Ezekwesili advises government on how to respond to planned protests

Ezekwesili

Published By: Ayorinde Oluokun

By Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja

Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili has advised government on how to respond to Nigerian youths planning to embark nationwide protest as from 1 August 2024.

Ezekwesili gave the advice while endorsing the planned protest in a post on his X handle on Thursday tagged ‘My Position on the Nationwide Protest of our Young Citizens’

The former Minister urged the leadership of the National Assembly, and governor across the country to take advantage of the planned protests as holders of public positions to engage the disenchanted youths behind the protests with utmost civility.

She noted that the planned protest is justified because of the biting economic hardship in the country which the youth blamed on bad governance suggested two actions that the Nigerian government and governors can take to ensure that the protest did not degenerate into violence.

For one, Ezekwesili urged the government to ensure that the protesters are protected and supported by the police and related agencies like the Civil Defense Corp to protest peacefully and orderly in presenting their demands and agitations to the authorities.

This, she said will prevent the protest from turning violent like it did during the 2020 #EndSARSProtests.

She also advised government to respond to the protesters with a convincing pathway and plan to achieve Good Governance on each specific issue that the youths are protesting against or for at this time.

“I hope that our politicians and public officials will heed counsel and allow themselves the humility of listening and learning from their citizens at a time like this,” Ezekwesili concluded.

Read her full post of X below

My Position on the Nationwide Protest of our Young Citizens

All reasonable people know that majority of our citizens- especially the young ones- are distressed on many counts, from biting economic hardship that is prevalent in the country today. They blame it on Bad Governance and are therefore demanding an end to it.

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What is there to contest on a clearly established matter like this?

Unfortunately, the language and actions of politicians, public officials and their allies to the distress of citizens are far from democratic and empathetic.

News in the media suggest that our young citizens are planning to protest nationwide. And as we all read the reactions on social and other media, it does appear that the planned protests already agitate the federal and state governments.

I hope the @NigeriaGov and its allies can quickly and wisely cease from threatening those among our Citizens who wish to exercise their constitutional right of expression, association and movement through a nationwide protest.

I urge the @NGRPresident @NGRSenate @HouseNGR leadership and members as well as Governors across the country to not waste the golden opportunity that the planned protests are offering them as holders of public positions.

Use this opportunity of the planned protests to engage your dissatisfied and disaffected young citizens with utmost civility.

Here are at least 2 wise actions that @NigeriaGov and Governors can take:

1. Ensure that the protesters are protected and supported by the @PoliceNG and related agencies like the Civil Defense Corp to protest peacefully and orderly in presenting their demands and agitations to the authorities. Be guided by the terrible lessons of the mishandling of #EndSARSProtests.

2. Respond to the protesters with a convincing pathway and plan to achieve Good Governance on each specific issue they are protesting against or for at this time.

I hope that our politicians and public officials will heed counsel and allow themselves the humility of listening and learning from their citizens at a time like this.

I wish the protesters a well-organized, orderly and peaceful protest.