Ibrahim Babangida, an Army General, rtd, and first Nigerian military President , who had annulled the 1993, Presidential election, described as the freest in the country and who had made moves to contest the Opposition People’s Democratic, PDP’s, nomination, in 2011, is not a happy man.
This is because of the return of democratic rule in Nigeria, the most populous country in the African Continent. The former Nigerian military President, who is still nursing his hatred against democratic rule, appears to have taken advantage of the August 1, 2024 and beyond, protest, End Bad Governance protest against hunger and hardship, organized by the Take It Back Movement Group, linked Sowere Omoyele, an ex-while Presidential Candidate of African Action Congress, AAC, in the February 25, 2023, general elections and others, to have declared that ‘’democracy has taken Nigeria back to the stone age’’.
The former Nigerian military ruler, who reportedly spoke in his confirmed official X, formerly Twitter, had made it clear to those that cares to listen that democratic system of government in Nigeria between 199 and now, has made the country a ‘’dilapidated state’’.
He was emphatic that the best years the country have ever had were during the military era , noting that from the military system of government as there was jobs, provision of basic infrastructural facilities, like roads, education and healthcare facilities.
The f former Nigerian military had said that Nigerians had no reason to worry as the cost of living was affordable and nothing like security challenges as compared to the situation now” hunger, hardship and insecurity.
Senator Shehu Sani , activist, who had corroborated the former military President claims had said that the situation in the country had been made worse by the disunity. The Kaduna state born Senator and activits, had cited the regional differences in protest participation under the democratic rule in Nigeria.
He had recalled that the northerners had protested against former President Goodluck Jonathan , for increasing pump price of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, popular , from from N65.00 to N87.00 per litre at retail filling stations and now against Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who incidentally was a former governor of Lagos state on grounds of ‘’End Bad Governance’’ against hunger and hardship, but had refrained to protest against former President Muhammadu Buhari , whose eight years Administration threw the country’s economy into worst state that the Tinubu’s government is making efforts to revive.
Lagosians and aggrieved Port Harcourt, Youths may have continued from where the northern protesters have stopped on Friday, August 2, 2024, and to push for the Federal Government, FG, to meet the people’s demand.
The anger in the face of the PortHarcourt youths written all over their face bear eloquent testimony to the anger in the Land as they were said to have told Siminalayi Fubara, the state governor, who had addressed them round the Govrnment House on Thursday, August 1, 2024, with a promise to give them ’’pure water money to quench their thirst’’. This may have heightened their anger of the protesters who were said to have given it back to keep his money to himself, insisting that what they want is’’ good governance’’. It is not surprising why they had come out in their large number on Friday, August 2, 2024, to sustain the tempo of the protest in the state , notwithstanding that the officers of the state Police Command counter-terrorism unit, dressed in red headgear and were at the venue of the rallies to intimidate the people but got it wrong.
Paul Alaje, Chief Economist at SPM, had said the hunger and hardship in the country may not have gone out of control of the current government to manage if the former Lagos state governor had not embarked on initiating anti-people policies like removal of petrol subsidy, hiked electricity tariff and floating he naira at the foreign the exchange rates market, resulting in the naira devaluation and high cost of living.
The SPM Chief Economist had said that the nationwide protest is for the Tibu’s government to hear the cry of the people and for him to know that the people can also checkmate the government actions. The protests which was said to have come with a cost of N350 billion daily to the economy may have informed why he has called the Nigerian President to move fast to meet the demand of the aggrieved Nigerians.
Given the tension in the country, over the ongoing End Bad Governance, against hunger and hardship protest, across the country, an indications that the government, has sipped out of the hands of Tinubu, may have informed why Christopher Musa, an Army General and Chief of Defense staff, CDS, had said that ‘’the military would step in once they observed that the situation was beyond what the Kayode Egbetokun, Inspector General of Police , IGP, and his men , could handle.
The fear in both official and unofficial circles, was that mischief makers and hoodlums, have hijacked the End Bad Governance hunger protest to vandalise and loot public and private properties.
