By:
Bello Galadi,
On Saturday, 27th July, 2024, I released a 21- minutes audio clip in respect of the 10- day hunger protest which commenced on the 1st August, 2024 across the country.
In the said audio clip, I made myself clear about two (2) possibilities: one, the tendency of the protest to turn violent and two, the tendency of the Federal Government to be recalcitrant and refuse to submit to the demands of the protesters.
As projected, the protest was violent in some states, such as Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, Yobe, Borno, Zamfara and FCT with incidences of killings, lootings, arson, stealing and destruction of critical infrastructure. Amazingly, the Federal Government does not seem to be amenable to submit to the demands of the protesters, in view of the clear wordings of the President vide his speech of Sunday, 4th August, 2024.
To start with, the protest was avoidable. President Tinubu should have averted the protest in the first place, by opening more rooms for dialogue with the protesters for genuine and constructive engagements.
Today is the 5th day into the protest. We say, enough of the killings, lootings, arson, stealing and the destruction of properties in Nigeria.
I hereby, most humbly, appeal to the National Peace Committee (NPC), under the able leadership of General Abdul- Salam Abubakar, to swing into action, to save this country from collapse.
The Committee should summon the Federal Government and the protesters, identify the issues, harmonize and resolve them, in the most just and equitable manner.
Our political, traditional and religious leaders would have been the best option to lead the dialogue. Sadly, they lack the moral conscience to intervene because they are part of the problem.
Take the governors, for instance, if they had taken our security and welfare as important as it was recognized under Section 14(2)(b) of the Nigeria’s Constitution, the protest would have been unnecessary.
The President, in his Sunday speech, claimed to have released over N570bn to the state governors within the last seven (7) months.
In my humble view, this amount is reasonable for the governors to address our hardship and hunger, through the provision of subsidized fertilizers and other farm inputs, subsidized commercial transportation, subsidized petroleum products, procure electric vehicles, distribute palliatives and initiate skill acquisition programs. This will certainly accelerate development at the state level and guaranty food security.
With the substantial monthly allocations at their disposal, the governors can sell subsidized food items at designated centers, even without any support from the Federal Government. That would have reduced the hardship for an ordinary citizen in significant proportion.
I hereby, most humbly, appeal to the state governors to cultivate the habit of complimenting the efforts of the Federal Government, as is the case in Borno and few other states.
Take Zamfara State, for instance, I have not seen where the 20 trucks of rice palliatives of the Federal Government was distributed to the needy. I have not also seen where the 10 trucks of the subsidized rice of N40, 000 of the Federal Government is being sold.
I stand to be corrected, please.
Galadi is a former Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Gusau Branch (covering Zamfara State). He is the President of Bello Galadi Foundation.
He can be reached on:
Muhammadbel_law@yahoo.com and muhammadbellaw80@gmail.com and twitter handle:@bello_galadi1
5th August, 2024
✊👌😐