Obasempire reports that the coordinators of the protest against economic difficulties and poor governance have announced intentions to continue their demonstration at Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park, Ojota, Lagos today.
This information was shared in a communiqué released on Sunday by Hassan Taiwo, Ayoyinka Oni, and Adegboyega Adeniji representing the organizers.
The announcement followed the President’s address earlier on Sunday, where Tinubu recognized the protesters’ concerns and called for them to halt their demonstrations in favor of dialogue.
Part of the statement read: “We consider the President’s decision to address the nation an important victory for our movement.
“Without our courage and resolve to dare the odds, even this acknowledgement would not have happened. So far, we have demonstrated that a President is not greater than the rest of the country.
“In our view, the president cannot be approbating and reprobating at the same time. The President cannot offer an olive branch while at the same time holding a dagger to our throat.”
They called on young people and the general public to join them at 7 a.m. on Monday at Gani Fawehinmi Park for the fifth day of the protest.
Obasempire reports that former Education Minister Obiageli Ezekwesili has condemned President Bola Tinubu’s Sunday address regarding the ongoing nationwide protests against poor governance.
The former minister described the speech as profoundly disappointing.
Ezekwesili stated that Tinubu’s address was a significant missed opportunity to reassure citizens with clear, evidence-based solutions and a detailed plan to combat poor governance.
The government critic asserted that the speech seemed to be crafted from a perspective of “retaliating against Tinubu’s imagined adversaries.”
Tinubu addressed the nation on Sunday about the protests, ruling out the reinstatement of the fuel subsidy and urging protest organizers to withdraw from the streets.
In a statement on her X handle, Ezekwesili lamented that it is regrettable to witness Nigerian public “leaders” talking and acting like failures on issues of governance.
She said: “@officialABAT , As one of millions of Nigerians who were at church when you delivered your late-in-coming Speech to Citizens on the #EndBadGovernancelnNigeria protests, let me loudly say it was terribly underwhelming to read.
‘Your Speech reads like a page from your party manifesto and terribly failed to connect to what our Citizens on the Streets are angry and protesting about.
‘Your speech is quite a monumental missed opportunity to placate citizens with sound answers and outline of convincing evidence-based actions that you and your @NigeriaGov will immediately take to address the priority #BadGovernance concerns.
“Your Speech was sadly again written out of a mindset that is focused on “getting back at our enemies”. Imaginary enemies at that! No true Leader has the luxury of having “enemies” among their Citizens. Not at all. A Public Leader becomes the Leader of ALL with a mind that does not think of any as their enemies.
“This is why it is ever unfortunate to see Nigerian public “Leaders” talk and behave like Losers on matters of public governance where they are expected to rally their ALL Citizens behind the common purpose of nation building.
“It is nauseating to observe this recurrent innate unwillingness of Nigerian public leaders to admit responsibility for the demands of the same public leadership that they kill and maim citizens to assume.
“@officialABAT, Citizens know when they are being badly governed and from what one can see, Nigerians have now realized that they must collectively speak up and take action otherwise their self-obsessed rulers (and not leaders) will not pay them any heed at all.
“As we remember and pray for families of all our citizens mauled down or maimed for demanding an End to Bad Governance, let me call on you @officialABAT to immediately instruct the IG @PoliceNG and his men to “STOP KILLING PEACEFUL PROTESTERS NOW!”
“Also fish out all law enforcement personnel that have killed and maimed citizens and ensure they are sanctioned as a deterrence to their colleagues.”
Obasempire reports that at least 205 chairs, musical instruments, and other equipment valued at millions of naira were reportedly stolen by vandals in Katsina State on the first day of the ongoing nationwide planned peaceful protest against adversity.
Vandals targeted a Living Faith Church in the Daura Local Government Area, making off with 205 chairs, musical instruments, and other valuable items worth millions of naira.
Pastor David Sarki, who oversees the church, informed our correspondent in Katsina on Sunday that the church service had to be canceled because of the incident.
He said, “Because the hoodlums took everything inside the church on the first day of the protest, they decided to worship at their various home cells.
