Nigeria is at a crossroads and there is palpable fear in all the nooks and crannies of the country. The anxiety has been heightened by the proposed country-wide protest tagged #EndBadGovernance, scheduled to run from August 1 to 10, 2024. More disconcerting is the seeming panic in government circles and threats of punitive action against the would-be protesters.

To be sure, the act of protest is legitimate and a veritable feedback mechanism in a democracy, which affords the citizens the opportunity to express their dissatisfaction with government policies and actions. Through peaceful protests, aggrieved citizens are able to publicly voice their concerns and challenge acts of injustice, and by so doing, not only participate actively but also deepen the democratic process.

So fundamental is the right to peaceful protest that it is enshrined in international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and, indeed, the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.

It Is also worth noting that Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution states that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government. Therefore, while it is the right of aggrieved citizens to protest peacefully, it is also the responsibility of government to give them maximum protection.

While protests serve as a vital mechanism for holding leaders accountable and ensuring that their actions reflect the will and needs of the people, there is ample evidence that government’s manifest highhandedness and covert attempts to suppress such mass actions and popular ventilation of public grievances through intimidation, excessive use of force, or unjust legal actions always end up being counterproductive.

The national Imperative, therefore, is for both leaders and citizens to truthfully and sincerely examine the current state of affairs and agree on genuine actions for achieving security and implementing programs that give true meaning to the twin concepts of citizens’ welfare and well-being. It is a fact that without achieving the primary purpose of government, which is good governance, the accomplishment of any other purpose is impossible.

Since those in authority have acknowledged that the welfare and well-being of the citizens have been challenged by government’s fiscal measures, there is need for restraint in dealing with citizens who are voicing their frustrations. Moreover, in a country where peace is historically tenuous, creating factions by fabricating accusations against individuals and nationalities is an ill-wind. We urge the security services to refrain from making bogus announcements of findings that suggest particular interests are fomenting trouble without providing evidence. Leadership is serious business; it should not be trivialized.

Protests by their very nature are peaceful unless infiltrated and it is the responsibility of government to forestall such infiltration by identifying and arresting such malcontents who are the real enemies of the Nigerian state.

In consideration of the foregoing, we make the following points as our contribution to dousing the current tension in the land, for consideration and implementation:

1. Rather than threatening to clamp down on beleaguered citizens who are only clamouring for a Nigeria where life is meaningful, the President and Commander-in-Chief should address citizens on the actual state of the nation and what the government is doing to address the pervasive anomie.

2. The detribalized pressure group, the Patriots, led by Chief Emeka Anyaoku, whose credibility and patriotism are not in doubt, should be nominated to mediate between the Government and the groups of aggrieved Nigerians with a view to proffering workable and implementable solutions to the current crisis.

3. If all entreaties fail and the planned protests must go on, then the security of the protesters and the sanctity of the protest must be guaranteed by all stakeholders, especially the security operatives.

Anya-Ndi-Igbo believes in a Nigeria that works for all. Good governance should be a given and not something to fight for. Good governance is achievable.

Long live Nigeria.

•Being a statement issued by Anya-Ndi-Igbo and signed by Dr. Uma Eleazu – Chairman BoT; Engr. Chris Okoye – President; Prince Okey Nwadinobi – Secretary.

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