The organised Civil Society under the umbrella of United Action Front of Civil Society, UAFCS, again commends the determination and resilience of Nigerians to make their plights and sufferings known to government through the impending nationwide citizens protests scheduled to begin on August 1st notwithstanding all sorts of threats, gimmicks, hoodwinking from government agents and associates.
However, we wish to advise the Tinubu government to immediately take proactive steps to address the demands and concerns already raised by citizens groups participating in the planned nationwide citizens’ protests, if they are really sincere about averting the mass action beyond grandstanding and hoodwinking of Nigerians, as no amount of threats and gimmicks presently being deployed by agents of the Nigerian government can stop the nationwide mass demonstrations.
Key among the citizens’ demands already put out by initiators of the nationwide protests is the urgent reversal of the price of fuel from ₦1,000 per litre for which it is being unofficially LP sold today to pre January 2023 price of ₦167 per litre. Second on these demands is the drastic reduction of government profligacy and high cost of governance in Nigeria, which will require slashing of the humongous emoluments and allowances of all elected government officials in Nigeria by fifty percent of what currently receive from State covers.
Finally, for Democracy to thrive in Nigeria, elections to be credible and the country to be politically stable and prosperous, citizens and peoples of Nigeria, have agitated severally for government to initiate a profound process of democratic reforms of the constitution of Nigeria to allow the diverse peoples of Nigeria take ownership over their constitution, democracy and country as it is in other advance democracies.
For the Nigerian Civil Society and Citizens the most fundamental of the problem of stability, insecurity and development in Nigeria is entrenched in the warped and undemocratically imposed constitution of the country by the military as decree 24 of 1999, which has been largely corruptive and divisive of the country and sadly has no remedy except it’s replaced through a democratic and legitimate process.
For us, addressing the above demands among others that are being currently pushed by Citizens Groups in Nigeria are essential to suspending the nationwide citizens mass demonstrations, if addressed immediately and faithfully by the Tinubu Government, depending on its seriousness to avert the nationwide Protests slated to formally commence on August 1st.
In the light of the foregoing intervention of the organised Civil Society, Government is to be held Responsible for not taking urgent steps in addressing the crucial concerns and interests of the Nigerians critical to the planned nationwide Mass Protest and any unintended consequences therefrom.
