CSOs, lawyers differ on planned protest against hardship

Civil Rights Organisations and lawyers have voiced differing views on the proposed nationwide protest set to take place from August 1 to 10, 2024, across various locations in the country.

A social media statement has gone viral, revealing the intention of some youths to stage a multi-location protest, spanning the entire nation, as a response to the economic hardship.

The planned protest, spearheaded by multiple youth organizations, is intended to publicly vent the youths’ growing discontent with the rising cost of living under the present government.

Recall that the North Central arm of the All Progressives Congress Forum had warned against the proposed protest, noting that such a decision would be counterproductive and harmful to the progress of the country.

The forum’s Chairman, Alhaji Saleh Mandung Zazzaga, who addressed newsmen in Jos, the Plateau State capital recently, said those calling for the protest ought to observe the situation in the country and have a sound judgment before taking any decision.

Speaking with Saturday PUNCH on Thursday, some CSOs and lawyers expressed contrasting viewpoints to the planned protest even as they both agreed it was a constitutional right of the citizens.

In his submission, the national President, Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, Debo Adeniran, said though the protest is legitimate, the protesters have not come up with specific demands and lack leadership.

He said: “Since there is freedom of association and peaceful assembly, people have the right to protest. What we are just skeptical about is that the supposed protesters are not coming up with itemised demands. In the absence of that, it will be difficult for anyone to say the government should respond in a particular way.

“Also, there is no clear cut front for the movement that wants to organise the protest. No matter how peaceful a protest is, if there is no leadership, it will be difficult to identify who to discuss with. Every protest should be well organised with itemised and articulated demands.”

Similarly, the Chairman of Osun Civil Societies Coalition, Waheed Lawal, said the conduct and manners of the people that would participate in the protest was worrisome.

The activist said, “Protest, as long as it is peaceful, is a constitutional right. However, my worries are on the conduct and manners of those who will participate in this protest. I will not support a protest without leadership and directions. The organisers of the protest should be cautious of those they are mobilising for the protest. I support a peaceful protest against the current hardship, but we need to be careful while expressing our dissatisfaction.”

However, a Public Interest lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, said, “The protest is long overdue. Nigerians are experiencing excruciating economic hardship. At the same time, the government is depleting scarce public resources to fund the extravagant lifestyle of the president and other people in government.

“The prices of basic commodities have gone up exponentially. We have not seen any major efforts towards institutional reforms. Corruption is still rife. Nepotism is also now fully entrenched. So there are 1001 reasons Nigerians should protest. But to say that there has to be clearly defined demands before people can protest is just misguided.”

Corroborating this, another lawyer, Festus Ogun, said, “Protest is a constitutional right that is guaranteed under Section 39, 40 and 41 of the constitution. You cannot beat a child and expect that the child will not cry. The people of Nigeria have been cheated and oppressed for too long. So the protest is only a consequence of bad governance and leadership that we experience on a daily basis. It is simply consequential. For every action, there must be consequences.”

In a related statement, Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, acknowledged the constitutional right of Nigerians to engage in protests, but urged that the movement must be protected from being hijacked by criminal elements.

He said, “As it is known, Nigerians have a constitutional right to express their feelings peacefully and in an orderly manner. They have the right to express their displeasure over policies that they considered are not in their interest, including the socio-economic situation and security in the country.”