FORMER Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar; Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka; Lagos lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN); Mike Ozekhome (SAN), labour leaders, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and ethnic nationality groups, including the Middle Belt Forum (MBF) have expressed strong reservations to Sunday’s national broadcast by President Bola Tinubu over demands by protesters against the economic hardship in the country.
According to the eminent Nigerians and groups, the president failed to use the opportunity to address the demands of the protesters, among which are to reposition the oil refineries, end importation of petroleum products, reverse the fuel subsidy removal, electricity tariff hike, review the salaries of National Assembly members, declare a state of emergency on inflation, reform judiciary, approve payment of living wage and review school fee hike and open land borders for food importation to crash prices.
Atiku said in a statement by his special adviser on Media, Paul Ibe: “President Tinubu’s broadcast this morning, intended to quell the fervour of public protests against his administration’s poor governance, utterly misses the mark.
“His speech neglects the pressing economic hardships that have besieged Nigerian families since the very beginning of his tenure.
“This address lacks credibility and fails to offer any immediate, tangible solutions to the Nigerian people.
“Given the extensive publicity surrounding the protests and the threats issued by government officials against demonstrators, one would have expected President Tinubu to present groundbreaking reforms, particularly those aimed at reducing the exorbitant costs of governance.
“But alas, no such announcements were made. The President ignored the protesters’ demands, such as suspending the purchase of aircraft for the President, downsizing his bloated cabinet, or even eliminating the costly and burdensome office of the First Lady, who has been indulging in extravagant trips at the nation’s expense.”
Tinubu’s address fell short of major expectation—Soyinka
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, Sunday evening, onloaded on security agencies for their lethal response to the ongoing nationwide protest against the cost of living crisis in Nigeria.
The literary giant also knocked the address of President Tinubu to the nation, saying it fell short of a major expectation.
According to him, “I set my alarm clock for this morning to ensure that I did not miss President Bola Tinubu’s impatiently awaited address to the nation on the current unrest across the nation.
“His outline of government’s remedial action since inception, aimed at warding off just such an outbreak, will undoubtedly receive expert and sustained attention both for effectiveness and in content analysis.
“My primary concern, quite predictably, is the continuing deterioration of the state’s seizure of protest management, an area in which the presidential address fell conspicuously short. Such short-changing of civic deserving, regrettably, goes to arm the security forces in the exercise of impunity and condemns the nation to a seemingly unbreakable cycle of resentment and reprisals.
“Live bullets as state response to civic protest – that becomes the core issue. Even tear gas remains questionable in most circumstances, certainly an abuse in situations of clearly peaceful protest. Hunger marches constitute a universal Save Our Soul (SOS), not peculiar to the Nigerian nation. They belong indeed in a class of their own, never mind the collateral claims emblazoned on posters.
“They serve as summons to governance that a breaking point has been reached and thus, a testing ground for governance awareness of public desperation. The tragic response to the ongoing hunger marches in parts of the nation, and for which notice was served, constitutes a retrogression that takes the nation even further back than the deadly culmination of the watershed EndSARS protests. It evokes pre-independence – that is, colonial – acts of disdain, a passage that induced the late stage pioneer Hubert Ogunde’s folk opera Bread and Bullets, earning that nationalist serial persecution and proscription by the colonial government.
“The nation’s security agencies cannot pretend unawareness of alternative models for emulation, civilized advances in security intervention. Need we recall the nationwide 2022/23 editions of what is generally known as the Yellow Vest movement in France? Perhaps it is time to make such scenarios compulsory viewing in policing curriculum.”
In all of the coverage that I watched, I did not catch one single instance of a gun leveled at protesters, much less fired at them even during direct physical confrontations.”
Broadcast did not meet expectation – Labour leaders
Some labour leaders also voiced their dissatisfaction with President Tinubu’s response to the demands of the protesters.
Benson Utah, Head of Information for the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), criticized the president for framing the protest issues as partisan politics.
“Reducing the serious, evidential issues and demands of the protesters to partisan politics is tragic. It is a blunt refusal to understand the way the people feel,” Utah said.
