Government mishandled protests – HURIWA

The civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has condemned the pockets of violence that characterised the commencement of the end bad governance protests across the country.

It said the federal government “grossly mismanaged” the protests by spending weeks attempting to muzzle and stiffle fundamental rights of citizens to protest peacefully.

HURIWA has through the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko issued a media statement urging the Federal government to implement the demands of the protesters and salvage the value of the Naira, check the uncontrolled inflation, check the unprecedented hike in the pump price of petroleum products, fight corruption, reduce the costs of governance by pruning down the number of ministers and aides, reorganise the ministry for humanitarian affairs and poverty Alleviation and fight terrorism with all vigour instead of the dubious ways that the counter terrorism war is being waged.

Besides, HURIWA also condemned the government for disallowing the peaceful protesters from gaining constructive access into the Eagle squares in Abuja whereas political thugs are freely allowed into the same venue whenever political party controlling the federal government is staging conventions.

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The rights group said the president could have asked the relevant authorities in the country’s capital to give unimpeded access to the peaceful protesters led by an organised structure instead of shooting teargas canisters at the citizens who were making their ways into the complex.