Saying It As It Is
301 views
Beyond rhetorics, Mr. President’s speech offered nothing new. This is even as it is coming late in the day.
I expected Mr. President to offer something that is, at least symbolic, to assuage and pacify the protesters. During #EndSARS protests, for instance, President Buhari scrapped the vexatious SARS. Also during Occupy Nigeria protests in 2012, then President Goodluck Jonathan reduced fuel price, which was the main trigger for the protests, from N147.00 to N97.00 per litre.
Also, President Tinubu in his speech asked protesters to embrace dialogue, but he failed to set up a body with which the protesters would dialogue. Or was he asking them to march to Aso Rock and dialogue with him?
Again during #ENDSARS protests, President Buhari set up a body to dialogue with the protesters with assurances that none of the leaders would be victimised.
Inasmuch as I personally condemn the protesters for engaging in acts of violence and looting that have taken place so far, unfortunate as they are, Government must however realise that the #EndBadGovernance protest is a legitimate protest.
Indeed, it is hard to find anything bad in a genuine protest that is geared towards ending bad governance. We cannot deny that we have had bad governance over the years and the people are tired of it. What is unfortunate and condemnable however is the violence, looting, the call for regime change, and for the military to return. That is unacceptable. The only legitimate regime change in today’s world is that brought about through democratic election.
But some of the protesters’ call for regime change ought not make government lose sight of the genuine call for improvement in the lot of the people. So I expected a speech more conciliatory, if it is not offering anything concrete. I expected a speech that would speak directly to the demands of the protesters. I did not expect a speech that would use this occasion to restate the government’s “achievements” in the past one year – same “achievements” that have eventuated the reasons for the protest. What this speech has offered is absolutely NOTHING!
