August Protest: 2023 Election Losers Are Behind it, Says Akpabio. This Administration Is Not Responsible For The Economic Hardship
Godswill Akpabio, the Senate President, has blamed the looming protest on 2023 election losers. He said they were the engineers and secret sponsors of the planned protest to destabilize the country.
Speaking at the Senate House on Monday, after the President of the Nation, Bola Tinubu, signed the new national minimum wage bill into law.
He said, “Some individuals and organizations in the country have planned a nationwide protest over the hardship occasioned by the economic policies of the Tinubu administration.
The senate president continued, “Those who lost the election thought they could use the protest to claim the mandate through the back door.
People who probably will not have their fortunes in the 2023 election are thinking they can come through the back door, and that will amount to anarchy,” Mr Akpabio said.
Right To Peaceful Demonstration As Enshrined In The Constitution
Urging and expecting a peaceful demonstration, He cautioned the intended protesters to ignore damaging properties.
“Any destruction of any property will cost Nigeria money. We don’t have the money. Instead, let’s put the money into developing you and your environs instead of rebuilding.”
The Former Governor of Akwa Ibom State noted that the country’s current economic downturn and hardship were not caused by the Government of the day but by the past Government, which failed to keep its house in order.
He stressed, “Where we are today was not caused by one year’s administration; it is the outcome of years of insecurity. Many people could not go to farms, and you know that the president has risen to the occasion.
“Any food item coming in now is coming without anything like a restaurant solution. There are no restrictions; bring in food because Nigerians need food. And then, most things are coming in with a lot of waivers.
August Protest: 2023 Election Losers Are Behind it, Says Akpabio
“So, for me, I am excited that, yes, indeed, the government is doing what it should. And we, the leaders in the National Assembly, are touching our various constituencies. So my appeal to Nigerian youths is, do not allow any group to mislead you politically,” Mr. Akpabio added.
Nigerians Are Used To Hardship And Poverty, Says MURIC
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has stated that poverty and hardship are always the issues faced by Nigerians daily, and it’s not alien to our cultural environment.
MURIC noted that economic meltdown and hardship are of global concern and are not limited to Nigeria alone.
The Group further describes the planned hunger demonstration as bait for giant hunger and suggests that those behind it should instead hold their phlegm and seek to engage the parties involved in a dialogue.
MURIC’s Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, disclosed this in a press statement today.
“We warn clearly, categorically and emphatically that what the organisers call hunger protest is an invitation to the mother of all hunger, he said.
“Instead of unleashing anger on the government and its paraphernalia, the organizers should engage the government in dialogue, bearing in mind the consequences of violent protests worldwide.
Professor Ishaq stressed, “Two other things that should be considered are that inflation is global and hunger is common worldwide.
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2024/07/losers-in-2023-polls-behind-planned-protest-akpabio/
“Nigeria is affected because we are not an island. The second consideration is the antiquity of hardship in Nigeria. Poverty and hard times have been a major concern for Nigerians since immemorial. It is therefore too hasty and unfair to hang it all on a regime barely one-year-old,” part of the statement read.
I Support Peaceful Demonstration And Their Right To Protest – Olumide Akpata
Labour Party, LP, Governorship Candidate Olumide Akpata, running in the forthcoming September 21 poll in Edo State, has backed August’s planned protests and offered support for their rightful and peaceful protest.
Olumide said, “The protest, which is #EndBadGovernance, is to exercise their constitutional rights within the bounds of the law.
Highlighting the right of the citizens to peaceful protest as stipulated in the constitution, Mr. Akpata said,
“It is paramount to emphatically state that the right to peaceful assembly and free expression, including the right of citizens to protest, are fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
As citizens of this great nation, we are not only entitled to exercise these rights but are indeed duty-bound to do so when circumstances necessitate. On this unshakeable constitutional foundation, I unequivocally support the rights of the would-be protesters to assemble peacefully and articulate their grievances.
Taxes On Food Items Suspended To Ease Effect Of Hunger
In a bid to halt August’s Planned protest by ameliorating the living conditions of Nigerians, The Federal Government has suspended taxes on import duties and food items to cushion the effects of hunger and hardship in the country, Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adeniyi, disclosed.
While addressing the public on Monday evening, Adeniyi noted that the federal government is aware of the hardship faced by Nigerians and is working on it as part of its commitment to lighten the burden of the citizenry.
He stated that inflation is affecting the world, including Nigeria, and the federal government has taken a giant step by temporarily removing import duties and other essential food-related taxes.
Adeniyi said that NCS has implemented various initiatives to improve trade, steady the economy, and create new opportunities. These reforms will give farmers, artisans, and entrepreneurs quicker access to global markets, benefiting their families and communities.
He said, “We are committed to implementing this measure seamlessly to address the hunger problem in our nation.’
In addition, he said, the NCS is provoking its efforts to curb the illicit spread of firearms and dangerous weapons in the country and canvassed the importance of collective efforts and peaceful progress to strengthen the country’s borders.
“In these challenging times, let us unite in resilience and cooperation. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to those who have embraced the path of peace and dialogue,” he stated.
Adeniyi called on all aggrieved parties to seek dialogue and peace to further position the country on progress and prosperity.
August Protest: 2023 Election Losers Are Behind it, Says Akpabio