Bauchi Civil Society Organizations Pulls-Out From Planned Protest
BY KHALID IDRIS DOYA, Bauchi
The United Civil Society Organizations has said that based on its recognition of the importance of peace, stability and constructive dialogue to achieve collective goals, it has decided to shelve its plans of taking part in the nationwide planned protest.
The civil society organizations said, “So, in our view, there is no need to overheat the polity, overheat our environment and put our people in a position where the hardship that is occasioned by economic recession all over the world is further worsened”.
In a press conference by the organizations Chief Convener, Comrade Aliyu Z. Mukaddas in Bauchi weekend, said that, “We are against the protests, and we shelve our plans of a nationwide protest.”
Mukaddas attributed their resolve to back out of the protest to the course of entrenching peace, unity and development in the country at all levels, state and national, saying they are always ready to partner, create and sustain synergy with the government and stakeholders in the dream of building an egalitarian society, where justice and rule of law driving the process are the watch words.
“Today Saturday the 27th day of July, 2024 the Organizations after our meetings with various stakeholders and Comrades in Bauchi State, in respect of the plan Nationwide Protest which is scheduled to hold on 1st to 10th August, 2024 to demand from the Federal Government of Nigeria, among other demands”.
The Chief Convener gave the demands as, end subsidy scam and reverse fuel price to below N300 per liter, bring tertiary education fees back to their previous rates, and restore electricity tariff to affordable levels for the public.
Also in demands, the Convener outlined, are returning of import duties to their previous rates, publicly disclosing and reducing the salaries and allowances of all Senators, House of Representative members, reform EFCC and bring the country’s inflation down.
The civil society organizations, “It’s a truism that the inflation rate is in the double-digit and unemployment rate in Nigeria is alarming. So many graduates are out there with no means of survival. The economy is unfriendly and the cost of living is outrageous, out of the reach of the common man”.
Comrade Aliyu Mukaddas assured that they have decided to pull out from the planned protest, despite having the constitutionally guaranteed right to protest under Section 40 of the 1999 constitution of the FRN (as amended) as well as Order 2 Rule 1 of the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules, 2009.
“In line with the foregoing and given the current difficult situation in the country, and the attempt by hoodlums to hijack the protest to cause trouble and use the same in destroying the country which is never our aim. Based on that development, we recognize the importance of peace, stability, hence the need to eschew violence and the repeat of the ENDSARS saga”, Mukaddas concluded.
