By Ishaya Ibrahim
A number of civil society groups including the Education Rights Campaign, Movement for Foundational Change, Youths Rights Campaign, Joint Action Front and Pan African Consciousness Renaissance have announced the plans for October 1 protest.
At a press conference on Thursday in Lagos, the groups said marchers would converge at the Ikeja Under Bridge on October 1 beginning from 7:30am to begin the protest.
Comrade Hassan Taiwo Soweto who read the texts of the press statement called on the police to take notice of the planned protest and provide security for the marchers as prescribed under section 83 (4) of the Police Establishment Act 2020.
Tagged, National Day of Survival, the groups listed among other demands a halt of the neo-liberal IMF policies, reversal of fuel and electricity tariff hike and ensuring that government owned refineries work to guarantee affordable fuel supply.
The demand also includes reduction of food prices and an end to hunger, support for farmers to ensure sustainable food supply, end insecurity, prosecute sponsors of terrorism, support for soldiers at the frontlines, and unconditional release of Adaramoye Michael Lenin and other #EndBadGovernance protesters who are still being held by the state.
The demand also includes the swift implementation of the. N70,000 new National Minimum Wage at all levels, place all political office holders on the minimum wage, scrap security votes and constituency allowances and other demands.
The groups said the October protest will not be limited to any location as happened during the August #EndBadGovernance protest, nor stopped by any ‘illegal court orders because the Nigerian people have the constitutional right to express their displeasure with government policies.
Part of the texts of the press statement reads: “We are here 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 our 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 ten days of rage in August has been met. Rather, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu simply went ahead to use our national treasury to procure luxury cars, aircraft and other luxuries for himself and the first family without paying a hoot about the plea of hungry Nigerians.
“To show the absolute disdain that the federal government holds the people, Tinubu has gone ahead to now unleash on the Nigerian another round of hike in fuel price.
“As we speak, the price of fuel hovers between N900 per litre to N1,900 per litre depending on which parts of the country you are. Meanwhile, less than two years ago, a litre of fuel did not cost more than N200 per litre. This is outrageous. This is intolerable. As a direct result of this increment, life has become unbearable for many Nigerian people.”
