A coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) have issued a statement, expressing their disappointment in President Bola Tinubu’s address to the nation, stating that it did not engage core demands made by the #EndBadGovernance protesters.
Tinubu, in his address to the nation on Sunday, appealed to the protesters, who have been on the streets since Thursday, to end the demonstration, saying “I have heard you loud and clear.”
The demonstrators, driven by grievances over economic hardship, high food prices, and the removal of fuel subsidies, continue to demand changes.
Other demands include immediate reforms of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), along with renewed efforts to combat corruption among politicians.
A statement released on Monday and signed by multiple CSOs including Accountability Lab Nigeria, BudgIT Foundation, and Enough is Enough (EiE) Nigeria, highlighted the lack of response to key issues such as good governance, accountability, and immediate social development in the president’s speech.
Despite the president outlining several medium to long-term economic policies, the CSOs criticised his failure to address immediate concerns and the violence faced by protesters at the hands of security forces.
“He also failed to acknowledge that the security force’s response to protesters had resulted in the extra-judicial killing of several protesters, and missed the opportunity to assure the nation that their perpetrators will be held accountable,” the statement reads.
The civil society groups emphasised the constitutional duty of the government to engage with citizens’ demands, referencing Section 14(2)(a) of the 1999 Constitution, which states, “Sovereignty belongs to the people of Nigeria, from whom government, through this Constitution, derives all its powers and authority.”
Except for increased investment in agriculture and student loan disbursements, the demands such as farmers protection, human capital development, electoral reform, and constitutional and judicial reforms that require process were ignored completely, the civil society said.
They noted that although the president announced plans to reduce the cost of food through measures like food importation, subsidised credits, logistics interventions and release of over N570 billion to states to expand livelihood support the measures outlined are medium to long-term solutions, leaving questions about immediate interventions and the specifics of fund allocation.
The CSOs added that the protesters demanded immediate reductions in the price of fuel, electricity tariffs, and import taxes but the president’s address was silent on these issues.
Call for dialogue
The civil society groups acknowledged Tinubu’s openness to dialogue but stressed that this must be pursued with sincerity.
They called for the immediate release of all arrested peaceful protesters and sanctions against security agents who attacked them. They recommended that representatives from the National Peace Committee and reputable civil society organisations facilitate and observe the dialogue process.
“We remind the government that should security forces continue to aggravate protesters, it may become difficult to broker dialogue. It is our recommendation that representatives of the National Peace Committee and reputable civil society groups serve as facilitators and observers of this dialogue process and its outcomes,” the statement stated
The statement concluded with a call for the federal government to concede to some of the protesters’ demands as a sign of its commitment to citizen-centred governance.
“The protesters have said they will continue their peaceful demands on the streets until Saturday, August 10. We urge the federal government to concede the low-hanging requests as a reassurance of its commitment to citizen-centered governance and leadership,” they said.
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