News
Organisers snub Adegboruwa, insist protests will continue until FG meets demands
Organisers of the #EndBadGovernance protests against economic hardship say the nationwide rallies which entered the second day on Friday will continue till President Bola Tinubu addresses their demands.
Damilare Adenola, Director of Mobilisation of Take It Back Movement, a non-governmental organisation, stated this on Channels Television’s The August Protests programme on Friday.
In an interesting twist, Adenola said human rights lawyer Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa does not speak for his group though the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) had written security agencies to seek protection for them before the rallies.
The youth activist said his group won’t suspend the 10-day protests despite Adegboruwa’s pleas that the demonstrations be called off because fifth columnists have infiltrated the rallies to wreak havoc.
He said the protests might exceed 10 days depending on the response of the government.
Adenola said, “Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa is not our lawyer and he doesn’t speak for us. He might have presented himself as the solicitor but he is not hungry. He is a senior advocate of Nigeria who lives well. He is not hungry like the people taking over the streets.”
“We are waiting for the government to respond to us and address our demands. And until then, the protests continue,” he said, adding that though the demands of protesters have not been addressed, a statement has been made to the government of the day.
He said the protests have shown Nigerians they can hold their leaders accountable.
Asked whether the protests were being sponsored by anyone, he said the sponsors of these protests were hunger and economic deprivation.
Adenola said if the Federal Government is sincere and concerned with the plights of the people, the President would have addressed the demands of the protesters by now.
Youths Protest High Living Cost
On the first and second day of the protests, policemen were seen dispersing the demonstrators, mostly youths, using tear gas, even as civil society organisations (CSOs) condemned the action of the police.
The protests turned awry when some hoodlums took advantage of the demonstrations and looted public and private assets.
In a bid to curb the looting, violence and other after-effects of the protests, the Kano, Borno, Yobe, Katsina, Nasarawa, Jigawa and other state governments imposed curfews in volatile local government areas (LGAs) in their states.
Some deaths have also been recorded, as claimed by Amnesty International. The Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun said a policeman was murdered, some cops injured, and police stations burnt.
Propagated on social media, the nationwide protests against economic hardship started on Thursday, August 1, 2024, and have been scheduled to stretch till August 10 across all states of the Federation as well as the nation’s capital Abuja.
Prices of food and basic commodities have gone through the roof in the last months, as Nigerians battle one of the country’s worst inflation rates and economic crises sparked by the government’s twin policies of petrol subsidy removal and unification of forex windows.
Some of the demands of the protesters include the restoration of petrol subsidies and the forex regime. They also want the government to address food shortages, unemployment and wasteful spending by those in power.
Other demands are reduction of the President’s cabinet and general cost of governance, immediate reforms of the electoral umpire INEC and anti-graft agency EFCC with renewed vigour in the fight against corrupt politicians.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has began airlifting the sensitive election materials for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to Benin, Edo State, ahead of the upcoming governorship election scheduled for September 21, 2024.
This was disclosed on Wednesday by the Deputy Director, Public Relations and Information, Group Captain Kabiru Ali.
The operation is part of the NAF’s efforts to ensure the timely and secure delivery of materials necessary for a smooth electoral process.
This development reinforces the collaboration between NAF and INEC to facilitate logistics and ensure a peaceful election in Edo State.
The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, had previously reiterated NAF’s commitment to providing airlift support for the swift movement of electoral materials during a meeting with INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu.
This airlift operation is a crucial aspect of NAF’s constitutional responsibility to provide Military Aid to Civil Authority, underscoring the force’s dedication to supporting democratic processes in Nigeria. With the election just days away, the NAF’s timely intervention will help ensure the successful conduct of the governorship elections in Edo State.
Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State had earlier accused the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, of working with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to hunt the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members and supporters in the state and force them into hiding ahead of September 21 governorship election.
Obaseki, who made the allegation when a delegation led by the former Head of State, Abdusalam Abubakar, met with him to get the governor and his party to sign peace accord, said that the IGP had made nonsense of his (Obaseki’s) role as the chief security officer of the state.
The governor had said that the police chief obtained a warrant to arrest 60 members and supporters of PDP in Edo and that the IGP sent an armed “gang” of policemen who invaded the state, attacked PDP members, shot at a local government chairman and arrested 10 persons who are currently being detained in Abuja without charges.
Asked by the former head of state if his party would sign the peace accord, Obaseki said, “The person who is supposed to enforce the peace accord is now an active participant in creating a destructive environment.
“We are now in a situation where from the Inspector General’s office, there are armed gang policemen who came into Edo State, invaded, arrested and took away PDP members.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, has given reasons why he loves dancing.
The ‘Dancing Governor’, as he is fondly called, revealed this on Wednesday while responding to a tweet on X.
An X user, @Iwogoke, while praising the governor, stated that Adeleke has been busy fulfilling his electoral promises to the people of Osun State, while his political opponents believe he is only good at dancing.
Iwogoke tweeted, “I’m not flattering you, Your Excellency, your opponents think you can only dance but while they are busy shouting and calling you ‘Dancing Governor’, you are busy fulfilling your electoral promises to the people.”
Responding to the tweet via his verified X account, Adeleke explained that he loves dancing because it brings him joy.
Speaking further on his love for dancing, Adeleke highlighted that while dancing brings him immense happiness, his greater fulfilment comes from delivering the dividends of democracy to the people of Osun.
Outlining his administration’s efforts to enhance the state’s infrastructure, he noted that primary health centre rehabilitation is underway in at least 200 out of the 332 wards across Osun State, adding that road construction projects are also progressing in every local government area.
He wrote, “Dancing gives me joy, but delivering on my electoral promises and providing the dividends of democracy to the good people of Osun gives me even greater joy. Rehabilitation of primary health centers is ongoing in at least 200 out of 332 wards, and road construction is progressing in every Local Government!”
Ecoparl: Speaker Ibrahima Reaffirms Parliament’s Dedication to Regional Unity
Air Force Begins Moving Electoral Materials For Edo Guber Election
“Dancing gives me abundant joy and peace of mind”-Gov Adeleke
Just in: Terrorists ambush military truck, kill all soldiers on board
Nigerian Dancer, Korra Obidi Attacked with acid, stabbed on stage In UK
Meet Rare Gem 16 Years Old Chiaza, CEO of ‘RUN MARKET PLACE’
-
News21 hours agoPHOTOS: Finally, FCT Minister, Wike settles with the Duke, Nduka Obaigbena, publisher of Thisday, Arise Tv
-
Politics20 hours agoRivers PDP elders tackle Ada George over attack on Wike
-
News21 hours agoOver 3000 Lagos Residents Rendered Homeless As Govt Officials, Policemen Demolish, Set Buildings On Fire
-
News17 hours agoPopular Ekiti Born Philanthropist, Funso Ayeni Bags PhD in US Varsity
-
Economy18 hours agoSEE Black Market Dollar (USD) To Naira (NGN) Exchange Rate Today
-
News15 hours agoJust in: Wanted ex-Kogi gov, Yahaya Bello honours EFCC invitation
-
News21 hours agoHire and fire Gov Fubara fires LG chairman, appoints caretaker immediately
-
News21 hours agoFG Issues Flood Alert As Cameroon Releases Water From Lagdo Dam