AFRICA

NIGERIANS PLAN KENYA-STYLE ANTI-GOVERNMENT PROTESTS IN AUGUST

NIGERIANS PLAN KENYA-STYLE ANTI-GOVERNMENT PROTESTS IN AUGUST
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Faith Nyasuguta

A poster circulating on social media indicates that Nigerians are planning nationwide protests from August 1 to 10, 2024, to demand better governance from the ruling administration. The poster lists 12 demands, including addressing alleged anti-people policies, over taxation, and electoral reforms.

The Nigerian Constitution, under Section 40, grants citizens the right to protest and assemble. Organizers, under the hashtag #ENDBGIN, are rallying people to support the cause regardless of their tribe, region, or religion. The poster advises protesters to carry placards, handkerchiefs, bottles of water, white cloths or ribbons, and the Nigerian flag, with a dress code of white and black.

Nigerian President Tinubu /Africa News/

Protesters are to gather at local government assemblies, House representative residences, governors’ offices, and the National Assembly in Abuja. For those in cities like Enugu, Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt, Abuja, and Kaduna, they are instructed to block all roads leading to the city and airports on the first day of the protests.

These planned demonstrations draw inspiration from recent anti-Finance Bill protests in Kenya, which saw youth-driven civil disobedience against proposed new taxes. The Kenyan government reported 25 deaths and significant property damage when protests turned violent. Ultimately, President William Ruto sent the bill back to Parliament, asking MPs to delete all contentious clauses.

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In a recent engagement on the social media platform X, President Ruto interacted with Gen Z, listening to their concerns about the Finance Bill, 2024. He acknowledged that misinformation had contributed to its rejection and promised to address their suggestions. “My administration has always believed in listening and engaging,” he said. “I need to listen more, I need more empathy, and my administration needs more empathy and action.”

In Nigeria, protest organizers demand an end to fuel subsidies, which they label a “scam.” They seek to lower fuel prices to below 300 Naira per liter, reintroduce subsidies on education to reduce tertiary education fees, and restore electricity tariffs to affordable rates. They also want to revert import duty rates, reduce the salaries and allowances of all House representatives, including senators and the speaker, and establish an emergency fund to support SMEs.

Additionally, the protesters call for reforms in the Judiciary, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). They advocate for making INEC independent, with transparent processes for appointing its chairman, and enacting a law mandating INEC to transmit electoral results electronically.

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President Tinubu, declared the winner of Nigeria’s February 2023 presidential elections, took office amid a fractured nation, an ailing economy, and spiraling insecurity. The protest planners demand that he address the country’s inflation and fulfill their broader calls for systemic change to improve governance and transparency.

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Faith Nyasuguta

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