An aggrieved , CDS, who , who may have spoken the mind of the other service Chiefs, was said to have sounded it clear and clear that the military , under his Leadership will take action and won’t allow the cris to fester, describing the destruction experienced on August , 2024, the first day of the protest as ‘’crazy’’.
The Army Chief , may have differed with Alaje, the SPM, Chief Economists, who believes that Tinubu, has failed Nigeria in the implementation of his harsh economic policies as he had said that the Tinubu’s Administration over the last one in power has been making efforts to boost the country’s economic activities , which many believe was put in a struggling state as at May 29, 2023 before the then Katsina state born Nigerian President left office. May 29, 2023.
Given the military promise at the return of democratic rule that it will protect the country’s democracy, may have encouraged Gen. Musa, to have pleaded with aggrieved Nigerians ‘’to give Tinubu’s government time ‘’to address the nation’s economic challenges’’, stressing that the economic crisis and high cost of living in Nigeria is a global phenomenon.
He was emphatic that ‘’it was not only in Nigeria alone, where is hunger and hardship but every other country in the world , including the North American country of the United States , US, and the United Kingdom, UK , are facing one economic or security challenges or the other.
With barely four days into the End Bad Governance against hunger and hardship protest, across the 6 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, with about six days remaining six days for it to elapse, going by the Take It Back Movement , organisers of the protest time table, Shuaibu Audu, minister of Steel Development, who may have joined other top government officials and security Chiefs, to appeal for calm, was said to have asked aggrieved Nigerians to suspend the protest against the current Tinubu’s government as he is working assiduously ‘’to fix the economic challenges of the country’’.
He was aid o have pointed out the economic policies of the current Administration encompass strategic action plans that will drive the nation to economic prosperity , improved welfare, quality education and good healthcare systems, improved social amenities, food security and infrastructural development , amongst other needs that that would be implemented.
The minister had given his words that in the next 180 days, with the strategic measures that had been put in place by the government, , aimed at crashing the high food prices currently affecting the nation currently being implemented, there is no cause for alarm.
He had said that 50,000 metric tons of wheat like rice., is currently being imported to force down the price of bread, 250 meric tons of maize and other semi-processed Commodities that will be supplied to small scale industries to process and millers acros the country, at no cost to the importers as Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, led Nigerian Customs Service, NCS, have been asked not to collect duties and taxes from the importers of such items and other essential food items .
The Steel Devevelopmet minister, may have gladdened the heart of Nigerians when he revealed that the President has further directed the redesign of the country’s healthcare Provision Fund , which was said to have so far attracted tUS, $2.5 billion in financing for the National Primary Healthcare ystems , for he citiens to have access to better health care .
Peter Obi, a former governor of Anambra state and Presidential Candidate of the Opposition Labour Party in the last general elections, who had been accused by Bayo Onanuga, Special Assistant to the President on Media and Strategy, of bankrolling the protest, which he had denied, was said to have called on the protesters ‘’to give pece a chance in the country’’.
The former governor was aid to have emphasized the importance of peaceful demostrations, devoid of destructions of public and private properties and loss of lives. He is optimistic that if the Take It Back Movement, the organisers of the nationwide protesters’ demands are Legitimate and within the ambits of the Law, it will not go unanswered.‘’We cannot build a new nation by destroying what we already spent money to build’’, he had told the protesters.
Charles Oputa, popular, Charlie Boy, may have told the government officials and other prominent Nigerians including Obi, telling the Take It Movement, sponsors of the End Bad Governance against hunger and hardship, to suspend the protest to tell that to the marines. The veteran entertainer was said to hae urged Nigerians ‘’to maintain the pressure on the government, underscoring that the initial protest is just the beginning of a broader movement for change.
He had said that the large turnout of the protesters in the states has sent a powerful message to the Tinubu’s government to sit up and do the needful. Describing the protesters as ‘’brave , strong and determined Nigerian youths’’, he had said that ‘’ the work to achieve good governance in Nigeria has started’’ , insisting that the tide is changing as the top government officials like the ministers and political appointees , , no longer feel safe.
Charley Boy, may have made the aggrieved Nigerian Youths to understand that ‘’the salvation of Nigeria lies in their hands and no longer in the hands of the expired politicians.