He emphasised that the protest’s demands are deeply rooted and require more than a political explanation.
On his part, Comrade Hakeem Ambali, national president of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), expressed concerns about the timing and content of the address.
“Mr. President’s address came very late. He should have been proactive and addressed Nigerians before the protest began,” Ambali said.
He highlighted that the address focused predominantly on long-term plans rather than providing immediate solutions to Nigeria’s current economic challenges.
Similarly, Comrade Olusoji Oluwole, national president of the Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI), found the President’s address lacking in substance.
MBF disagrees with Tinubu on address
Reacting to the president’s broadcast, the Middle Belt Forum said the President neither assuaged the feelings of Nigerians nor addressed the issues raised by the protesters.
The national president of the Forum, Dr Bitrus Pogu, said the president only regurgitated his policies that have brought hardship to Nigerians.
Pogu said: “The president›s speech did not bring succour to Nigeria; he only rehashed what he has done as president without addressing the issues raised by the protesters. The protesters are saying some of his policies are inimical to the people to the extent that today, there is a lot of hunger in the land.
“He said he has done this and that. So, whether the protesters will stop the protest based on what he said is another thing to be seen; I don›t think he addressed the issues that the protesters raised.”
Speech did not focus on protesters’ demands- Falana
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) has called on President Bola Tinubu to address the demands of the peaceful protesters.
In a statement on Sunday, Falana said that the presidential speech fell short of addressing the key demand of the protesters: reversal of the policy of withdrawal of fuel subsidy.
“If the government takes the fight against corruption to oil dealers and crude oil is processed in government-owned refineries, there will be no basis for fuel subsidy, which is induced by the importation of petroleum products. A positive response to the key demands of the youths to review the protesters could make them review their actions. Insensitivity to their demands can only provoke continued action,” he said.
Speech diversionary, failed to address issues- PDP
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said the broadcast by President Tinubu clearly confirmed the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration’s insensitivity towards Nigerians and the precarious situation in the country.
The party made the assertion in a statement by Debo Ologunagba, national publicity secretary, noting that the party is appalled that despite the fact that it took President Tinubu the prodding of the PDP to speak to the nation, it is distressing that the speech failed to offer any concrete measure to address the excruciating hardship in the country.
The PDP maintained that the speech failed to respond to the demand by the citizens for immediate measures to reduce the price of petroleum products, halt the fall of the Naira and urgent intervention in the provision of food items to starving Nigerians.
The PDP stated: “It is clear that the APC administration is overwhelmed and has no answers to the myriads of problems occasioned by its anti-people policies that are suffocating life in the country.
“The APC must admit failure and be willing to accept alternative views and suggestions at this moment recognizing that what Nigerians need now is solution and not rhetoric.
“Our party calls on President Tinubu to come to terms with the fact that the nation is in dire straits under his watch. He should address the demands of the people particularly to reduce the cost of petroleum products, stabilize the Naira and take immediate steps towards the provision of food items to Nigerians.
“President Tinubu should cut the size of governance, expenditure on luxury items and free more resources for immediate intervention towards the wellbeing of Nigerians.”
You missed opportunity to placate citizens – Ezekwesili
A former Minister of Education, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, said President Bola Tinubu missed an opportunity to placate citizens by showing concrete evidence of how he intends to address the demands of the #EndBadGovernance protesters.
In a post on her X (formerly Twitter) handle @obyezeks on Sunday as a reaction to the president’s national broadcast, she described the address as “terribly underwhelming read.”
She also said that the president’s broadcast read like a page from the All Progressives Congress (APC) manifesto and failed to connect with citizens.
Broadcast vacuous, devoid of answers to protesters’ demands – Ozekhome
A rights activist, Professor Mike Ozekhome (SAN) described Tinubu’s national broadcast as vacuous, and full of a litany of government’s alleged interventions, but being completely devoid of any concrete answers to the many itemized demands by the traumatised youthful protesters.
“Aside this, he erroneously, as always, picked on imaginary opposition or political opponents who allegedly want to derail Nigeria,” Ozekhome stated in a statement on Sunday.
