The tension-soaked socio political and economic atmosphere, ignited by the proposed nation-wide protests, to begin on August 1, 2024, aimed at drawing the attention of the President Bola Tinubu-led government on the largely preventable current economic dire straits must be taken with all the seriousness it deserves.

That is, by finding sustainable solutions to the life-threatening hunger, insecurity and joblessness ravaging the land. With an alarming inflation of 34.19% as at June, 2024 and an astonishing food inflation figure of 40.1% in March 2024, it is patently obvious that the economic hardship visited on over 230 million hapless citizens, by the sudden removal of fuel subsidy, payment for tuition fees in public higher institutions of learning and the hike in electricity tariff as well as sundry taxes would bring more sorrow, tears and blood.

The best way forward must be figured out. That has become expedient because the gross absence of an enabling environment to catalyse productivity has brought attendant consequences on the Human Development Index (HDI), with mass job losses, escalating unemployment as well as the abject poverty, staring the people in the face.

Worse still, not a few members of the political elite are living large in the face of mass misery, thereby stoking the fire of anger in the land. Hence, the proposed protests are getting imminent and causing chaos by the day. The troubling aspects to the protests are the incendiary might-is-right approach by the government and its agencies.

While relevant Sections 39 and 40 of the 1999 constitution, Section 83(4) of the Nigeria Police Act, 2020 and Section 91(3) of the Electoral Act, 2022 all guarantee the constitutional right of the citizens to protest, and the duty of the police to protect them against harm, the obnoxious notion given by some Federal Government apologists, security agencies, and even state governors is to the contrary.

For instance, recently two young Nigerian activists, namely Khalid Aminu and Aliyu Sanusi, were arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Kaduna and Sokoto respectively, for mobilising for the #EndBadGovernance nationwide protest.

Though they have been released, as revealed by the human rights activist and Convener of the #RevolutionNow, Omoyele Sowore the fear-fuelling message of threats, intimidation, and coercion has been passed from the police to the masterminds behind the planned protests.

Furthermore, to drive home the warning signals down to those planning to be involved in the protests, an old generation bank has reportedly frozen the account of the Take-It-Back Movement – one of the organisers of the proposed protest – on the orders of the DSS! Members have therefore demanded that the account be unfrozen within 24 hours, or those culpable face legal actions.

Not done, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has reeled out seven conditions to be met by the organisers for the protest to be allowed. Amongst these, they are to provide the proposed routes and assembly points of the protesters, the expected duration of the protests, names and contact details of the protest leaders and organisers.

What is patently obvious from the two sides of the arguments is the great disconnect between the few favoured political leaders and majority of the people

Others include measures to prevent hijacking by criminal elements, to isolate potential trouble makers, establish clear communication channels and minimise the risk of violence. According to the IGP, with these conditions fulfilled by the protesters the police will be better equipped to deploy necessary resources and personnel to guarantee safety during the protests. But some burning questions remain.

For instance, are these not surreptitious attempts to either weaken the steps taken so far, or clip the wings of the protesters? In addition to all of these, is it right for the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to have vowed that Abuja would not be available for the protests?

And was it right of the president’s spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, to have politicised the issue by insinuating that the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, is behind the call for the protests? Should the energy and resources so far deployed by Mr. President to host traditional rulers, state governors and others not have been better channelled to finding answers to the demands of the protesters?

Top of the demands include the return of the controversial fuel subsidy, fixing the volatile power sector, the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, and allowing Diaspora voting during subsequent elections. Others include the demand to do away with the ‘anti-people’ 1999 Constitution, and probe past political leaders accused of corruption.

These were revealed by Sowore while the renowned human rights activist and former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has called on the political elite to stop threatening citizens from exercising their constitutional rights of expression, association and movement.

Much as the fear of the politicians to the planned protests could be traced to the violence that erupted with regards to what has played out in Kenya, peaceful protests are sine qua non to conveying the grievances of the protesters. They should therefore, not overstep their bounds.

What is patently obvious from the two sides of the arguments is the great disconnect between the few favoured political leaders and majority of the people. It would therefore, be in the overall interest of Nigerians for an in-depth look at the demands of the protesters and finding lasting solutions to them.

Update news