The United Action Front of Civil Society has issued a stark warning to all levels of government regarding any attempts to intimidate protesters during the upcoming nationwide demonstrations scheduled for August 1 to 10, 2024.
In a statement released on Monday, the umbrella group of civil society organizations emphasized that the government should address protesters’ concerns rather than resorting to threats or other forms of suppression.
Wale Okunniyi, Head of the Secretariat for the United Action Front of Civil Society, expressed the group’s stance on the looming protests, which have gained significant traction on social media under hashtags ‘#EndBadGovernance,’
The statement read, “We wish to advise the Tinubu government to immediately take proactive steps to address the demands and concerns already raised by citizens’ groups participating in the planned nationwide citizens’ protests, if they are truly sincere about averting mass action beyond grandstanding and hoodwinking of Nigerians. No amount of threats and gimmicks deployed by agents of the Nigerian government can stop the nationwide mass demonstrations.”
Among the key demands of the protestors are the urgent reversal of fuel prices from the current unofficial rate of N1,000 per litre to the pre-January 2023 price of N167 per litre. Another major demand is a significant reduction in government expenditure, specifically a 50 percent cut in the emoluments and allowances of all elected officials.
The statement further highlighted the deep-rooted issues within Nigeria’s political framework, attributing many problems of stability, insecurity, and development to the 1999 constitution, which was imposed undemocratically and is seen as corruptive and divisive.
“The most fundamental problems of stability, insecurity, and development in Nigeria are entrenched in the undemocratic constitution imposed as Decree 24 of 1999,” the statement said.
“The government must address these crucial concerns to avoid any unintended consequences from the nationwide protests.”
The United Action Front of Civil Society has urged citizens to hold the government accountable for any adverse outcomes resulting from the failure to address the protesters’ demands.