In a bid to preempt the planned hunger protests scheduled for August 1-10, President Bola Tinubu convened a series of emergency meetings on Thursday at the Aso Villa in Abuja, consulting with governors from the All Progressives Congress, influential traditional monarchs, and esteemed Islamic scholars (Ulamas) to explore strategies for mitigating the crisis and ensuring a peaceful resolution nationwide.
The emergency meetings were prompted by escalating demands for anti-hunger protests, which have gained momentum in response to the pervasive economic difficulties and widespread hardship currently being experienced by many Nigerians.
The ‘EndBadGovernance’ protests have sparked widespread engagement on social media, where they are being promoted under the same hashtag, yet the identities of the organizers remain shrouded in mystery, as no specific group or individual has stepped forward to claim leadership of the movement.
President Tinubu first met with the APC governors, under the aegis of the Progressives Governors Forum, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja at 1pm. The meeting lasted for about an hour and 15 minutes.
This meeting follows an earlier one by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum on Wednesday night and comes after a last-minute cancellation of the National Economic Council meeting earlier scheduled for Thursday afternoon.
Our correspondent also spotted the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, Ministers of Finance and Budget and Economic Planning, Wale Edun and Abubakar Bagudu, respectively at the meeting.
The meeting with the prominent traditional rulers began at about 2:30pm, when the President arrived at the Council Chamber in the Villa, and ended at 4pm.
The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, led the royal fathers at the meeting, with Vice President Kashim Shettima, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, Ribadu and Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun in attendance.
Governor Abdulrazaq Abdulrahman of Kwara State, who also doubles as the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum and Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, who chairs the Progressives Governors Forum, were part of the meeting. Edun and Bagudu, also joined the President at the meeting.
Afterwards the President held another meeting with the Ulamas, which ended after 6pm.
Monarchs seek dialogue
Speaking after the meeting on Thursday, the traditional Rulers urged the organisers of the protests to seek dialogue with the Federal Government, warning that there was the possibility of the protests being hijacked by hoodlums.
“The President has said, ‘any leader that you don’t like, wait (until 2027) and vote him out.’ He is open to dialogue. We know that Nigeria faces many challenges. But are we going to destroy our nation by ourselves? Is that what we are all after?
“It is very difficult to build, but it is the easiest to destroy. We are all stakeholders in this country and are stronger as a nation than individually,” the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, who co-chairs the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria, told journalists after an expanded cabinet meeting at the State House, Abuja.
“We should talk to ourselves. We need to know that today; it’s a completely different spin. The government, ably led by the President, is willing to engage and dialogue and bring governance very close to the people.
“People that are out there to protest, it is their civic right. But let them put a face to it and don’t let it be hijacked by people that have ulterior motives. That is our stand.
“We the traditional rulers are not in support of people, especially youths, coming out to loot and break down law and order. We condemn such acts fully. We are parents, we are traditional rulers, and we are closer to them (youths). We are going to go back home and continue to engage them.”
Oba Adeyeye said the meeting was the first instance where the Federal Executive Council engaged directly with traditional rulers.
The monarch added, “Stewardship from the Federal Executive Council, directly to the traditional rulers? It has never happened in our nation before. Never! This is the first time we’re all experiencing it.
“Today (Thursday) is the very first time we will be addressed properly by the Federal Executive Council…in terms of the plans of government, their achievements so far, and where they’re having challenges. So, there is a proper bridge between the governed and the people in charge of the government.
“For the very first time, the traditional rulers were properly engaged. This is long-awaited. We are closer to our people and can bring that feedback back home. So, it’s a beautiful take home for us because we don’t lock our palaces; we are more exposed to the people we rule over.”
The Emir of Zazzau, Ahmed Bamalli, said traditional rulers were worried about the protests, adding that they could shut down the country.
“There’s nobody who will not be worried about the protests; we’ve seen what has happened in other climes, where governments had been brought down.
“As an ex-diplomat, I have seen what happened in other climes and that is why I am in the position to say what happened in other places.”
The Emir added that insecurity in the north remained the bane of Nigeria’s food crisis, and urged the FG to address the security issues, saying it would bring stability to the country.
“We have made it very clear to him (President Tinubu) that the main problem in this country, especially the north, is insecurity. If the security situation is addressed, certainly people will go back to their farms and the issue of hunger will drastically reduce and disappear,” Bamalli added.
He urged Nigerians to “exercise patience and to listen to the words of wisdom. We are very optimistic Nigeria will bounce back to its former position as the leading country in Africa.”
On his part, the Dein of Agbor Kingdom, Ikenchukwu Keagborokuzi I, appealed to Nigerian youths to work with the FG using all available opportunities.
Keagborokuzi, who described Nigerian youths as the nation’s strength, acknowledged the displeasing challenges confronting them but said that the #EndBadGovernance protests would not solve the nation’s problems.