“We have two security personnel working in the church; one was on duty while the other was off. When the protest began around 10:00 am, the hoodlums just diverted to the church, many of them in Keke Napep (tricycle), broke the door and windows and entered the church auditorium.
“They took everything inside the church auditorium, including the wall digital clock, musical instruments, pulpit, pastor’s chairs, plastic chairs, a desktop computer at the reception, and a scoreboard where the accountant usually kept church documents. They scattered everything.
“Three churches were their target. They succeeded in invading the Living Faith Church and Deeper Life, but couldn’t gain access to the third one, which is the Anglican Church, because of the strong protection at the gate.”
He added, “We have informed the police and the army about it, and the police told us yesterday that they have made some arrests.
“I am surprised by this attack. When we are thinking about ending bad governance protests, which have now escalated to the invasion of churches, it is something that everyone should seriously condemn. It is not food that we store in the house of God; it is a place of worship. Why is it only a church? The government should come to the reality that they are serving humanity, and God will judge us all, whether political or religious leaders.
“My prayer for the perpetrators is that they should repent from what they are doing because for you to enter a church, a place of worship, is wrong, and you know you are not fighting, man. They should seek repentance. I know God is forgiving, and He will forgive them.”
Similarly, the Pastor in charge of Power of Resurrection in Katsina State, Nelson Onyekachuku, whose church was also invaded by the hoodlums during the protest in Katsina town, lamented the vandalisation of the church windows as the hoodlums could not gain access to the building due to the iron protectors of the church gate.
Onyekachuku, who is also the former state Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Katsina, condemned the action entirely, noting that they should not add to the pain of the church.
He called on the government to change its policy, address the issues of the people and always ensure the protection of the church whenever such an incident happens.
Obasempire reports that Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka has criticized President Bola Tinubu’s national address concerning the ongoing protests throughout the country.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Soyinka voiced his dismay and apprehension about the government’s response to the protests.
Soyinka observed that while the presidential address detailed the government’s corrective measures since its inception, it failed to adequately address the management of the protests.
He denounced the use of live ammunition and tear gas against peaceful demonstrators, calling it a “regression” that recalls colonial-era acts of contempt.
Soyinka said, “I set my alarm clock for this morning to ensure that I did not miss President Bola Tinubu’s impatiently awaited address to the nation on the current unrest across the nation.
“His outline of government’s remedial action since inception, aimed at warding off just such an outbreak, will undoubtedly receive expert and sustained attention both for effectiveness and in content analysis.
My primary concern, quite predictably, is the continuing deterioration of the state’s seizure of protest management, an area in which the presidential address fell conspicuously short.
“Such short-changing of civic deserving, regrettably, goes to arm the security forces in the exercise of impunity and condemns the nation to a seemingly unbreakable cycle of resentment and reprisals.
“Live bullets as state response to civic protest – that becomes the core issue. Even tear gas remains questionable in most circumstances, certainly an abuse in situations of clearly peaceful protest.
Hunger marches constitute a universal S.O.S, not peculiar to the Nigerian nation. They belong indeed in a class of their own, never mind the collateral claims emblazoned on posters.
“They serve as summons to governance that a breaking point has been reached and thus, a testing ground for governance awareness of public desperation.
The tragic response to the ongoing hunger marches in parts of the nation, and for which notice was served, constitutes a retrogression that takes the nation even further back than the deadly culmination of the watershed ENDSARS protests.
“It evokes pre-independence – that is, colonial – acts of disdain, a passage that induced the late stage pioneer Hubert Ogunde’s folk opera BREAD AND BULLETS, earning that nationalist serial persecution and proscription by the colonial government.”
Soyinka noted that the “nation’s security agencies cannot pretend unawareness of alternative models for emulation, civilized advances in security intervention”.
He said, “Need we recall the nationwide 2022/23 editions of what is generally known as the YELLOW VEST movement in France? Perhaps it is time to make such scenarios compulsory viewing in policing curriculum.
