#EndBadGovernance: Organisers speak ahead of 1 October protest

The organisers said rather than celebrate on 1 October, “it should be a day to fight for the survival of democratic rights and the dignity of the Nigerian people.”

The organisers of the #EndBadGovernance that lasted 10 days in August have again announced preparation for another round of protests tagged: “A Day of Survival,” and scheduled for 1 October.

In a statement signed by Francis Nwapa and Hassan Soweto, on Thursday, on behalf of the #EndBadGovernance Movement Lagos State, said the protest march would commence by 7:30 a.m. and would take off in Ikeja.

The statement reads in part: “We are here once again to invite you on another journey to redeem our nation as we continue to stand against all the anti-poor policies and programmes of the regime that are orchestrated to impoverish the people despite the abundance of wealth to make life easy and more rewarding for all citizens of our dear country.

“As is obvious to everyone, none of the demands of our 10 days of rage in August has been met. Rather, President Bola Tinubu simply went ahead to use our national treasury to procure luxury cars, aircraft and other luxuries for himself, without caring a hoot about the plea of the hungry Nigerians.”

Reasons for protest

The protesters condemned the recent hike in the price of petrol, saying the situation has reached catastrophic levels with prices fluctuating between N900 and N1,900 per litre, depending on the region.

“Many are starving as the increase in fuel price has also impacted on food prices. Inflation has rendered the N70,000 new national minimum wage irrelevant and incapable of bringing relief to Nigerian workers,” the statement said.

The group referred to the significant rise in the cost of goods as having rendered many traders and shopkeepers redundant.

It said: “The situation has also affected businesses and industries. Nothing less than 10 multinational firms have left the shores of Nigeria between May 2023 and now”.

No celebration in October

The group said since President Tinubu rose to power, he has imposed unprecedented hardship on millions of Nigerians and “pushed many into poverty and hardship.”

The statement noted: “Many families are at the point of starvation; several people have lost their jobs, and the rate of suicide is increasing. Despite this, President Tinubu continues to drive forward these criminal, anti-people policies.

“As far as we are concerned rather than celebrate, 1 October should be a day to fight for the survival of democratic rights and the dignity of the Nigerian people in the face of the rampaging onslaught of President Tinubu’s government, which has employed brutal and repressive measures to quell any opposition to his policies.

“Basic civil liberties, like freedom of expression, association and lawful assembly, that usually distinguishes free citizens from slaves, are now largely absent in our country.”