He said, the nationwide protests are not sponsored protests and added that, the protests are genuine outpouring of grief, frustration, anger, hunger, melancholy, hopelessness, haplessness and joblessness by the ignored and denied Nigerian youths who appear not to have a tomorrow since their yesterday and today have already ended been mindlessly stolen by rapacious elites and state captors who control levers of power at different levels.
According to the Senior Advocate, President Tinubu has a chance to save Nigeria of what remains of a groggy, tottering, fumbling, dawdling and near crumbling country on the verge of imminent precipice, adding that, all hope is still not lost if the President employs and deploys the right instruments of statecraft.
Tinubu hasn’t disappointed Nigerians – Okupe
A former Presidential Spokesperson, Dr Doyin Okupe, said President Bola Tinubu has not disappointed Nigerians in his address to the nation on the nationwide protests on Sunday.
He said: “President Bola Tinubu’s speech has not disappointed Nigerians in that for the first time, the president clearly stated the daunting economic situation his administration met on ground at inception.
“He also amplified the strenuous efforts made by his government to reduce the prevailing crippling and stagnating debt servicing ratio from 97 per cent of earned revenue to 68 per cent.
“In truth, this has been the major cause of our present economic woes and sufferings. It is now self-evident that if the fuel subsidy was not removed, it would have been impossible for the government to function.
CSOs list steps president could take protesters out of the streets
Civil Society Organisation (CSOs) leaders under the auspices of the United Action Front of Civil Society, also said the president failed to address the demands of the protesters.
Speaking to the Nigerian Tribune, the Head, coordinating secretariat of the group, Olawale Okunniyi said that though the broadcast was a welcome development, “it failed to address the critical demands and yearnings of protesting Nigerians, especially the question of the reduction of petrol price to ₦197 per litre, which was the price of commodity before the inauguration of the Tinubu government.
“Secondly the broadcast refused to resolve the problem of very exorbitant electricity tariffs, which citizens are demanding should be brought to pre-December 2022 price to enhance the prosperity of businesses, especially small scale businesses in Nigeria.”
“One presidential intervention that can also take protesters out of the streets is if the president immediately initiates a genuine process of constitutional dialogue to re-negotiate Nigeria’s governance system and constitutional democracy as this has the potential of solving 90 percent of Nigeria’s political and economic problems.
“If the above steps with immediate reduction in the cost of governance can be effected by the president, the protesters will be out of the streets immediately.”
Tinubu should be practical in addressing nation’s multi- faceted challenges – SDP
The national leadership of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) faulted President Tinubu on the ongoing protests against the economic hardship in the country, saying that the President was yet to address those issues that ignited the protest.
Speaking in Abuja while reacting to the broadcast, the national chairman of the party, Alhaji Shehu Gabam charged President Tinubu to address the multi-faceted problems ranging from insecurity, economy to mass unemployment in practical ways which would have positive effects on the citizens generally.
He pointed out that all the policies and others rolled out by President Tinubu towards addressing the problems were academic theories that would not in any away address the problems but rather to compound them.
Gabam who added that the Presidential broadcast also came rather too late, said that the organizers of the protest gave enough reasonable notice for the government to put its acts together and for the President to have addressed the nation on the efforts being made to tackle the issues in contentions and not after the deal had been done and many lives lost and properties worth several billions of naira damaged
“The situation we find ourselves is disheartening and laughable, I listened to the nationwide broadcast, our President has said nothing new or practical to address the problems at hand, all he said are academic work, theories. What we need are practical things and actions.
“At the beginning, being the president, he ought to have addressed the citizens on the efforts being made to tackle the high cost of living in the land and probably announce reduction in fuel prices by 50 per cent, and other programmes behind the scenes. This alone would have gone a long way in reducing the tension in the country.”
President’s speech heavy in rhetoric –Okorie, Yagbagi
Similarly, other politicians faulted the broadcast of President Tinubu on the heels of the nationwide protest.
Chieftain of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Chekwas Okorie while speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, in a telephone interview, said Tinubu’s broadcast did not address the issues raised by the agitated youth but merely listed the programmes of his administration.
