The planned nationwide protests over the current hardship in the country should be approached with caution by both sides. Nigeria, as a country sitting on many fault lines – religious, ethnic and political – needs to address potentially incendiary events such as these planned protests with great sensitivity and tact.
First, the rights of Nigerians to protest peacefully as a form of political expression must be respected as it is a fundamental right guaranteed by the constitution. We must also appreciate that the motivation for the protest, which is the current hardship in the country, is a germane reason for a show of public concern. However, consideration must be paid to our history of protests with a penchant for causing unnecessary loss of lives and property.
This is often a consequence of heavy-handed crowd control measures on the part of security personnel, and the appropriation of civic actions by brigands and criminals to loot shops, businesses, warehouses as well as private residences. One only needs to look at the #EndSARS protest as a cautionary tale.
Unfortunately in most cases, both protesters and the authorities have failed to grasp the basic ethics of peaceful protests, and therefore what should be a civic activity meant to strengthen democracy and accountability has often been abused. Trees are wantonly mutilated and streets are littered with branches and other trash; bonfires are lit, and roads are cut off, causing untold hardship on Nigerians on whose behalf these protests are being held. On the other hand, civilians exercising their freedom of expression are frequently hounded, beaten and shot at by security operatives.
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To avoid such ugly scenarios, the federal government should take necessary measures to quell the angst of Nigerians by addressing the demands of the protest planners with sincerity and compassion. Government should realise that the protests are not necessarily always politically motivated but often honest expressions of a people. In this case, Nigerians have been variously flattened by hyperinflation and spikes in commodity prices resulting directly from some federal government’s reform measures.
We, therefore, call on the federal government to make sincere efforts to go beyond fancy speeches laden with promises, by taking concrete measures to alleviate the sufferings of the people. Such actions should curb inflation, increase incomes, and enhance access to resources through sustainable policies.
We also caution some prominent members of the administration who recently said that they have identified the protest planners, that they must not assume the responsibility of the Department of State Services (DSS), but instead commit themselves to spreading awareness about the need for people to exercise restraint. And if they must protest, to do so with decorum. The government must also sensitise the police on the need to respect the rights of Nigerians to protest lawfully, as well as the need for effective crowd control measures that do not translate to the violation of fundamental human rights.
The protest planners must also be cautious of the risks involved in staging protests in the country, and be open to the government’s appeals and efforts to negotiate and address their grievances. No kind of protest, no matter how justified, is worth the loss of a single life or the destruction of a single person’s source of livelihood, especially in these difficult times.
Daily Trust, therefore, appeals to both the government and the protest planners to exercise restraint, be amenable to dialogue, and seek a peaceful resolution to the issues. We believe there is ample time before the planned commencement of the protests for both parties to negotiate and amicably address the issues. So, the federal government should not wait until the last minute to adopt our famed fire brigade approach to the situation.
We believe that both the government and protest organisers have the interest of the country and Nigerians at heart, and this shared interest must be the focal point of every interaction. If Nigeria is to succeed, both the government and the people must learn to treat each other with respect and listen sincerely to each other.
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