The Presidency has said Nigerians have the constitutional right to peaceful protest and no one can deny them this.
The declaration came on a day pro-government protests, organised by state chairmen of All Progressives Congress, APC rocked state capitals across the country and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja.
The Federal Government is also said to be taking steps to placate youths in the country to stave off the protest slated for Thursday, August 1, billed to last for 10 days.
However, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, yesterday summoned the legal adviser to the organisers of the protest, Mr Ebun Olu-Olu-Adegboruwa, SAN, to a meeting at Force Headquarters in Abuja today over the August 1, nationwide protest.
The declaration came against the backdrop of calls across the country that the protest against hardship in the land should not hold for fear of its being hijacked by violent people.
This came as no fewer than 36 civil society organisations in the country also reaffirmed the fundamental rights of citizens to peaceful protest as a fundamental pillar of democratic governance.
This is even as one of the arrowheads of the planned protest and convener of Take-It-Back Movement, Damilare Adenola, said Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FECT, Nyesom Wike, has no right to deny organisers of the protest use of Eagle Square in Abuja, it being a public facility.
The minister had, at the weekend, threatened to stop the use of the facility unless organisers of the protest, slated for Thursday, August 1, applied officially for it.
Meanwhile, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, yesterday blamed the planned nationwide protest on politicians who lost the 2023 elections, alleging that they were intent on coming to power through the back door, just as the South-West Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress, APC, appealed to Nigerians that the present hardship will soon give way to meaningful livelihood for all and urged them to ignore the protest.
Ahead of the protest, the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, yesterday directed all universities to make arrangements for the security and safety of staff, students and property.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, who stated the Presidency’s position in an interview on TVC late Sunday night, said no one has the right to stop peaceful protest in the country, adding that it is the power of protest that brought the return of democracy to Nigeria.
He said: “There is nobody within our administration that has the standing, the command, or the gravitas to tell Nigerians that they cannot peacefully protest and that they cannot peacefully protest in any part of the country.
“We are not in office to dominate our people, we are in office to serve our people. And this is the position of the president.
“President Bola Tinubu has been very clear that the notion of peaceful protest is a central component of an effective function in democracy.
“Anyone who disagrees with the notion from inside the government, the notion that we are here to serve our people and not dominate them, they are lining up themselves against the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who will defend the right of Nigerians to peaceful protest in any part of the country. And we want to be very unequivocal about that.”
Ngelale noted that there were legitimate concerns that the protest might turn violent but stressed, that was not enough to stop a peaceful protest.
On fears that the protest might turn the way for the #EndSARS protest which resulted in the massive destruction of property, especially in Lagos, he said it was unfortunate that the great majority of the people suffered the actions of a few, noting that the people were also deprived of benefits of infrastructure destroyed during the protest.
He said the government would ensure those out to hijack the protest do not succeed.
Also, days before the protest, the Federal Government, according to Reuters, is offering young people jobs in the state oil company and billions of naira worth of grants among other incentives to discourage the action.
Nigerian activists have been looking to emulate youth-led protests elsewhere in Africa which have rocked the government in Kenya and prompted a tough security response in Uganda.
Nigeria’s state oil firm, which seven years ago warned job seekers against falling prey to fraudulent messages about job placements in the company, published on Friday nationwide job vacancies in a post on X for the first time in nearly a decade.
An NNPC Ltd spokesperson said a flood of applications crashed the company’s website.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Youth Development on Friday, also relaunched a N110 billion youth investment fund that was started in 2020, aimed at providing grants to Nigeria’s youth to generate jobs.
The youth ministry had said in May said it would revive the programme but little had been heard about it until Friday.
Nigerians are organising online nationwide protests this week in response to a cost of living crisis that has seen inflation rise to a 28-year-high of 34.2 per cent which followed President Bola Tinubu’s removal of fuel subsidies and a currency devaluation.
Religious clerics, traditional rulers and other prominent Nigerians have joined the government in discouraging young people from embarking on protests slated to begin on August 1, fearing Kenya-style protests will wreak havoc on the economy.
The government has sought more time to end hardships and both the police and army leadership have warned against the protests, saying they could get out of control.
Protesters have said they have a right to peaceful demonstrations, calling the government’s warnings of violence a smokescreen for a potential crackdown.
Also on Monday, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Kayode Egbetokun summoned Mr Ebun Olu-Olu-Adegboruwa, SAN, to a meeting at the Force Headquarters in Abuja today over the August 1, nationwide protest.
Adegboruwa had previously written to the IGP on July 26 seeking protection for members of the “Take-It-Back Movement,’ who are part of the civil society organizations taking part in the protest.
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In response to Mr Adegboruwa’s request, the IGP, through his Principal Staff Officer, CP Johnson Adenola, said the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Operations and Intelligence), the Assistant Inspectors-General of Police in charge of Zonal Police Headquarters, and the Commissioners of Police in charge of state commands across the country had been mandated to accede to his requests.
The letter read: ‘’I am to inform you that the Inspector-General of Police has directed the Deputy Inspectors-General of Police (Operations and Intelligence), the Assistant Inspectors-General of Police in charge of Zonal Police Headquarters, and the Commissioners of Police in charge of State Commands across the country to attend to your request.
‘’I am to also inform you that the Inspector-General of Police wishes to have a meeting with you at the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters, Abuja on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, to deliberate further on your request.”
Similarly, civil society organisations, CSOs, have also the right of the people to peaceful protest.
In a statement jointly signed 36 CSOs, the groups said: ‘’This right is a cornerstone of any democratic society and a critical means for citizens to express their dissatisfaction, demand accountability, and advocate for change.
‘’Protesting is a legitimate form of expression enshrined in international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, UDHR, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution (as amended), among others.
‘’It allows citizens to publicly voice their concerns, challenge injustices, and participate actively in the democratic process.
Protests serve as a vital mechanism for holding leaders accountable and ensuring that government actions reflect the will and needs of the people.
‘’History has shown that protests can lead to significant changes in government policies, processes and practices, highlighting the power of collective action to address grievances and promote good governance.”
The Newsmatrix
