Planned Protest: Afenifere Calls For Caution

…Appeals To Organizers To Shelve The Plan*

…Advocates Engagement Rather Than Confrontation

The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural and socio-political organization, Afenifere, has appealed to Nigerians to be circumspect on the issue of the nationwide protests being contemplated by some people in the country.

A Press Statement by the organisation’s National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi deposed that whilst the people have an inalienable right to protest, consideration should be given to the general atmosphere surrounding the planned protest.

“Information at the disposal of Afenifere is that the planned protest is to draw the attention of the government to the excruciating situation in the country. As the saying goes, those who feel it, know it. In other words, Nigerians consider protest as a way of registering their displeasure, perhaps disenchantment over what many are going through. It’s in order. But there are some factors that need to be put into consideration. First is whether protest is the only means by which government’s attention can be called to the perceived hardship in the land. And, if the protest path is to be taken, what form should it take?”

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Afenifere spokesman stated that protest is certainly not the only way to draw attention to the situation in the land.

“Engagement is a very potent instrument not only to call attention to the situation on ground, but to decide on what the ways out should be.

“Incidentally, the federal government has not only expressed its awareness of what is going on in the country, it expressed a commitment to engagements with Nigerians so as to find solutions to the myriad of challenges that the country is facing. Challenges that are the basis for the planned protests.”

Ajayi recalled the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, vowing that President Ahmed Bola Tinubu and members of his government are committed to engaging Nigerians including those behind the planned protest.

Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday at a meeting of the Federal Executive Council, Akume had said:

“Engagement is going to continue and in the interest of Nigeria, we will continue to engage. We know that this is the only country that all of us have and at the end of the day, Nigeria is going to be better for all of us for it”.

Afenifere Publicity Secretary also quoted the revered monarch, the Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo uku Akpolokpo, Ewuare II, who appealed to Nigerians to shelve the planned protest and give the federal government more time to implement its policies that will alleviate the present hardship being experienced by Nigerians”.

The monarch spoke after a meeting of the National Executive Committee of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria, NCTRN, held in Abuja on Monday, July 22, 2024.

The Oba’s call on those planning the August 1 nationwide protest to “shelve the plan” is very much in tandem with the position of Afenifere.

“It’s noteworthy that some notable personalities are also calling for the shelving of the protests. One of them being a prominent Member of the Peoples Democratic Party, Honourable Kingsley Chinda who is also the Minority Leader in the House of Representatives.

“Besides the fact that the government is demonstrating its commitment to alleviating the situation, a cost-benefit analysis of the planned protest needs to be made.
Going by experiences from similar protests in the recent past, it’s difficult to say that this one will achieve the objective of bettering the present situation because of the risks of being hijacked by hoodlums etc.
Instances of what characterized such protests in some countries were cited. Countries like Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Central African Republic, Sudan and the one going on in Kenya.

“When a cost-benefits-analysis of the protests were done, it would be found that the outcome did not justify the actions – going by the number of properties, if not lives, that were lost. Unfortunately, despite the losses, the said countries do not seem to be better thereafter. Matter of fact, many in those countries are nostalgic, claiming that they were better off before the upheaval that came to distrupt their lives.

“The experience of what happened during the Endsars in 2020 is still fresh in our minds. Scars of the protests can still be felt in various places. For instance, the non-pareil modern laboratory in Lagos that was destroyed then could not be replaced up till now. A laboratory that had nothing to do with what the protesters were venting their angers against. The destruction of the laboratory has meant that tests that could be routinely done in Lagos now have to be taken to the United States of America.
Instances of such abound in other parts of the country.

“Since, dialogues would be employed to resolve conflicts, it’s better to engage in dialogues rather than allowing conflicts to degenerate into street protests that stand the chance of being hijacked by irate mobs.”

Afenifere concluded by calling on the planners of the protest to level up with the government that has expressed its readiness for engagements.

“We also call on relevant arms of government not only to meaningfully engage the people but to make manifest steps being taken to alleviate the sufferings of Nigerians within the shortest possible time”.