News Central, a pan-African television station, hosted a crucial town hall meeting at the Shehu Musa Yaradua Centre in Abuja on Friday, August 30. The event, titled “Speak Up Nigeria: Addressing Nationwide Protests,” brought together key stakeholders to discuss pressing issues in the country.
Dele Farotimi, author of Do Not Die In Their War and a prominent lawyer, voiced his concerns about the state of governance in Nigeria. “You cannot be a citizen in a space that is ungoverned by law. Where the law does not rule, you cannot have democracy; where the law does not rule, you cannot have a government. Nigeria is ruled by the administration of impunity,” Farotimi stated.
Former Minister of Education, economic policy expert, and advocate for transparency and good governance, Oby Ezekwesili, also spoke at the event. She emphasised the power of protests in holding governments accountable. “By protest, citizens alter an agenda of government that doesn’t respond to the rule that government has to improve the lives of citizens,” Ezekwesili said. She further noted that protests are a legitimate means of engaging with governments and should not be viewed as attempts to overthrow them.
A representative of the Arewa Youth for Good Leadership raised concerns about the disappearance and incarceration of their members following the Hunger protests. He urged the government to release the innocent protesters, stressing that such actions are essential in a democratic society. “The North has been the worst hit by the misgovernance of former President Buhari, and we are suffering even more under the administration of President Bola Tinubu,” he remarked. He warned that without genuine change, the youth of the North will continue to protest against bad policies.
The town hall meeting served as a platform for citizens to voice their frustrations and demand accountability from the government, highlighting the growing discontent in the country.
Former Country Director of ActionAid, Ene Obi, expressed appreciation to News Central and the media for keeping a watchful eye on issues affecting the masses during both peaceful and crisis times. “This is the first time in our history where people are confined to specific places to protest. In Abuja, they asked protesters to stick to the national stadium, and in Lagos, protesters were restricted to specific spots,” she noted.
However, Obi, who was former Assistant Secretary General of NLC questioned why riot police were mobilised to disperse protesters who converged at the designated locations. “In all of our protests, we went to the Eagle Square, the National Assembly…but this time, protesters were disallowed from doing this,” she said.
Obi also decried the widespread poverty in the country and emphasised that it affects all regions without bias.