Youths put Tinubu on notice for hunger protest season 2 for failing to address their grievances
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Bola Tinubu is “the most demonised politician in Nigeria,” Vice President Kashim Shettima acknowledged in Abuja at the weekend but put a gloss on the tag by insisting the President “means well” for the country.
Shettima’s predictable take that his principal “means well” notwithstanding, youths say they are riding on the baggage, bad reputation, and the arrogance and insensitivity of Tinubu to return to their hunger protest on October 1, during the anniversary of Nigeria’s independence.
The demonisation comes mainly from youths who have never respected nor trusted Tinubu and his bullion van politics through which he empties the national treasury to make himself and his cronies comfortable at the expense of other citizens.
After deploying thugs and troops to brutalise and kill youths who protested against hunger last month, and after failing to accede to any of the demands of the protesters, news has just emerged that Tinubu has bought a new presidential jet at $100 million.
Nigerians know that, based on his background, Tinubu is also mismanaging public funds in other ways that are not yet disclosed to the public.
Shettima knows very well this is why citizens troll Tinubu online and offline and “demonise” him.
Youths still feel sore that Tinubu has not addressed their grievances, and say they will return to the trenches on October 1 to press on with their protest to #EndBadGovernance and hunger across the country.
Omoyele Sowore, a member of the African Action Congress (AAC) and one of the organisers of the last protest, disclosed the new plan to DAILY POST at the weekend.
Human rights activist Deji Adeyanju, one of the lawyers who represented the agitators in the last uproar, said he and his team “are currently working on the matter” of detained protesters to secure their release.
Sowore confirmed some of the protesters have been released and efforts are ongoing to get others released.
His words: “We are working to get all detained persons released and have, in fact, succeeded in getting some released.
“To this, we owe some gratitude to several human rights attorneys who have dedicated their time and resources to ensure these latest victims of rights abuses are released from unjust detention.
“The federal government would soon face an ultimatum to release all arrested protesters if they continue to be reckless and intransigent.”
The looming protest is said to be connected with Tinubu’s failure to address the demands of the protesters.
Unmet demands
The EndBadGovernance protesters last month made at least 15 demands on the government, including reversal of fuel subsidy removal or better management of it.
Other demands include:
“Toss the Senate arm, keep the House of Representatives and make lawmaking a part-time endeavour.
“Reduce the overall cost of governance.
“Pay Nigerian workers a minimum wage of nothing less than N250,000 monthly.
“Release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu unconditionally and demilitarize the South East. All ENDSARS and political detainees must also be released and compensated.
“End banditry, terrorism and violent crimes. Reform security agencies to stop continuous human rights violations.
“Massive shake-ups in the Nigerian judiciary to remove cabals of corrupt generations of judges and judicial officers that continue denying citizens access to real justice.
“Diaspora voting”.
The youths lament Tinubu did not address any of their demands when he addressed the nation in a broadcast on August 4.
Sowore denied knowledge of an ongoing dialogue between the government and youths.
“I am not part of any negotiations. We are all working on our next set of prolonged protests tagged #fearlessinOctober,” he said.
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