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On Monday, the United Action Front of Civil Society, a coalition of organised Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), issued a stern warning to all levels of government, warning against any attempts to intimidate protesters during the nationwide demonstrations planned from August 1 to 10.
The protests were aimed at addressing the problem of hunger.
In a statement issued by Wale Okunniyi, Head of Secretariat, CSOs urged citizens to hold the government accountable for any ill effects arising from the protests.
The planned protests, scheduled from August 1 to 10, 2024, have gained significant traction on social media with hashtags such as ‘#EndBadGovernance,’ ‘#TinubuMustGo,’ and ‘#Revolution2024.’
Both the president and police have urged youths to cancel their planned protests.
The statement stressed, “We wish to advise the Tinubu administration to take immediate proactive steps to address the demands and concerns raised by the citizen groups participating in the planned nationwide citizen protest, if they are truly serious about preventing a mass action that goes beyond mere bluster and deceit against Nigerians, because no amount of threats and deceit currently being used by agents of the Nigerian government can stop the nationwide mass demonstration.”
The statement outlined two key demands of the protest organizers: first, an immediate reduction in fuel prices from the current unofficial rate of ₦1,000 per litre back to the pre-January 2023 price of ₦167 per litre. Second, substantial cuts in government spending, particularly a 50 per cent reduction in the salaries and allowances of all elected officials.
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CSOs stressed that the government should be held accountable for not addressing these critical issues. The statement continued, “For Nigerian Civil Society and citizens, the most fundamental challenges to stability, insecurity and development in Nigeria are rooted in the country’s distorted and undemocratic constitution imposed by the military such as decree 24 of 1999, which has largely disfigured and divided the country and sadly has no solution except to replace it through a democratic and legitimate process.”
In light of this, organised civil society has stated that the government must be held accountable for failing to address the core concerns of the Nigerian people, which are at the heart of the planned nationwide protests and any unintended consequences that may arise.
CSOs to Nigerian Government: Nationwide protest against hunger unabated despite threats first appeared on Latest Nigeria News | Headlines from Ripples Nigeria.
