Yesterday, August 4, 2024, the national broadcast by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu drew mixed reactions from many prominent figures and members of the public. The address was to react to the #EndBadGovernance protests, erupting all over Nigeria as a result of the surging economic hardship and misgovernance. The protests, which began on the 1st of August 2023, were characterized by massive demonstrations, destruction, and loss of life.
Many prominent figures tore into President Tinubu’s speech over his failure to get to the root causes of the protests. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakab tagged the speech empty, arguing that it did nothing to address the economic challenges that families in the country have been facing. According to his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, there was absolutely no pragmatic solution in that speech to the economic hardship battling the country since the inception of the Tinubu regime. He said the president had failed to address concrete demands, such as suspending the purchase of new aircraft for the presidency or downsizing the cabinet, which had been points at issue for many protesters.
Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka came out to condemn the omission by the president of the violence visited on protesters. Soyinka knocked the use of live bullets and teargas by security forces as a retrograde step, terming it an abuse of power by the state. He rued that the speech lacked acknowledgement of very critical issues raised by the protesting demos, like dire hunger and insecurity afflicting millions across the country.
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana said President Tinubu should listen to the protesters. According to him, if corruption among oil dealers can be checkmated and crude oil is being processed in government-owned refineries, the need for fuel subsidy can be dispensed with. He demanded that detained protesters be immediately released and asked that excessive force stop being used on peaceful protesters. Falana says the reaction of the government to protests should be measured and empathetic, rather than repressive.
The Northern Elders Forum felt very concerned as to how any mention relating to the precarious security situation in northern Nigeria was completely omitted. Representing NEF, the Director of Publicity and Advocacy, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, drew attention to the increasing banditry, kidnapping, and other related criminalities that are on the rise in the zone. It is also learnt that, according to NEF, so many communities have had to abandon their farmlands, schools, and means of livelihood in the North due to these security challenges. What the forum expected was for the president’s speech to, among other things, acknowledge the gravity of the situation and come out with plans for addressing these matters.
The pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, berated President Tinubu over his insistence on what it termed anti-masses policies. The Chieftain of Afenifere and National Publicity Secretary, Prince Justice Fakiyesi, condoled that the President’s speech failed to talk about the burning issue of hunger and economic hardship. He submitted that such neo-liberal economic policies, as put in place by Tinubu—removing subsidy on fuel and floating of the naira—are what have further worsened rather than alleviated this situation. Afenifere reacted by citing the former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Chief Kofoworola Bucknor Akerele, to the effect that the speech failed to address the specific issues raised in the protests—especially insecurity and economic hardship.
The reactions immediately following on social media were quite mixed in nature. Some users on X (formerly Twitter) commended the president for the fact that he sought to address the nation while others termed it out of touch with the grievances by protesters. Olagunju Oladele noted that the speech remained largely a self-promotional speech on the president rather than going directly into addressing protester demands. Aliyu Tanimu said it admitted to the protest without attending to their root causes. A former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore called the speech “Beautiful Nonsense” and termed it Tinubu’s continuity campaign speech for 2023. Other users, like #Mr_Teekay001, took the address as being provocative for what is at hand, and not really trying to offer a solution.
Despite all these criticisms, some apologists for President Tinubu came out to defend the speech. Pro-government personalities, such as Olatunbosun Oyintiloye and Daniel Bwala, said the president had accepted the grievances of the protesters but begged them to toe the path of dialogue. According to them, what is important is that even though there is manifest hunger and poverty in the land, the president’s policies are tailored toward long-term economic betterment. They urged patience and dialogue to guide the nation through such trying times.
The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association has also joined in, demanding the resolution of the economic contradictions impeding business growth. According to the DG of NECA, Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, regulatory bottlenecks were those creating problems for the organized private sector and consequently making life difficult for economic development. He emphasized the need to create a better environment that will encourage business growth and investment.
The varied reactions that followed the address of President Tinubu on August 4, 2024, ranged from Nigerian leaders and activists to members of the public. While some were quite appreciative of the president’s move to talk to the nation, others who were in the majority felt the speech fell short on touching on the exact triggers of the protests. What is pointed out by such continuing unrest is effective and compassionate governance that addresses the dire economic and security challenges Nigeria faces. Varied responses reflect deep-seated frustration with the present state of governance and a craving for effective reforms and accountability.
SOURCES
