End bad government protest show anger and hunger for Nigeria

End bad government protest

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Ten days afta thousands of pipo across Nigeria enta street to demand for end to Bad government for di kontri, many feel say di protesters don send message to govment about how tins be for Nigerians right now.

But for some, di dimension di protest take no go as e suppose be.

From August 1-10, organisers under di banner of #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria bin call for days of street protest to draw govment attention to di sufferings of Nigerians.

Di protesters voice dia anger against high cost of living; make govment reverse di removal of petrol subsidy, end to corruption and bad governance wey don affect millions for Africa most populous kontri. In total di protesters get 13 demands.

From use of teargas to alleged extra-judicial killings by security officials to looting and destruction of both govment and public properties to di waving of Russian flags. Di protests hold across many Nigerian cities.

Human rights lawyer Monday Ubani tell BBC News Pidgin say dis particuar demonstration give am concerns.

‘’I no dey too comfortable wit di dimension di protest take. Di dimension of going to loot, di dimension of going to destroy, di dimension to attack fellow citizens, di dimension of bringing foreign flags, di dimension of calling di military back to power.

‘’E dey give different meaning and e show say di goment bin dey right wen dem say dis particular protest no be about bad governance e get anoda agenda especially from pipo wey lose election wey wan regain power through anoda means oda dan constitutional means,’’ di former chairman Nigerian Bar association Ikeja branch tok for interview wit BBC News Pidgin.

Now wey technically e don end wetin be di lessons from di End bad governance protest?

Nigerians no dey happy wit goment policy

One protester for Ojota Lagos tell BBC say Nigerians dey suffer, dem dey vex and dem dey hungry.

Wetin dat protester tok reflect di general mood of odas wey join di I no gree waka.

From pipo wey carry empty pots to those wey hold placard all of dem dey shout hunger dey.

”If Nigerians dey happy wit goment policy dem no go protest,” Barrister Ubani tell BBC Pidgin.

”Protest na opportunity wey citizen get to give goment feedback”.

Tori be say Nigeria dey experience dia worst economic crisis in a generation.

Annual inflation dey at 34.19% – dia highest in almost three decades. Food prices dey rise even faster – for example, for di commercial capital, Lagos, yams dey almost four times more expensive dan wetin e sell for in 2023.

Oga Ubani say wetin President Tinubu dey suffer sake of dis protest no be like say na only him cause di wahala for Nigerians.

”Na long standing disease, one of di disease na leadership deficit of trust becos ova time goment don promise many tins and dem fail to do am.

”Pipo wey dey leadership need to show fellow Nigerians say dis tin dey affect all of us and all of us must tighten our belt”. Ubani add put

Di human rights lawyer advise goment to dey sensitive wit dia lifestyle and how dem dey tok to Nigerians.

”Eviritin wey go bring happiness and joy to di pipo make goment do am,” Ubani kontinu.

”Di citizens too must support di goment to actualise dis dream”.

”We must avoid anytin wey go bring war for Nigeria”.

Social media influence

Social media play big role well-well for di End bad govment protest.

Tori be say na dia e first start wit di hashtag #EndBadGovernance bifor e enta street.

Nigerians use dia social media channel to express dia feelings, disappointments and unhappiness sake of di hardship dem dey face.

And na afta Kenyans bin do dia own protest, wia di young pipo for di kontri force dia goment to scrap plans to increase taxes.

So wen di protest start for Nigeria, pipo come out for most state capital across di nation except di south east region, wey decide not to join.

Organisers of di End bad governance protest say di protest bin dey very successful based on di support dem get across di kontri.

‘‘Di protest bin dey very successful for street becos Nigerians defy di odds, defy di threats, and all di security intimidation of di state and non-actors to exercise di right to freedom of assembly’’. Deji Adeyanju lawyer of one of di protest organisers – Take it back movement – tok.

‘’Di lessons from dis protest na say pipo dey very hungry and tins fit go really bad within a short period of time if we no fix di inequality for di kontri and di economy. Oga Adeyanju kotinu.

”Dis na eye opener for citizens and goment’’. Im add.

Wen BBC News Pidgin ask am about di regime change mata, wey some pipo bin dey ginger for, first im condemn di move and say no be wetin di protest plan to achieve.

All dis while wey di protest start goment bin dey engage wit di protesters to suspend dia demonstration.

President Bola Tinubu address di nation three days afta di protesters start wia e call for dem to suspend dia demonstrations and create room for tok-tok but protesters say im speech no address dia demand.

Di protest affect business activities across di states, Banks motor parks, shops, malls, markets and roads bin dem empty.

Violence, looting and deaths

Every protest get im own story and di story for dis one na of hunger, death, flying of Russia flags, looting and general anger based on hardship pipo dey go tru for Nigeria.

Di number of pipo wey Nigeria police say die for di protests across di kontri no be di same number Amnesty international give.

Police say seven pipo die while Amnesty international say dem reach about 20.

BBC correspondent Chris Ewokor wey cover di protest for di nation capital, Abuja, say security forces bin fire tear gas for a period of four days to stop protesters from marching from di Moshood Abiola stadium – di place govment approve for dem to gada – for di city centre.

Meanwhile Police deny say dem use excessive force during di demonstrations.

Di proters also witness cases of looting and destruction of both govment and private properties.

For Kano, alleged looters enta one warehouse near di governor house to tiff tins. Di angry protesters also break into one of di federal govment digital hub centres and carry di tins wey dey inside. Police say dem recover many of di 25-litre groundnut oil cartons and oda items dem tiff from di stores.

Dem also say more dan 700 pipo chop arrest.

Also, about 40 people for northern Nigeria chop arrest for waving Russia national flag during di protest and showing dia support for President Vladimir Putin.

Army oga Christopher Musa warn pipo say na “treasonable offence” to fly di flags of foreign kontri. Di Russian Embassy to Nigeria also come out to tok say dia hand no dey inside di action of di pipo.

Mike Ejiefor one security expert give di law enforcement agencies pass mark for dia conduct throughout di protest.

Ejiofor say ”no matter how good di intentions of protest be, bad pipo go hijack am”.

‘’Di loss of lives and destruction of properties na di consequence of dis particular protest.”

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