By Suleiman Umaru and Elizabeth Chukwuma
Worried by the upcoming ‘’End Bad Governance against hunger and hardship protest’’, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who incidentally was a former governor of Lagos state, had met Senator Hope Uzodimma, Chairman, Progressive Governors Forum, PGF, and some other APC, governors on Thursday, July 25, 2024 . There indications that AbdulRazaq Abdurahman, governor of Kwara state and Chairman, Nigerian Governors’ Forum, NGF, was also said to be at the meeting.
The Nigerian President was said to have also held an emergency closed-door meeting with Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, Sultan of Sokoto and Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Oni of Ife and other top traditional rulers across the country to discuss the planned ‘’End Bad Governance protest’’, described as another End SARSAS protest of October 2020.
Nuhu Ribadu, a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG, and former Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and now National Security Adviser, NSA, to the Tinubu’s government, and Kayode Egbetokun, Inspector General of Police, IGP, and other top security Chiefs were said to be at the Thursday meeting which the President had held with the governors, traditional rulers and security Chiefs in his government .
Godwin Obaseki, the Edo state governor may not have been invited to the President’s meeting with some of the state governors but Philip Shuaibu, the Deputy, who had decamped to the Opposition APC, in the state, after he was said to have knelt down to beg his godfather, Adams Ohiomhole, a former governor of the south-south state and one-time National Chairman of the ruling APC, was sighted at the all- important security meeting. The governors may have been given a matching order to give serious attention to the planned End Bad Governance protest for peace to return to the country.
There is no gain saying the fact, that the planned nationwide protest allegedly being sponsored by the likes of Sowore Omoyele, former Presidential Candidate of African Action Congress Party, AACP, in the February, 25, 2023, general elections, who resides in the North American country of the United States of American counry, US, appears to have brought together governors, Obaseki, of Edo state, Enr. Seyi Makinde of Oyo state and the Leadership of the Zamfara state Chapter of the APC, who were said to have cautioned the protestors and their sponsors to trade with caution to avoid to throwing the country into chaos.
Obaseki, who has a frosty relationship with Philip Shuaibu, his Deputy, have was said to have called on the Tinubu led APC, government ‘’to be more accountable and transparent in its activities’’ , stressing that ‘’part of the problem the Administration is currently having is lack of trust from on the people’’.
Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos, home state of the Nigerian President, who many believe is acting out a script to ensure that ‘’there is peace in the south western state’’ because of the experience in the October 2020, End SARSAS, protest that was said to have resulted in ‘’loss of lives and destruction of property’’ worth millions off naira,, was said to have met with the civil society, self- determination groups and other stakeholders in the state.
The Lagos state governor may have spoken the mind of the President when he opined that ‘’the government is not averse to citizens’ right to express themselves but must be done lawfully’’.
Appealing to the Civil Society Organizations to ensure that ’’the protesters were peaceful and orderly’’, the governor was said to have made it clear that the security agencies personnel would not fold their arms and watch the criminal elements who may have penetrated the crowd to cause wanton destruction of public and private property unchallenged as the state had experienced during the last End SARSAS, protest
While the governors and traditional rulers are making efforts to calm the crisis situation in the country, Nyensom Wike, immediate past governor of Rivers state, who is used to dealing with rioters and who may have been waiting for the sponsors of planned August 1, 2024, protest to seek approval to use the Eagle Square had said no such request had been made to his office.
The minister who was said to have had told some critical stakeholders at a Town hall meeting at the FCT, on Saturday, July 27, 2024, had said that his office is yet to get a letter from the sponsors of the End Bad Governance protest to use the Eagle Square on August 1, 2024.
The former Rivers tate governor had aid that he got the message from the sponsors to make use of Eagle Square through the Social Media. He may have sent a message to the organizers of the protest that ‘’ the FCT, is not available for such protest’’, meaning that the protest may be violent at the FCT, as they may want to resist the Force from stopping them.
The FCT, minister may have been emboldened to speak out that FCT is not available for the End Bad Governance Protest AS Egbetokun, the IGP, who still have more three years in office, with the passage of the Executive Bill by the National Assembly for him to complete his first term in office, which is four years, had said that 4,200 officers would be deployed to man strategic locations at the FCT, to protect lives and property.
The IGP, who is determined to curb the excesses of the protesters was said to have ordered the Commanders of Tactical Squads,’’ to take charge of their areas of operations’’ by preventing violence and anarchy across the country.
The IG’s directive may have become imperative because Sowore, who had said that his physical absence from Nigeria does not preclude him from organizing he protest and who had vowed to be fully engaged and committed to the protest had said that ‘’there is no going back’’.
The Nigerian born US, based activist and other organizers of the End Bad Governance planned protest were said to have sounded it loud and clear that they will proceed with their action, despite appeals by the government, at both the state and Federal levels, individuals and groups.
Given the Federal Government’s termination to cripple the of the En Take it Back Movement from withdrawing money from the Corporate entity’s United Bank for Africa, UBA, plc, popular, Pan African Bank account to fund the End Bad Governance protest on August 1, 2024, may have informed why the Bank, under the close watch of Oliver Alawuba, at the instance of the Force and Yusuf Magai Bichi, led Department of State Service, DSS, had frozen the group’s Account.
The promoters of Take It Back Movement, financiers of End Bad Governance protest, may not have it funny as they were said to have engaged the services of Inibehe Effiong’s legal firm to get the frozen account reopened.
The Human Rights Lawyer, who was said to have threatened ‘’to take legal action against the first generation bank if it fails to reopen the frozen accounts of the group after 24 hours may not have relented in doing so.
The operators of the Take It Back Movement, UBA account, according to the Human Rights Lawyer has not been able to access the account, since it was frozen by UBA and rendered inoperable on the orders of Egbetokun led, NPF and DSS, between July 26, 2024 and now.
Inibehe, the Human Rights Lawyer who could not his feelings, in a statement recently issued had said that ‘’up till the point of sending a letter to Oliver Alawuba, the bank’s Managing Director , titled: demand for immediate lifting of the restrictions placed on the Take It Global td /Gte, Corporate entity duly incorporated in Nigeria , by the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC,’’ neither the bank nor any of its staff has offered any formal explanation in respect of the restriction on the Take It Back Movement’s account’’.
Chidi Oinkalu, a Professor and former Chairman, National Human Rights Commission, who was said to have responded to the freezing of the UBA , account of the Take It Back Movement, ‘’ to prevent the group from funding the upcoming End Bad governance protest in the most populous African country , had questioned the action of the Pan African Bank and its Chairman, Tony Elumelu, a multi-billionaire business mogul, describing their action as being ‘’politically motivated’’.
He noted that the Pan African Bank’ action ‘’reflects its connection’’ with the ruling APC, government and raises concerns about the independence of financial institutions in Nigeria and their potential ‘’to be used as tools for political repression’’.
