The recent nationwide EndBadGovernace protests would have been adverted if the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government had planned well before removing fuel subsidy.
This is why many experts and political analysts have continued calling on the president to return the subsidies on electricity and fuel to tackle the present challenges of hunger protests.
Many were said that failure to reverse the decisions will lead torenewed protests from Nigerians who are disappointed by Tinubu’srecent broadcast on the protests.
Speaking after the protest on Saturday,the Chairman of Osun Civil societies coalition Comrade Waheed Lawal, expressed the coalition’s condemnation for President Tinubu ‘s nationwide broadcast on the protests, stressing that the youths will return to the streets and demand good governance.
Lawal urged the federal government to introduce policies that will lessen the burden of the economic hardship on Nigerians, and not the palliatives it is distributing to the states.
” The root cause of this hardship is the sudden removal of oil subsidy on the first day of the president’s inauguration without planning for it .The resultant effect of this is what everybody is suffering today
.The president must reverse it or face mass action in the renewef protests that are about to start.
“We the civil society organisations also demand the release of the detained protesters.
“The #EndBadGovernance protest ended today. Unfortunately, President hasn’t addressed all the issues the protesters raised. Mr President spoke without listening to most Nigerians who are lamenting ‘ebi n pawa o’ (we are hungry) every day.
“We demand reversal of fuel and electricity subsidies removal because it has been hurting the citizens, leading to hyperinflation, high cost of living and economic headship in the country.
“We demand the immediate release of all the protesters in police custody, including those arrested during the #EndSARS protest, and provision for adequate compensation for the violations of their human rights.
“The OCSC enjoins the federal government to act swiftly to avoid pushing citizens to their limits.
“We shall organise a bigger, broader and more disciplined movement of the people and youths for another round of protests to better Nigeria, if the President is lackadaisical on the demands of Nigerians.”
According to him, EndBadGovernance protests have significantly expressed the collective frustration of Nigerians, highlighting the economic hardships and governance failures that have long plagued the country.
While the protests have successfully brought these issues to the forefront of national and international attention, the ultimate goal of achieving tangible change has not yet been fully realized.
Lawal hinted that the protests alone are not enough to bring about the deep-rooted reforms needed to improve the lives of citizens.
However, they have undeniably forced the government to acknowledge the people’s grievances, which is a crucial first step toward meaningful change.
On what will be the next line of action he said action must evolve to sustain advocacycy and engagement.
“We must continue to hold the government accountable by pushing for the implementation of specific policy changes that address the core issues raised during the protests.
” These includes economic reforms, anti-corruption measures, and ensuring that citizens’ voices are heard in decision-making processes.
*Additionally, building alliances with civil society organizations, legal experts, and international bodies will help maintain pressure on the government to act in the interest of the people.
“The dialogue should be inclusive, transparent, and focused on actionable outcomes. It should involve representatives from various segments of society, including youth leaders, civil society organizations, economic experts, and affected communities.
“The discussions must be structured around key issues such as economic reforms, governance, and social justice, with clear timelines and mechanisms for accountability.
“Moreover, the dialogue should be conducted in a manner that respects the voices of the protesters and acknowledges their legitimate demands. It’s essential that this dialogue not be a mere formality but a genuine effort to address the root causes of the protests and pave the way for long-term solutions.”
Comrade Ayo Ologun ,Executive Director Center for Responsive Governance CRG said the program has absolutely achieved results although maybe not as desired as it can be boldly said that intentions differed ab initio.
“But in it all, the people have spoken loudly about their capacity to ask questions from their leaders and express displeasure about how they are been governed.
“I strongly belief that the next action should be for the organizers to agree on specific demands for execution by the government and strive to have them fulfilled and achieved through proper follow up .
“The dialogue should be such that opinion leaders, civil society movement leaders, youth leaders and students leaders must be assembled for a thorough no hold bare conversation with the government
Comrade Olowu Emmanuel ,the
State Chairman
Committee for the Defense of Human Right ( CDHR) said the recent #EndBadGovernance# protests in Nigeria have been a crucial expression of public dissatisfaction with current governance but have not yet yielded the desired outcomes.
“These protests, however, have laid the groundwork for a more substantial and well-coordinated movement that may spontaneously arise if the federal government persists with its ineffective policies.
“I am calling upon the federal government to prioritize and expedite the modalities for dialogue to address the grievances voiced by the Nigerian youth while each state governor takes a leading role in leading the concerned protesters from their respective states for the dialogues.
“The Nigerian youth are actively considering their next steps, including organizing larger and more coordinated protests, across the Nation.”
