Falana Cautions FG Against Threatening Protesters; Gives Reasons
Senior Advocate of Nigeria and human rights activist, Femi Falana, has advised the Federal Government to heed the demands of organizers ahead of the nationwide protest scheduled for August 1, 2024.
During an appearance on Channels Television’s “Politics Today” on Tuesday, Falana emphasized that threats towards protesters could aggravate the situation. He urged the government to engage constructively with those planning the protest. “Identifying those issuing statements and planning the protest, and then engaging with them productively is key. Threats do not work and can sometimes even popularize such protests,” Falana noted.
Falana also highlighted the importance of state governors communicating their plans to alleviate the country’s hardships with residents. “The government should try to identify and engage the leaders of the movement, address their demands, and communicate effectively. Between now and August 1, there is still time, and it is crucial for governors to inform people about what steps are being taken to address the prevalent hardships,” he added.
In the past week, calls for a nationwide hunger protest have been growing on social media. In response, President Bola Tinubu, through the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, urged Nigerians to postpone the protests and allow the government time to address their concerns. “Mr. President sees no need for the planned protest and has asked the organizers to wait for the government’s response to their pleas,” Idris stated after a closed-door meeting with the president.
Nevertheless, there have been calls from other quarters for the government to permit the planned protest. Former Vice President and key opposition figure, Atiku Abubakar, tweeted on Tuesday that chasing shadows and contriving alleged organizers behind the protest is futile. He emphasized that many Nigerians, including Tinubu supporters, are suffering from hunger, anger, and hopelessness due to government incompetence.
Amnesty International also supported the right to protest, stating, “Threatening peaceful protesters is unlawful and an attack on freedom of assembly, which is guaranteed by international law and Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution. Nigerians must not be denied their right to peaceful protest through veiled threats of violence and false insinuations.”