He said:”He did not quite address the issues. What he did was to roll out his government programmes- what they have implemented and yet to implement, believing that will address the grievances of the protesters.
“There are many critical areas he didn’t mention. Maybe it was an oversight on his part or he didn’t see them as important.
“First, is the issue of unemployment of the youths wasn’t addressed. He was silent on rate of inflation and food shortage.
“Secondly, the issue of cost of governance, which borders on indecent display of extravagance by public officers, wasn›t addressed.”
National chairman of the Action Democratic Party (ACD), Yagbagi Sani spoke in a similar vein.
He said: “He left the critical questions unaddressed. The broadcast was heavy on mere rhetoric. Nigerians are asking for pronouncement that will address issues raised by the protesters. I didn›t find that in his speech.
«He didn›t address cost of governance and was silent on the oil subsidy issue.
“It will not be too much if he decides to slash the allowances of his appointees for six months. That will assuage the protesters but he didn›t do that.
«I think he also needs to engage the governors because what they get in terms of allocation don›t trickle down to Nigerians.»
Some stakeholders flayed president on his address, describing it falling short of the demands of Nigerians.
Speaking on the broadcast, Tony Erha, a right activist and social commentator, President Tinubu did not touch any issue or policies that would have ameliorated sufferings of Nigerians in his broadcast.
Also reacting to the president’s address, Mr Uche Okolie, described the address as an opposite of the agitations of the people, noting that it would have suited the president better not to have made the early morning broadcast that to resort “to another early morning poem.”
An Akure based lawyer and rights activist, Tope Temokun, also said the president failed to address the grievances and concerns that caused the protest. Temokun who stated this in a statement by him, noted that apart from failing to touch on some of the issues which led to the protest, the President also failed to tell Nigerians measures by his government to address the grouses of the masses in the immediate term.
Geoffrey UMUJAGBE a public affairs commentator said the president did not say anything at all regarding the prevailing hunger in the Land.
The chairman of Social Democratic Party (SDP) Kaduna state, Adamu Idris said there was nothing in the president speech.
Following the Nation broadcast by the president Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Executive Director Patriot for Advancement of Peace and Social Development Dr. Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi held that the issue of insecurity was not addressed by Mr. President.
He emphasized that the country would not be on rest without addressing insecurity which brought food insecurity, said there is need to address issues squarely.
Dr. Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi in an interview on Sunday, said the president Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s address to the nation did not address some issues raised by the protesters.
“Like issue of insecurity, especially in the northern region, which the North West is undersieged by armed bandits, also in the north east for the past one and half decades they are under attack by Boko Haram, ISWAP”. He lamented
Comrade Abdurrahman Abdullahi, the chairman, Coalition of Civil Organizations in Katsina state said, the speech of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not address the grudges of the protesters.
“You see, the youths are agitating for the restoration of fuel subsidy, which they believe is the root course of the problems, but the president did not address it. It shows he has no plan on restoring the subsidy.
“He had spoken of fertilizer given to farmers; of what use will it be to the farmers; they do not have access to their farmlands because of insecurity especially, we, here in the Northwest.
Abdurrahman said, “in my opinion, the president should have addressed the grudges of the protesters.”
“What Nigerians expected to hear apart from abolition import tax on some food items, is to hear him announced a committee or agency which will be charged with price control. This will break the manipulation of price by traders or marketers.”
On his part, Jibrin S. Jibrin Esq. immediate past Chairman, Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Bauchi, said, “The president merely outlined the measures his administration has taken so far to address the problems being faced by majority of the citizens which are direct consequences of his policies in the financial and economic sectors without answering the question if the people can endure the situation any longer.”
Also reacting, a Social Analyst and Senior Lecturer in Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic (ATAP) Abdullahi Yalwa said, “The speech, to me, is only good, because the President has spoken at a time when the silence is not golden.”
In Taraba state, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) chairman, Rev. Isaiah Magaji Jirapye and Elder John Mamman, called on president Bola Tinubu to re-address Nigerians on the protesters demands.
The stakeholders expressed worry that the president failed to mention any of the 15 demands Nigerians are making to alleviate hardship in the country.
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