Tinubu’s Broadcast: ECOWAS Breaks Silence on Hunger Protests

What Tinubu Told Lawmakers During 2024 Budget Presentation

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has broken its silence on the ongoing protests in Nigeria. In a statement released on Tuesday, the ECOWAS Commission urged protesters to heed the call for dialogue and peaceful resolution of their grievances. The body expressed deep concern over the violence, fatalities, and property destruction that have marred the demonstrations The commission extended condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives in the protests and expressed sympathy with the Nigerian government and its people over the losses incurred. The statement said, “The ECOWAS Commission has been closely monitoring the ongoing protests by citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and deeply regrets reports of violence in the course of the protests and the unfortunate death of some protesters as well as alleged looting and destruction of public and private properties. “The commission extends heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and sympathizes with the Government and people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria over the losses. “The ECOWAS Commission recognises the right of citizens to peaceful protests, as guaranteed by the 2001 ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance and enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.” ECOWAS also welcomed President Bola Tinubu’s recent State of the Nation address on Sunday, in which he called for inclusive dialogue to address the grievances of protesters. “The Commission welcomes the State of the Nation address of August 4, 2024 by President Bola Tinubu and urges the protesters and all stakeholders to heed the President’s call for inclusive dialogue for the resolution of all grievances and the preservation of peace and security in Nigeria and the ECOWAS region at large,” it added. The hunger protests in Nigeria, which began as a peaceful demonstration against the rising cost of living and food insecurity, took a violent turn last week, resulting in numerous deaths and the burning of properties.

The imperatives of creating Anioma state

The agitation for the creation of Anioma state or autonomy for the people is not a fly-by-night struggle nor a new idea prompted by such other demands in the South East geo-political zone or in other zones. The Anioma issue has been raised at any given opportunity and at every appropriate forum in this country in the last 50 years, possibly more. By UGO ONUOHA FOR the life of Nigeria as an independent country, 1960, the history is fairly recent. Though the journey through time had been chequered, nothing these past 64 years, next October 1, had been so traumatic, including the chilling bloodletting of the Biafra -Nigeria war (1967-1970), and the challenge of reconciliation more than 50 years after the war, to erase our individual and collective memories.   And because of this, it is likely that many adults amongst today’s Nigeria’s population of mainly young people will recall some fundamental events in the first republic between 1960-1967. One of such events was the creation in August 1963 of the defunct Mid-West region from the defunct Western region. Before the Mid-West region, there were the Northern region, Eastern region and the Western region which were in many respects the arbitrary creations of the British colonizers in the 1940s.   So, historically, again if our memories do not play pranks on us, the Mid-West region was the first and sadly only self-governing territory within Nigeria that was created by popular demand and through a democratic process. The Mid-West region came to be essentially because of the political power play between the Eastern and Northern regions on the one hand, and the Western region on the other hand. But it was also founded to satisfy the political and developmental aspirations of the peoples of the Benin and Delta provinces of the Western region. In his private and public life, Nwoko has not been associated with tardiness. So it was no surprise that the contents of his bill for the creation of Anioma state appeared to be attended by forethought, political deftness, requisite consultations, rigour and vigour. It then means that since 1963 all the governing enclaves we have come to know now as states had been created arbitrarily by a succession of military regimes. And the last time states, six in number were created, was in 1996 by the former head of state, the late Gen. Sani Abacha. It’s instructive that more than 60 years after the creation of the Mid-West region through a plebiscite , the strongest candidate for state creation in our new democratic setting is the demand for Anioma state. The Anioma area was part of the Benin/Delta province which became the former Mid-West region. Ahead of the civil war it was reverted to a province, and later Edo and Delta states. The Anioma people are in present day Delta state.   Early last month, Senator Ned Nwoko who represents Delta north in the Senate promoted and caused a bill for the creation of Anioma state to be tabled on the floor of the senate. In his private and public life, Nwoko has not been associated with tardiness. So it was no surprise that the contents of his bill for the creation of Anioma state appeared to be attended by forethought, political deftness, requisite consultations, rigour and vigour. The timing of his move was deft, and could in future provide a lesson for the masterclass for political gladiators. Senator Nwoko is on the cusp of using one pebble or stone to kill two birds at once. In my neck of the woods, and indeed his, Nwoko ‘choro iji ofu okwute/aku gbagbue nnunnu abuo’. That will be a feat in any clime and the possibility in this instance is rapidly unfolding before our eyes.   The agitation for the creation of Anioma state or autonomy for the people is not a fly-by-night struggle nor a new idea prompted by such other demands in the South East geo-political zone or in other zones. The Anioma issue has been raised at any given opportunity and at every appropriate forum in this country in the last 50 years, possibly more. That may explain why during the 2014 National Political Conference (CONFAB), the need for the creation of Anioma state was raised, and it resonated with the majority of participants.   The Conference was organised by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) government of President Goodluck Jonathan. He lost power to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC’s) Muhammadu Buhari the following year. The APC and Buhari ignored the recommendations of the Conference which included creating at least one more state in the South East to bring it at par with other regions except the North West which has seven states. …there are presently nine LGAs in Delta state whose indigenes are Igbo and whose language is Igbo. Additionally, these council areas are by geographical proximity within the orbit of the so-called mainland Igbo states of the South East. In terms of culture, tradition and names the people of Anioma cannot be said to be less Igbo. As we stated above, Senator Nwoko has brought a new and refreshing angle to the demand for the creation of Anioma state. His argument is virtually unassailable to the fair -minded, and his deft linkage of Anioma to the predominantly Igbo states of the South East is a masterstroke. His argument that when created Anioma state will fill a yawning gap in the South East was thoughtful. Presently, state creation is skewed against the South East. It has five states. The South West, South South, North Central, North East and South West have six states each. The North West has seven.   Nwoko argues in his bill for the creation of Anioma state that there are presently nine local government areas in Delta state whose indigenes are Igbo and whose language is Igbo. Additionally, these council areas are by geographical proximity within the orbit of the so-called mainland Igbo states of the South East. In terms of

