Traditional rulers have urged for peace ahead of a planned nationwide demonstration over Nigeria’s current economic crisis.
The protest, which is scheduled to commence on August 1st, 2024, has gained popularity on social media, prompting a meeting between traditional leaders and President Bola Tinubu in the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday.
“We shall listen to our youth because they will shape the future. The power and might of Nigeria are undoubtedly with the young people,” stated HRM Benjamin Keagborekuzi, Dein of Agbor, following the gathering.
“We feel your anguish. I am a young person myself. It’s been 24 years since I returned, and I’ve seen the country go in a very distasteful path. But, by God’s grace, I believe if you allow us the opportunity, this protest will catch you very high in the net. But if you give us the chance, please do not destroy our own country.”
‘Exercise patience.’
The Emir of Zazzau, Ahmed Bamalli, stated that the country’s officials are concerned about the planned protest, but urged “our people to exercise patience and listen to the words of wisdom.”
“Well, the message we are taking back to our people is to be calm, to exercise patience, and also to listen to the words of wisdom coming from the traditional rulers and from the governors because we have spoken to the President and he has given us the blueprint of what he has been doing over time,” he told the audience.
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeye Enitan Ogunwusi, took a similar stance but urged prudence so that the demonstration would not be hijacked.
“We traditional rulers are not interested in anyone, particularly young people, coming out to pillage and disrupt law and order. “We are parents, traditional rulers, and we are closer to them,” he stated.
“We’ll go back home and continue to engage them. It is extremely complex to construct, but the simplest to demolish. We are all stakeholders in this country. “We should be stronger as a nation than as individuals.”
Thursday’s meeting is part of a last-ditch effort by the Tinubu administration, which has faced widespread criticism for its policies, to prevent the scheduled protest.
Since the Tinubu government’s inauguration, the cost of living has risen due to the loss of fuel subsidies and the floating of the naira, causing the administration to implement a slew of measures, including a new minimum salary and the distribution of palliatives. He has also asked for patience.
However, many think that these initiatives are insufficient to address the difficulties.
Following the planned statewide protest, security officials have warned the organisers, who have remained anonymous, to call off the demonstration. They fear it will be hijacked by criminal elements and turn violent, similar to the 2020 EndSARS protest.
Several groups have also withdrawn from the planned demonstration, although supporters maintain that citizens have the right to oppose perceived ill-treatment by the government.