Nigeria presidency don ask kontri pipo to hold on for one planned protest across di kontri.
Di Minister of Information Mohammed Idris wey speak on behalf of President Bola Tinubu as e dey follow State House tori pipo tok for Abuja, di kontri capital, tok say di president dey beg Nigerians, especially young pipo sake make dem no do any protest and give goment more time to actualise government plans.
E add say di ginger for protest na di work of “bad” pipo “wey dey capitalise” on di kontri economic problems.
“On di issue of di planned protest, Mr president no see any need for dat. E ask dem to cancel di plan. E say make dem wait for goment response to all dia pleas,” di minister tok.
Meanwhile, reports dey say di Nigerian goment don schedule one emergency meeting for Wednesday 24 July, to address di mata of di planned nationwide protest.
Why Nigerians dey protest?
Di protest against economic hardship, don dey trend for social media continuously for some weeks now.
Pipo dey complain say dem no fit afford to buy some food and basic commodities sake of say di price don go high.
Nigeria dey battle one of di kontri worst inflation and economic crisis wey goment policies on petrol subsidy removal and unification of forex windows join cause.
Figures released by di National Bureau of Statistics on Tuesday show say di prices of staple foods for Nigeria like rice, beans, tomatoes, potato and yam rise by more dan 250% between May 2023 and June 2024.
Even though President Bola Tinubu don approve a new minimum wage of N70,000 from di N30,000 wey be di current minimum wage, some pipo believe say e no reach.
Apart from dat, di Nigerian goment don roll out palliative measures to address di harsh economic reality wey di removal of fuel subsidy bring wey include di Student Loan Scheme, suspension of tax on some imported food, distribution of trucks of rice to states across di federation, among odas.
Members of di House of Representatives also agree to cut dia salary by half for six months as sacrifice to kontri pipo sake of di economic challenges and high cost of food prices dem dey face.
Who be di protesters?
Di organisers of di protest dey faceless at di moment as nobody don come out to claim say na dem dey front for di calls for di demonstration.
But plenty ginger and reactions about di protest dey go on for social media from notable Nigerians wey don show support for or kick against di planned protest.
For 20 July, one tok-tok pesin for President Tinubu, Bayo Onanuga for im X account bin accuse di supporters of di Labour Party Presidential candidate, Peter Obi say na dem dey behind di planned protest.
“Di mischief-makers wey dey plan to stage nationwide protests na supporters of Peter Obi, di failed presidential candidate of di Labour Party. And dem suppose hold am responsible for whatever crisis wey come from di action.” E tok.
REVEALED: Peter Obi’s supporters are the people planning mayhem in Nigeria: Obi should be held responsible for anarchy
Don’t be fooled: the malcontents planning to stage nationwide protests are supporters of Peter Obi, the failed presidential candidate of the Labour Party. And… pic.twitter.com/9havOCZyWB
— Bayo Onanuga (@aonanuga1956) July 20, 2024
Oga Peter Obi Labour Party don deny di accuse. For one statement, e say di allegations na “figment of di author imagination” and e brand di government as “puerile”.
“Labour Party, Peter Obi and our supporters no dey plan any protests,” di statement continue, but pointedly add say: “Di pipo get di right to protest and e dey within dia constitutional right”.
Meanwhile, dis dey happun as young pipo dey lead protests for East African kontris, of Kenya and Uganda.
Protesters for Kenya bin call on dia President William Ruto to resign afta e give in to dia key demands – wey include dropping im plan to increase tax rise and sacking almost everyone for im cabinet.
For Uganda, protest hold on Tuesday 23 July, against allegations of corruption wey involve plenty high profile public officials.
Nigeria last mass demonstration happun for 2021, wen Nigerians especially di youth bin lead di protest against one police unit dem accuse of extra-judicial killings.
Di #EndSARS movement bin achieve dia aim as goment disband di unit, but di protest end for violence and deaths. As miscreants bin hijack di protests, police arrest protesters and military open fire on protesters for di Lekki Toll gate for Lagos.
LABOUR PARTY (LP)
OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL YOUTH LEADER
PRESS RELEASE
Call For The Arrest Of Mr Peter Obi: A Call For Real Protest And An Invitation To Anarchy
Ladies and gentlemen, members of the press fraternal greetings.
It has come to our knowledge a media release by one… pic.twitter.com/ecit9ipGPM
— LabourPartyNG (@NgLabour) July 21, 2024
When be di protest?
Reports say e go hold across all states of di Federation plus di Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, for 1 August.
According to di Nigeria Police Force, dem say di protest dey scheduled to hold for 1 August.
Meanwhile some state governments and associations don dey caution dia pipo say make dem no follow for di protest.
Wetin else government don tok about di planned protest?
Di Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun for one meeting wit Strategic Police Managers on Tuesday tok say dem go respond to some Nigerians planned protest on 1 August “in a most professional manner.”
E say di police dey committed to provide security for those wey dey protest peacefully.
“If di protest dey peaceful, you go see us dey protect di protest as long as dem remain peaceful.
“But we get duty to protect lives and property, so we no go sit back and watch hoodlums burn down facilities in di name of protest.”
Trade union bosses don ask Tinubu to sit down wit di protest organisers, and make dem no reason dia concerns as “sponsored political dissent”.
“A situation wia most Nigerian families dey forced to eat one miserable food a day and chop from di dustbin call for serious intervention by di government,” di Nigeria Labour Congress tok.