“Hearing from Mr. President directly, the take-home message for me is that I can see the passion. But at the same time, I think the government finally understands we are at the precipice.
“We will listen to our youths because they lead the future. The power and strength of Nigeria certainly lie with the young people. We feel your pain. I’m a young person myself.
“It’s been 24 years since I’ve started seeing the nation going in a very unpalatable direction. This protest, I know that it’s very tight in our neck, but let us not destroy our own country,” said the traditional ruler.
He cited the aftermath of the Arab Spring in Libya, urging Nigerian youths to reconsider the planned protest.
“Think of Libya. Libya was a beautiful country; what has happened to Libya, we don’t want it to happen here.
“Let’s go home. Let’s continue to strive to be the best that we can and continue to work with the government to see if we can offer some solutions.
“I think that that would be best rather than to destroy property or injure ourselves,” he advised.
In a similar twist, The National Orientation Agency urged the traditional leaders to take the lead in sensitising the youths against planned nationwide protests.
NOA Bauchi State Director Mrs. Theresa Omaga, made this known when she paid an advocacy visit to traditional and religious at the residence of Galadinman Bauchi, the district head of Zungur, Alhaji Ibrahim Sa’idu Jahun, on Thursday.
“The need for peace and tranquility must be emphasised as the protest could escalate insecurity challenges and economic hardships,” Omaga stated.
Meanwhile, the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulroshed Akanbi, feared the proposed national protest may be hijacked by hoodlums.
Oba Akanbi, in a statement signed by his Press Secretary, Ali Ibraheem, urged Tinubu to meet with leaders of opposition parties, workers unions, students unions, civil society organisations, notable traditional rulers and other stakeholders to discuss the state of the nation and seek solutions to some of the challenges confronting the nation.
“At this crucial moment of global economic challenge, Nigeria inclusive, I call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to convey a national dialogue most especially with the dog handlers comprising the opposition parties leaders, civil society organisations, labour leaders, students, traditional rulers and religious leaders.
“Even if a protest is held, we will resort to a round table discussion after the road show. Rather than allowing hoodlums to hijack and destroy the nation we are trying to construct, why not embrace dialogue? When we sit together and talk to each other, more virile approaches and solutions may be suggested for application,” Oluwo said.
Army allege hijack
The Nigeria Army and the Department of State Service say they have uncovered plans to hijack the protest.
The Defence Headquarters thus called on the organisers of the protesters to sheathe their swords. Speaking in an interview with one of our correspondents on Thursday, the Director, Defence Media Operations, Major-General Edward Buba, urged the organisers to embrace dialogue with the government.
Buba said, “Accordingly, the protesters are urged to shield their swords and opt for dialogue. We must quench the fire of violence, rather than ignite the fire. Cool heads must be allowed to prevail in order to save our nation from anarchy.”
Buba said intelligence at the military’s disposal showed that the proposed nationwide protest would be hijacked by unscrupulous elements.
The Defence Headquarters thus called on the organisers of the protesters to sheathe their swords. Speaking in an interview with one of our correspondents on Thursday, the Director, Defence Media Operations, Major-General Edward Buba, urged the organisers to embrace dialogue with the government.
Buba said, “Accordingly, the protesters are urged to shield their swords and opt for dialogue. We must quench the fire of violence, rather than ignite the fire. Cool heads must be allowed to prevail in order to save our nation from anarchy.”
Buba said intelligence at the military’s disposal showed that the proposed nationwide protest would be hijacked by unscrupulous elements.
He also said car and business owners, as well as members of opposition parties different from the protesters’ party, might be attacked during the protest.
Buba said, “For instance, there are signs of status-related violence such that persons with things as basic as smartphones and cars are targets. This does not leave out those who own houses, shops or even use air conditioners in their houses. Other targets include places of worship, businesses, markets, persons of other ethnic groups and members of opposing political parties among others. Believe me, when this happens, it is nothing but a state of anarchy, lawlessness.”
Buba added, “We have seen this in other parts of the world, when we carried out peacekeeping operations. The military will not stand by and allow anarchy to befall our nation. It is our constitutional responsibility to make sure that doesn’t happen.
“Some think that it is like when you watch Nollywood or whatever. No, in real life people stand to lose everything. I don’t need to speak too much. Go to IDP camps, you will see rich people with big houses now living in tents.
“If they know the organisers, what they need to do as a government is a quick intervention. Sit down with them, dialogue with them, and find out what the problems are. And of course, if there are criminal elements that will hijack the process, the essence of having security all over the world is to create deterrence.”
He added that his party would not participate in the August 1 protest, but would endorse protests that were “devoid of any act of violence, or anarchy, or killing or barbarism.”
“We have drawn lines of our endorsements, in line with the provisions of the Constitution, where citizens are guaranteed to protest peacefully by disagreeing with the policies and programmes of the government,” he added.
