#EndBadGovernance: Police summon protest organisers, community leaders in Lagos

The Lagos State Police Command on Friday invited organisers of the October #EndBadGovernance protest to a stakeholders’ meeting, warning against excesses.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state’s Commissioner of Police, Olarenwaju Ishola, at the meeting also assured Lagos residents of police presence during the planned protest, saying their motive would be to maintain safety and order.

“We are not stopping anybody from protesting, it is your legitimate right. We will protect all, so that miscreants do not hijack it,” he said.

One of the organisers and National Coordinator of Education Rights Campaign, Hassan Soweto, who was part of the meeting on Friday, also confirmed the commissioner’s assurance of cooperation with the protesters.
“They assured us of security,” Mr Soweto told PREMIUM TIMES in a telephone interview.

Earlier on Friday, PREMIUM TIMES learnt some members of the organising team of the planned protest were summoned by the police to attend the stakeholders’ meeting at the police command in Ikeja.

According to a source who craved anonymity, some of the organisers invited by the police included Mr Soweto, Adeniji Adeboyega, Aishat Omolara, Isaac Obasi, among others

Backstory

On Thursday, both Mr Soweto and Francis Nwapa had addressed a briefing in Lagos, announcing the preparation for the October protest.

At the briefing, which held at the International Press Centre, Ogba area of Lagos, the duo gave reasons the October protest must hold, saying apart from the high prices of fuel, the President Bola Tinubu-led administration’s alleged profligacy has made “nonsense” of austerity measures being preached by the government.

The organisers have therefore announced that the October protest will be tagged: “A Day of Survival,” and urged Lagosians to join them to express their dissatisfaction with the programmes and policies of the incumbent administration.

Security operatives warn against possible hijack

NAN reports that the police commissioner said the command would live up to its mandate of ensuring that no group or individual would be allowed to create chaos nor destroy property in the state.

He said: “Protesters should not trample on other people’s rights or disrupt public peace. We will not condone any act of lawlessness or violence.

“Independence Day is a day for celebration but some people want to use that day for another purpose. We as security agencies will do our best to ensure that we have a good turn out for the independence celebration.

“The protesters should not disturb people who want to celebrate”.

Mr Ishola, however, said the planned protest would be restricted to only one location in the state, noting that his men would enforce the court order restricting the nationwide protests against economic hardship to Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park in Ojota.

“The protesters must keep within the ambience of what the law says, no other place in Lagos is approved,” he said.

SSS, others speak

NAN reports that the Director of the State Security Service in the state, Dapo Amao, said it was the right of citizens to protest or express their displeasure against government but must be done in a civilised way.

He said there was need to prevent the protest from being hijacked by hoodlums, who are prepared to breach law and order and cause destruction in the state.

“We will collaborate with other security agencies to ensure lives and property are secured. We will provide enabling environment for businesses to thrive and make sure that things do not get out of hand,” he said.

According to him, protesters should not disturb residents from going around without harassment, disturbance and destruction of public peace,” he said.

Mr Amao urged citizens to give government time to put things right.

Also speaking, the State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Lagos State Command, Adedotun Keshinro, said if there must be protest, it must be peaceful and should not affect the rights of others.

He appealed to stakeholders to spread the gospel that “the security agencies would not condone any act of lawlessness in the state.”

Meanwhile, Arewa and Ndigbo community leaders, traditional leaders, student union leaders, members of Nigeria Labour Congress, traders, among others in the state were also represented at the meeting.

Protesters to gather in Ikeja

Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES after the meeting with the security agencies, Mr Soweto said the planning for the protest would continue unhindered.

He said protesters would convene at the Ikeja Underbridge before moving to various destinations in Lagos.

“We will be having a people’s parliament at every junction in Lagos to discuss with long-suffering Lagosians how the government policies are affecting us and what needs to be done,” he said.

Mr Soweto also expressed doubt about the security promised by the police.

“We are waiting to see if what he (police commissioner) is saying will be the reality but at our own level we will continue to mobilise,” the activist said.

EndBadGovernance protest

The #TheEndBadGovernance protest which lasted 10 days in August across Nigeria was a call for the federal government to reduce the size and cost of governance, reduction in prices of food, petrol, housing, and electricity; lowering interest rates, and checking insecurity.

However, hoodlums hijacked the protests in many northern cities.

The organisers said that Nigeria’s 64th anniversary is not worth celebrating.

The group said since President Tinubu rose to power, he has imposed unprecedented hardship on millions of Nigerians and “pushed many into poverty and hardship.”