Government by Cash gifts and palliatives: Ineffectual Tokenism to Citizens’ Miserys

As Nigeria Turns 63: No Quick Road To Nirvana

Media report has it that senate President Akpabio recently announced President Tinubu’s approval of 50,000 Naira monthly stipends for 10,000 youths in the Niger Delta area. I hope that news is not true, otherwise it would tone-deafness on steroid. It is a demeaning policy that reduces Nigerian youth to Pavlovian dogs in his classical conditioning experiments who can be taught compliance with food.   Nigerian youths do not need cashgifts, nor bribes, nor tokenisms or palliatives, call it what you like. It is an insult to them. They need an educational infrastructure fit for human learning, not the filthy chicken pens in which they are packed like animals called schools. They need a functioning economy with modern infrastructure that stimulates economic productivity and job creation.   As much as I am a supporter of President Tinubu, his alms-seekers’ pan-handling, hand-out tokenism palliative policy is like putting bandage on a cancerous bedsore. Sharing envelopes of bags of rice might work for vote harvesting during political campaign. It is not a sustainable model for governance. It is demeaning, belittling, insensitive, and an insult to us all.   If today’s protest falls apart like some hope it does because of the suspicion that it may be a misguided ethnic and political conceptualization and branding as “day of rage” as an alleged attempt at upturning the result of a failed presidential bid. It is hoped that President Tinubu and his team see that as a temporary reprieve to give him a chance for course correction and a massive restructuring and pruning down the huge bureaucracy that has become part and parcel of the culture of government by political patronage with layers upon layers of special assistants to special assistants, with no portfolio nor value addition to governance in Abuja and all over the states and local government capitals. It must stop now.   That is low hanging policy shift that does not need any legislative action, just executive order to send the signal to the populace of shared sacrifice and a listening presidency.   The bubbling explosive tension in the country is palpable. You cannot pack megaton of explosive TNT in a hot combustible room and hope and pray that one day it would not detonate and bring down the house.   The time for presidential action is now, not tomorrow. Like the explosion of the pile of ammonia fertilizer which eviscerated blocks upon blocks of Beirut taking with it the homes of the poor, the powerless the rich and powerful, will be a child’s play unless decisive action is taken is to avert the looming catastrophe.   Our country is siting on a huge pile of TNT that is on the verge of explosion. Only quick and decisive action by all layers of government, federal, state and local government can save the country.   May God bless Nigeria our country. May God bless our president Tinubu, our governors and all those who have willingly sought leadership positions of our country and have been honored with such huge responsibility. May He give them the wisdom, and prick their conscience and sensibilities if they still have any left, to do the right thing for the long suffering, long abused, long deprived Nigerian masses. If they fail to do so, they must be prepared for the spontaneous ire and rage of the people that is likely to sweep them off their exalted position of power.   A word they say is enough for the wise. The clock is ticking and the day of reckoning is literarily at hand.

Hunger Protest: D-DAY in Nigeria?

President Bola Ahmad Tinubu shall today play host to some not-too-August visitors, as Nigerians from all works of life pour onto the streets, if it all go as planned, to demand better treatment from the leadership of their country.