In a statement issued yesterday, a coalition of no fewer than 13 civil society organizations declared that President Bola Tinubu has not met the demands of protesters. The Civil Society Organizations include Accountability Lab Nigeria, BudgIT Foundation, Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), Enough is Enough (EiE) Nigeria, #FixPolitics, Global Rights, Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA), and Media Rights Agenda (MRA), among others.
The statement reads; “Over the last few weeks, Nigerians have planned, mobilized, and curated different demands, and given the government adequate notice. We recognize that citizens have taken ownership of the demand to #EndBadGovernance and have contributed to the list of demands in circulation from their pain points.
“As civil society groups and stakeholders in the polity, we have streamlined the demands based on consultations, to facilitate a peaceful and holistic engagement of issues by the government. The issues include protecting farms and farmers, human capital development, electoral reform, establishing a living wage, and constitutional and judicial reforms.
“The President has expressed the government’s openness to dialogue with protesters on these demands.
“To this end, the Federal Government and the organizers of the protests should engage in a sincere dialogue to resolve the ongoing issues. This process should commence with the immediate release of all peaceful protesters who have been arrested, as well as the imposition of sanctions against security personnel who have used force against unarmed and peaceful protesters.”
“The Government is reminded that if security forces continue to escalate the situation, it may become increasingly difficult to facilitate a meaningful dialogue. It is recommended that the National Peace Committee and reputable civil society organizations serve as facilitators and observers during the dialogue process and its outcomes”.
The protesters have indicated that they will continue their peaceful protesters on the streets until Saturday, August 10. It is urged that the Federal Government concede to the more reasonable demands as a demonstration of its commitment to citizen-centered governance and leadership.
