A coalition of youth, civil societies, socialists, and radical groups has announced that the planned #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protest will go ahead as scheduled, despite threats and intimidation from the government and security agencies.
At a Press conference in Lagos on Tuesday, the coalition condemned the government’s attempts to disparage, calumniate, and demonize the protest, and accused the authorities of trying to muzzle dissent and harass young people who are speaking out against the country’s socio-economic woes.
The Coalition listed the government’s anti-poor and neo-liberal capitalist policies, including the removal of fuel subsidies, as the reason for the protest.
They demanded a reversal of the fuel price to pre-May 29, 2023 levels, an end to hardship and hunger, and the recall of victimized activists, among other things.
The Organisers said the protest is scheduled to take place in Lagos and other parts of the country starting from Thursday, August 1, 2024, with the following takeoff points:
- Ikeja Under Bridge, Lagos State (7am)
The Coalition’s cardinal demands include:
- Reversal of fuel price to pre-May 29, 2023 level
- Reversal of electricity tariff to pre-May 29, 2023 level
- End to hardship and hunger
- Recall of all victimized activists
- Free all #EndSARS detainees
- End to school fee hike
- Call for study grants not loans
- Place all political office holders on same national Minimum wage
- Reverse of all anti-poor and neo-liberal capitalist policies
- Fix public refineries and build new ones under democratic workers control and management
- Reverse of all privatization of public enterprises and place them under democratic control and management
- End insecurity, police brutality, and kidnapping
- No to illegal demolition/force evictions
- Creation of decent jobs and payment of unemployment benefit to those unemployed
- Prosecute all corrupt politicians and return all stolen wealth
- End security vote
- Free quality healthcare for all
- End to attacks on Press freedom
- Release all political detainees including journalists and bloggers
The Coalition warned anyone coming with the intention to foment violence to stay clear of the protest and also warned the Police, DSS, and Security agencies not to deploy their agents to infiltrate the protest with the aim of fomenting trouble.
The protest is seen as a first step towards addressing the country’s socio-economic problems, which the Coalition believes can only be solved by the Nigerian masses themselves.
They called for system change and a new Nigeria where the wealth of the country will be used primarily to make life better for its people, instead of enriching a few.
Editor: Ken Eseni