In all of the coverage that I watched, I did not catch one single instance of a gun leveled at protesters, much less fired at them even during direct physical confrontations.
“The serving of bullets where bread is pleaded is ominous retrogression, and we know what that eventually proves – a prelude to far more desperate upheavals, not excluding revolutions.
“The time is long overdue, surely, to abandon, permanently, the anachronistic resort to lethal means by the security agencies of governance. No nation is so under-developed, materially impoverished, or simply internally insecure as to lack the will to set an example.
All it takes is to recall its own history, then exercise the will to commence a lasting transformation, inserting a break in the chain of lethal responses against civic society”.
Obasempire reports that the Lagos State Police Command has announced that it is currently not detaining anyone for taking part in the ongoing demonstration against difficulties in the state.
The command’s spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, mentioned this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Friday in Lagos, indicating that no demonstrator is in their custody.
“All protesters arrested on Thursday were released same Thursday.
“The Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Adegoke Fayoade, called the State CID to order for their release,” he said.
One of those leading the protests, Inibehe Effiong, had told the gathering at Gani Fawehinmi Park that no fewer than 12 protesters were arrested on Thursday.
Effiong, however, later corroborated the police spokesperson’s claim that all those arrested had been released.
He commended the police and other security agents for their professional handling of the protest in the state.
The #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protesters on Friday gathered in front of Park in Ojota for the second day.
The incident took place on Friday, August 2, during the second day of ongoing protests against poor governance, economic hardship, and hunger.
Eyewitnesses reported that chaos ensued when the police began firing at the protesters. In the confusion, one officer was struck by bullets from other officers. The wounded officer was found lying in a pool of blood amid a distressed crowd.
The protests, part of the #EndBadGovernance movement, have attracted considerable attention as citizens nationwide voice their dissatisfaction with the current conditions. Demonstrators have been demanding improved governance, economic reforms, and solutions to widespread hunger.
The incident in Katsina has intensified the strain between law enforcement and the public. Videos of the tragic event have spread widely on social media, leading to outrage and criticism of the police’s conduct.
Many have condemned the officers’ unprofessional behavior and called for accountability and better training for those managing public demonstrations.
Despite the tragic event, protesters have remained steadfast in their calls for change. The #EndBadGovernance protests continue to gain momentum, with participants urging the government to tackle the urgent issues facing the nation.
Obasempire reports that the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has disclosed that the Federal Government has yet to announce the locations for purchasing the ₦40,000 rice due to concerns about potential takeover and hoarding by affluent individuals.
Idris clarified that the government has set up various centers nationwide for acquiring 50kg bags of rice at ₦40,000, as part of President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s initiatives to enhance living standards for citizens.
In a press conference at the Radio House in Abuja, Idris affirmed that the rice is available and is currently being distributed to various states. However, due to security concerns, specific routes and schedules for distribution cannot be revealed at this moment.
He emphasized, “The distribution process is underway, but for security reasons, we cannot specify the exact routes and times. The rice will be sold at ₦40,000 and is being made available at various points nationwide. We are taking measures to prevent it from being monopolized by those with financial resources, ensuring that the intended beneficiaries receive it.”
Obasempire reports that the Federal Executive Council (FEC), led by President Bola Tinubu, has authorized the sale of crude oil to local refineries, including the Dangote Refinery, in naira.
The move aims to decrease Nigeria’s reliance on the U.S. dollar and strengthen the local currency.
Zacch Adedeji, the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), revealed the decision after the FEC meeting on Monday.
He noted that President Tinubu has directed the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited to execute this directive without delay.
Adedeji said: “The attitude of Mr President is thinking outside the box to solve Nigeria’s problem and actually to localised the solutions to Nigeria’s problem.
“He has approved through the Council that effective immediately, that NNPC get engaged with local refineries and we are starting that with Dangote Refinery. That the sales of crude oil to Dangote Refinery be denominated in naria and also the sales of byproducts from Dangote Refinery to distributors also be conducted in naira.
“And what does it mean to our economy? One, the pressure on foreign exchange will be reduced.
