ACTIVIST CLAIMS PROTEST ALREADY REACHED 25% OF ITS GOAL
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Human Rights Activist and Lawyer Tony Dania has said that the #EndBadGovernance protest has already accomplished about 25 percent of its objectives before it even started.
He credited this to the government’s adoption of populist measures, including lowering rice prices, supporting Dangote’s local refinery, and approving a minimum wage for workers.
On Wednesday, Dania explained that the protests arose due to the government’s lack of proactive measures in addressing the underlying issues.
He said, “They’re selling rice. They’re coming up with populist policies, which is something they should have done before. They are addressing the issue of Dangote refinery, which they should have considered earlier. So, I think the protest has succeeded to some extent.”
He said, “They are now selling rice and introducing populist policies, which should have been done earlier.
They are also addressing the issue of the Dangote refinery, which should have been considered sooner.
Therefore, I believe the protest has achieved some success.”
While he supported the protest as long as it remained peaceful, he chose not to participate due to its lack of coordination.
He warned that the protest could be taken over by hoodlums, potentially leading to violence and chaos in the country.
The activist criticized the so-called organizers for not having well-coordinated plans.
He said, “Can any of the organisers control the protests if hijacked by criminals? Can they manage protests against the protest because the government will also counter-protest, and some politicians may even plant thugs among the genuine protesters? Can they control the situation?
“The protest is justified and I support it, except that I am not in support of it being hijacked by criminals or politicians. You can’t stop the area boys from joining in. You can’t stop the government from counter-protesting.
“The protest is justified even though some cases have been seen to be very pronounced for other parties. It is not a partisan issue. But then, politicians can still take advantage of it, leading to the destruction of scarce infrastructure.
“I will not support that. Protests that lead to the killing of police personnel, like what happened during the #EndSARS saga, are unacceptable.
“I will not support protests that lead to destruction. But everything in society is evolving, not static. So, we should look at the best way to effect protests and reduce the damages that usually occur in Nigeria.
“For instance, what I’m doing here is a form of protest, and it’s effective and does not damage society.”
The legal practitioner stated that the protests stem from rampant corruption among government officials at both federal and state levels, instances of significant fraud and illicit enrichment, the high cost of living, inadequate support for small and medium-sized businesses, the economic impact of the oil, gas, and maritime sectors, as well as youth unrest and unemployment.
He suggested that the solution to the current situation lies in the Federal Government implementing self-executing populist policies and supporting the Dangote refinery, which could boost the economy by over 30% through job creation and value chains, support local farmers, and address national insecurity.
He doubted that the protests would last the ten days announced by the organizers, noting that over 40% of Nigerians rely on daily jobs for their survival and cannot afford to wait that long.
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