Tinubu failed to calm tension with broadcast, IGP should be sacked, says CODWA
By Dele Moses, Ilorin
An organisation promoting welfare and development of communities, Community Outreach for Development and Welfare Advocacy (CODWA), has said that President Bola Tinubu, who made a national broadcast on the ongoing protest against economic hardship in the country, failed to calm tension in the nation caused by the alleged killing of some of the protesters.
CODWA, led by rights activist Taiwo Otitolaye, said expectations of people of the country that tension would be calmed were shattered by the failure of the president to speak on the alleged killings and assault of protesters by security personnel.
The organisation in a statement signed by Otitolaye alleged that the president’s body language and actions by the speech showed that he ordered security operatives’ treatment of protesters.
CODWA called for independent inquiries into the alleged killings and asked that the Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun be sacked.
“The expectations of Nigerians were very high from the eve of when President Bola Tinubu’s spokeperson announced that the president will be addressing the nation the following day Sunday 4th August,” the group said.
“The people’s expectations and vigil was however shattered by Tinubu’s shallow, insensitive and bold face negligence of his responsibility to calm the tensions across the country on the aftermath of primitive killings, attacks and psychological traumas inflicted on #EndbadGovernance peaceful protesters since 1st August, by the nation’s security agencies which President Bola Tinubu is the Commander-in-Chief (CIC).
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“The president with pretences and insensitivity, cunningly avoided acknowledging the brutal killings and assaults to Nigerians during the peaceful protests calling his attention to hunger, poverty and degenerated quality of life caused by bad governance.
“Tinubu cannot pretend not to be aware of the barbarities unleashed against the citizenry. The president’s body language and actions by his speech is a confirmation that he ORDERED THE KILLINGS AND ATTACKS IN THE FIRST PLACE!
“For how long must we continue to parade a primitive army of occupation reminisce of the colonial era and acting with brigandage in Hitlerith fashion?
“Is President Bola Tinubu openly saying that the uncivilized handling of the protests by his government that we have witnessed so far are rehearsals of what to expect in the days, months and years of his tenure?
“The speech is nothing but a disgrace and tantrums to what is expected from civil leadership. It’s a resemblance of speeches by taciturn-fascist political dictators.
“The Community Outreach for Development and Welfare Advocacy (CODWA) join civilized individuals, groups and nations around the world to condemn in its entirety the naked killings of peaceful protesters and the betrayals of President Bola Tinubu in his empty and insensitive broadcast to the nation on the ongoing national protests.
“We call for the sack of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), independent inquiries into the gruesome killings. The panel of inquiry must be populated by known and consistent people-oriented personalities; dismissal of the security and political actors found wanting to the killings and attacks of peaceful protesters; a comprehensive reform of the police service along community policing that is a complete opposite of killer squad personal bodyguards.
“This country is fast standing on the shore of complete anarchy if we continue on this pathway. If this continues, then the people’s revolution is inevitable because these recurring killings and waste of lives cannot stand.”