“President Tinubu is committed to innovative solutions for Nigeria’s challenges and this move to sell crude oil in naira to local refineries exemplifies this approach,” Adedeji stated. “Adedeji explained the economic implications of this decision.
Currently, Nigeria spends between 30% to 40% of its foreign exchange on importing petroleum products. “We spend approximately $660 million monthly, which amounts to $7.92 billion annually,”
he noted. “With this new policy, we anticipate a reduction of at least 90% in these costs. Transactions in naira will stabilize the pump price and reduce our reliance on foreign exchange fluctuations.”
The shift to naira-based transactions is expected to save Nigeria significant foreign exchange.
“The approval by FEC will reduce our monthly foreign exchange expenditure from $660 million to a maximum of $50 million, resulting in annual savings of $7.32 billion,” Adedeji highlighted.
“This will also decrease finance costs associated with opening letters of credit, which currently amount to $79 million.”
Furthermore, the FEC has approved Afreximbank as the lead arranger for transactions between the NNPC and the Dangote Refinery. This partnership is seen as a crucial step in ensuring the smooth implementation of the new policy.
“This policy is a major innovation in addressing Nigeria’s economic challenges,” Adedeji emphasised.
“It will not only create more employment opportunities but also ensure greater control over one of the mainstays of our economy. We congratulate President Tinubu, the FEC, the NNPC, Dangote Refinery, and Afreximbank for their roles in making this transformative initiative a reality.”
The move is expected to enhance economic stability by reducing the pressure on foreign exchange and supporting the local currency, marking a significant step towards solving Nigeria’s economic problems permanently.
Igboho emphasised that the Yoruba Nation has no intention of joining the protest, stating, “While the right to peaceful protest is enshrined in our Constitution, it does not extend to calls for an unconstitutional regime change.”
He further explained that during President Buhari’s tenure, there were no protests from the Southwest for regime change, even in the face of oppression and atrocities.
He said the focus of their protests has always been on protecting their communities, not destabilising the country.
“I and the Yoruba Nation Movement firmly declared that we will not participate in any protest aimed at using the Southwest as a battleground for political upheaval,” Igboho, said, affirming that the Yoruba Nation will not be a launchpad for disintegrating Nigeria.
Igboho also highlighted that economic hardship is a global issue and acknowledged the efforts of the government in reducing food prices and increasing the minimum wage.
He called on all Yoruba people and well-meaning Nigerians to reject what he described as politically motivated protest.
“The Yoruba Nation unequivocally opposes any such protests and believes that President Tinubu should be allowed to complete his term in office,” Igboho said, emphasizing that the path to change lies in democratic processes, either through the ballot box or a referendum.
Igboho urged their members and the broader community to resist the temptation to participate in these protests, as they do not serve the interests of the Yoruba people or the nation as a whole.
He also issued a strong warning against any individuals or groups attempting to instigate violence under the guise of these protests, stating that they will firmly resist and stay off the streets during the designated protest days and in the future.
Obasempire reports that President Bola Tinubu has approved a new directive to advance crude oil trade using the local currency.
The Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacchaeus Adedeji, revealed this to State House reporters on Monday, following the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
He stated that, effective immediately, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited will conduct transactions with local refineries in Naira.
This policy also applies to the sale of crude oil to Dangote Refinery, with Dangote’s subsequent product sales to be carried out in Naira.
Adedeji explained that the initiative aims to reduce the heavy dependence on foreign exchange for crude oil imports, which currently represents about 30 to 40 percent of Nigeria’s forex spending.
The FIRS Chairman added that by denominating transactions in Naira, the Federal Government hopes to significantly lessen the forex burden, projecting annual savings of approximately $7.3 billion.
He emphasized that the shift is expected to stabilize domestic crude oil prices by minimizing the effects of forex fluctuations and alleviate pressure on Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserves, reducing monthly forex expenditure from $50 million to roughly $600 million.
Afreximbank has been chosen as the pilot settlement bank to implement the transactions.
