With just three days to the August 1 countrywide protest against hardship and hunger, allegedly, brought on the country by some of the policies of the current administration of President Bola Tinubu, Nigerians are still largely divided over the choice of demonstration to register their displeasure with the government.
Division among the country’s prominent opinion leaders as well as the mass of the people continued to build up since the idea of protest was mooted by some Nigerians, and bought into by a majority of the people, who feel the pain of the current economic hardship in the country.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun, on Sunday, explained why he asked all groups planning the protest to register and provide requisite information at their respective state police commands before embarking on the protest.
Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, also appealed to organisers of the protests to reconsider their decision and shelve the idea so that the fragile peace in the country would not be disrupted.
Kwara State Governor and Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, weekend, appealed to Nigerians to be patient with Tinubu as he tackles the myriad of challenges facing the country.
Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun equally called on Nigerian youth not to allow themselves to be used by a movement, allegedly, sponsored by politicians.
But the presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP) in last year’s general election, Peter Obi, threw his weight behind the protest.
Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), however, told Christians and students in Niger State to shun the planned nationwide protest against high cost of living and hunger in the country.
The organised civil society said it was alarmed by the blame game and blackmail tactics being deployed by handlers and aides of Tinubu try to arm-twist and intimidate Nigerians out of the impending protest. Instead, they said the presidency should have immediately started to address issues of the unbearable economic situation necessitating the planned mass action slated for August 1 to 10.
But the national leadership of Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) accused the parent body of being insensitive and opportunistic for using the proposed protest as a buffer to gain a voice publicly after conducting a sham election in flagrant abuse of the guidelines laid down by the National Industrial Court of Nigeria.
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