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- Organizers of the October 1st nationwide protest have requested security support from the Nigerian Police to ensure participant safety
- Hassan Soweto of the Education Rights Campaign (ERC) has called for peaceful demonstrations against "anti-poor policies"
- The protest in Lagos will start at 7:30am at Ikeja under bridge, with participants marching through various streets to raise awareness
In a bid to ensure the safety of participants in the upcoming nationwide protest on October 1st, the organizers have formally requested security support from the Nigerian Police.
This request was articulated in a statement jointly signed by several advocacy groups, including the Education Rights Campaign (ERC), Movement for Fundamental Change (MFC), Youth Rights Campaign (YRC), Joint Action Front (JAF), and Pan-African Consciousness Renaissance (PACOR-Nigeria).
Source: Getty Images
During a press briefing on Thursday, Hassan Soweto, the national coordinator of the ERC, urged Nigerians to participate in peaceful demonstrations against what he described as “anti-poor policies.”
He emphasized the importance of maintaining non-violent protests to effectively convey their message.
The organizers have detailed plans for the protest in Lagos, which is set to begin at 7:30am at the Ikeja under bridge. Participants will march through various streets to raise public awareness about their cause.
In their communication with Olanrewaju Ishola, the Lagos state commissioner of police, the organizers stressed the need for adequate security measures in accordance with the Police Establishment Act 2020.
They highlighted the importance of ensuring the safety of all participants during the protest.
The statement read thus:
“By this announcement, we inform the Commissioner of Police of our planned October action and remind the Police of their obligation under Section 83 (4) of the Police Establishment Act 2020 to provide adequate security for citizens participating in public meetings, rallies, and protests,” they said.
“This action serves as a warning and urgent cry for the Tinubu administration to address our demands immediately. If our demands are not met, more protests will follow the National Day of Survival.”
Giving reasons the protest must hold, the organizers opined: “We invite you on another journey to redeem our nation as we continue to stand against the anti-poor policies of this regime,” the statement reads.
“As is obvious to everyone, none of the demands of our ten days of rage in August has been met.
“Rather, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu simply went ahead to use our national treasury to procure luxury cars, aircraft, and other luxuries for himself and the first family without caring a hoot about the plea of hungry Nigerians.
“To show the absolute disdain that the Federal Government holds for the people, Tinubu has gone ahead to now unleash on the Nigerian another round of hike in fuel price earlier this month.
“As we speak, the price of fuel hovers between N900 per litre to N1900 per litre depending on which parts of the country you are.
“Meanwhile, less than two years ago, a liter of fuel did not cost more than N200 per litre. This is outrageous. This is intolerable. As a direct consequence of this increment, life has become unbearable for many Nigerian people.
“Many are starving as the increase in fuel price has also impacted food prices. Inflation has rendered the N70,000 new National Minimum Wage irrelevant and incapable of bringing any relief to Nigerian workers.
“At the same time, the sharp rise in the cost of imported goods has rendered traders and shopkeepers redundant as shops are overflowing with goods that no one is ready to buy.
“The situation has also affected businesses and industries. Nothing less than ten multinational firms have left the shores of Nigeria between May last year, leading to even more job losses.
“Based on the foregoing, we of the #EndBadGovernance Movement have decided to declare October 1st, 2024, as ‘National Day of Survival.
“On this day, we call on the Nigerian people, workers, students, youth, the unemployed, traders, and the poor to come out in peaceful protest and demonstrations against the excruciating condition of hardship, poverty, and hunger imposed on us by President Tinubu’s decision to implement IMF/World Bank-inspired anti-poor capitalist policies of fuel price hike, electricity tariff hike, school fees hike, and naira devaluation.
“We also call on the Nigerian people to utilize this day to demand with one voice the immediate and unconditional release of all #EndSARS and #EndBadGovernance protesters in police and prison custody, as well as freedom for detained journalists, whistleblowers, activists, and all victims of state repression.”
Tension as protest breaks out in Abuja
Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that Nigerians gathered in Abuja on Monday to protest the ongoing fuel scarcity, led by the Coalition of Concerned Civil Society Organizations of Nigeria.
Comrade Aminu Abbas, the convener, blamed the group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, for the fuel scarcity.
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Source: Legit.ng
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