Hunger protest: 100 civil society group makes u-turn, says protest won’t solve Nigeria problem
By Austine Emmanuel, Kaduna
The Coalition of Concerned Civil Society Organisations of Nigeria, has said that it has decided to pull out of the planned nationwide protests.
The group said that the decision follows the intervention of key stakeholders like former senate president, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim who understands the complexity of the country and the dire consequences of violent protest.
In a press statement made available to newsmen in Kaduna on Wednesday, the chairman and spokesperson of the coalition, Comrade Moh’d Kazeem and Comrade Emmanuel Gabriel, said that it succumbed to the superior wisdom and the sound reasoning of stakeholders who are unanimous in calling for restraint and patience as Mr. President is already addressing most of the contending issues.
Kazeem said, “We are compelled by superior wisdom of statesmen like Senator Anyim Pius Anyim and glaring facts on the ground to jettison our earlier position on the planned nationwide protests. While we were convinced that our course of action was legitimate and patriotic, it is humbling to admit that we were deceived by miscreants who are out to discredit the current administration for their personal interests.
“With the opening of our national borders to ease the importation of food and fight food inflation, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has demonstrated a deep commitment to addressing the hunger and pain Nigerians are currently experiencing. It’ll therefore be unwise to continue with the protests when all hands are on deck to address our grievances.
“Just few days ago, Mr. President magnanimously issued an Executive Order mandating NNPCL deliver crude to Dangote Refinery and other Modular refineries operating in the country with naira payment. This is also a step towards achieving energy self-sufficiency, reducing the strain of foreign exchange and making products affordable.
“There are also interventions in the Ministries of Trades and Investment, Youth and Sports, Agriculture and others to address youth unemployment by scaling up skill acquisition programs with a view of creating jobs and empowering Nigerians. The Consumer Credit Scheme and National Youth Investment fund are just some examples out of many”, the release noted.
The release appealed to other groups and individuals to “equally distance themselves from anarchists who are out to set fire on our beloved nation, stating further that the horrors of the EndSars protests are still fresh in the hearts of Nigerians and a repeat of the same episode will wreck Nigeria terribly.”
