The Lagos State chapter of Ohaneze Ndigbo has said that they are not part of the planned protest against hunger and bad governance scheduled to take place on August 1, 2024.
News About Nigeria reports that the state coordinator of the Coalition of Igbo Political and Socio-Cultural Groups, Anselm Njoku, made the revelation in a press conference held in Ikeja.
He noted that after carrying out empirical research, they found out that though there is indeed hardship in the country, it is not limited to Nigeria as many other nations are going through same.
Njoku further stated that their decision is also based on the fact that the current economic hardship is not caused by the President Bola Tinubu-led government.
He, therefore, noted that instead of protests that could lead to violence, Nigerians, especially the youth, should embrace dialogue with the federal government.
Njoku said, “After an empirical analysis and overview of the current economic situation in Nigeria, we, as a body, agree that it is not in dispute that there is hardship in the country. However, the current economic downturn is not limited to Nigeria, as other developed and developing countries are going through almost the same situation. It is important to note that the current economic situation bedevilling our country is not caused by the present government.
“It is a cumulative effect and result of past bad governance, which logically and sensibly cannot be attributed to the Tinubu-led administration, which is barely one year on the saddle,” he said. We are saying that a nationwide protest at this time, when the Federal Government is trying to revamp the economy, is going to be counterproductive, hence ill-advised. Therefore, we are distancing ourselves and the entire Ndigbo community in Lagos from the planned protest. Nigerians should develop a culture of dialogue with the government and the deployment of constructive criticisms without resorting to unnecessary provocative protests and violence.”
