APPROVED DRESS/UNIFORM X W.E.F MONDAY 30/09/2024 TILL STAND DOWN ORDER IS GIVEN. ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT AND ENSURE STRICT COMPLIANCE PLEASE.”

 

NLC not aware

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), which had led some of such protests in the past said it has not been notified.

Head of Information at the NLC headquarters, Benson Upah, said: “The rights of Nigerians or those who feel the government is not doing so well to protest is guaranteed in the constitution. Our advice for the government is to learn how to accommodate dissent voices.

“Trying to silence dissent voices doesn’t augur well and it won’t do the country any good. However, it should be noted that we have not been notified of any action by anybody whether at strategic level or others. We’re not part of anything now”, he said.

Prof. Fagge said government can avert the protest by being responsive to the yearnings of the people. “Like I said, democracy is built on the wish of the people. So government and our leaders should recognise that and respond accordingly. And the one that is being planned now, I think the government has a way by which it can avert it,” he stated.

Speaking on the matter, the Senior Communications Officer at Yiaga Africa, Mr. Mark Amaza, said it is important for the government to not just pay lip-service to protecting the constitutionally-given rights of Nigerians to free assembly and speech, but to ensure they do so in practice.

“But most importantly, they should seek to speak with citizens who are expressing their grievances.  The government has been doing a terrible job of listening,” Amaza said.

He urged the organisers to ensure that they keep the conversation based on issues, and do not resort to any extra-legal means of expressing themselves.

Executive Director, Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED), Comrade Ibrahim Zikirullahi, called on “the government to take drastic and proactive measures to prevent the protests by urgently reviewing its unpopular policies and actions that are making life unbearable for majority of Nigerians.

“For the organisers of the protest, they need to be more coordinated, civil, yet resolute in exercising their fundamental right to civil protest. They must, however, ensure that the protests are peaceful and do not degenerate into anarchy.

“There is need for them to adequately and constructively engage with relevant security agencies ahead of time, while also leaving the line of communication and negotiation with the government open, in case the government is willing to address their demands,” he said.

How effective the engagement between the security agencies and the organisers is would be determined by what happens on Tuesday. 

 

Contributions by: Muideen Olaniyi, Idowu Isamotu & Abbas Jimoh