By Mary Onyia
Nigerians visibly dismayed at the way the federal government agencies are handling news of planned protest by Nigerians over dire economic situation in the country have warned the government against using inflamatory and intimidatory rhetorics to cow the protesters, adding that it is undemocratic.
Recently, a group known as the Citizens Free Service Forum, CFSF, lent their voice with other Nigerians in condemning the statements coming from the government and the security agencies since plans by the youths of the nation to embark on a 10 day protest came to light.
The CFSF in a statement it issued in Abuja lambasted the government and its agencies describing their actions as ‘undemocratic’ and an indication that the government is yet to wean itself of military mentality in dealing with constitutional matters.
The group and many Nigerians criticised the utterances by Mr. Bayo Onanuga, one of the president ‘s Spokesmen accusing a presidential candidate for the 2023 general elections as being behind the protest; with reports of arrests of identified leaders of the planned hunger protest including a Kano based Tik Toker, Junaidu Abdullahi, alias Abusalma, who was reportedly arrested and remanded in prison custody, after posting a viral video calling for widespread protest against the economic hardship in the country.
The Executive Director of CFSF, Comrade Sanni Baba said: “We find it very disturbing that Nigerians who have expressed their desire to express their constitutional right to embark on a peaceful protest are being intimidated by state using Gestapo tactics of misinformation, threats and arrests. We find it utterly alarming and unacceptable”.
Baba said that as much as they will not condone violent and unconstitutional means of self expression, and given that there is no evidence of any such thing happening, he urged the government and its state security apparatus to stop heating up the polity through their intimidatory rhetoric that is reminiscent of the military era when protests were criminalized, and Nigerians were forced into exile for speaking out against oppressive government.
Also, another group of Nigerians under the auspices of Alliance for All Labour Party Professionals and Stakeholders berated the government of the day and its agencies for making light of the situation by selectively linking some prominent individuals with the planned protest while leaving out some other prominent Nigerians who have also echoed the need for a protest, describing it as ‘sycophancy’.
The convener of the Alliance for All Labour Party Professional and Stakeholders , Ambassador Blessing Elaigwu advised the government that rather than look out for scapegoats, the government should address the real issues of hunger in the land, owing to bad governance, insecurity, rising inflation and the high cost of food stuffs, the high cost of fuel etc.
Elaigwu said: “The reasons are clear. they witnessed that in one year, the petroleum pump price went from below N200 to about N700 per litre. They witnessed naira exchanging for N2000 per dollar from below N400.
“They witnessed a loaf of bread which hitherto sold for N350 now selling for N2000; they also realized that in campuses they can’t buy a plate of food at the school canteen for N300 again because a bag of rice is now at N80,000 from less than N15,000 just like the cost of other food items have skyrocketed,” he said.
According to Elaigwu, these youths are very aware of all that has been happening in the government circle; how the few privileged persons in government are immune from the economic crisis and not abreast with the reality of the time.
He warned the government of employing any use of force to discourage the planned protest adding that the civil action is a ‘legitimate expression of citizens grievances and that government should instead address underlying issues.