#EndBadGovernance: Deputy Senate President asks organisers to shelve planned protest

The deputy senate president acknowledged that the country faces hardships but urged Nigerians to persevere.

The Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, has called on the #EndBadGovernance protest organisers to cancel it in honour of the nation’s 64th Independence Anniversary.

Mr Jibrin made the call on Monday in a statement made by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ismail Mudashir.

Organisers of the protest have scheduled 1 October for the demonstration, a day on which the country will mark its 64th year of Independence.

Rather than celebrating the nation’s Independence, the organisers declared the day “National Day of Survival” to demonstrate against the policies of President Bola Tinubu due to increasing hardship in the country.

In the statement, Mr Jibrin acknowledged that the country is experiencing hardship but urged Nigerians to continue to persevere.

He said the reforms introduced by the federal government were not intended to punish Nigerians but to straighten the nation’s economy.

He assured that the country would soon overcome its hardship and other challenges.

“Fellow Nigerians, happy Independence Day. As we celebrate the 64th Independence Anniversary – the liberty from colonial rule, we must remember the enormous sacrifices made by our founding fathers: Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Ahmadu Bello and Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, among others, and recommit ourselves to the ideals they preached including the promotion of national unity, peace, justice and tolerance.

“Yes, at 64, we face some challenges as a country, but we will overcome them by God’s grace. We will come out stronger. Let’s continue to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in actualising his policies and programmes. He has good intentions for the country. We will get it right, “he said.

Good governance

The deputy senate president also assured that the upper chamber, under the leadership of Godswill Akpabio, would ensure legislation that promotes good governance and supports Mr Tinubu’s administration.

“Under the able leadership of Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, the president of the Senate, he said the parliament would continue to work for good governance and support the executive with the necessary legislation to actualise its programmes and policies.

“Coming from the retreat of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution held in Kano over the weekend, he said the committee under his chairmanship was working hard to amend the nation’s constitution to meet the wishes and aspirations of Nigerians,” the statement added.

Mr Jibrin commended President Tinubu for appointing the members of the Governing Board of the North West Development Commission (NWDC) for its launch, saying this is a further confirmation of the president’s commitment to tackling the challenges facing the North-west geopolitical zone.

“Together, we can forge a more robust and inclusive constitutional framework for our beloved nation, Nigeria, as we seek to build a brighter future for all our citizens,” he said.