The Coalition of Igbo Political and Socio-cultural Groups, Lagos State Chapter, has announced its decision to distance itself from the upcoming nationwide protest scheduled to begin on August 1.
The protest, tagged #EndBadGovernanceinNigeria, is aimed at highlighting the economic challenges facing Nigerians under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking at a press conference in Ikeja on Tuesday, the Coordinator of the coalition, Mr. Anselm Njoku, expressed the group’s reservations about participating in the protest, emphasizing that it could lead to chaos rather than constructive dialogue.
“After an empirical analysis and overview of the current economic situation in Nigeria, we, as a body, agree that it is not in dispute that there is hardship in the country,” Njoku stated.
He acknowledged the economic difficulties but noted that these challenges were not unique to Nigeria, as other countries, both developed and developing, are facing similar issues.
Njoku pointed out that the current economic situation is a result of cumulative past governance failures and should not be solely attributed to the Tinubu administration, which has been in power for less than a year.
He warned that a nationwide protest at this time could be counterproductive, potentially causing chaos and undermining efforts to revitalize the economy.
“We are saying that a nationwide protest at this time, when the Federal Government is trying to revamp the economy, is going to be counterproductive, hence ill-advised,” he asserted.
“Therefore, we are distancing ourselves and the entire Ndigbo in Lagos from the planned protest. Nigerians should develop the culture of dialogue with the government and the deployment of constructive criticisms without recourse to unnecessary provocative protest and violence.”
Njoku further emphasized the positive contributions of the Igbo community to the development of Lagos State, asserting that they would not participate in activities that could lead to the destruction of the state’s assets.
“Lagos State is a Yorubaland, and Ndigbo who are resident here have contributed immensely to its development, and cannot be used or coerced in whatever forms, to destroy the assets,” he said.
“We are not destruction-prone and cannot be part of those seeking to destroy what we partly and jointly built. Ndigbo are not wired for destruction; we develop wherever we are residing.”
In conclusion, Njoku appealed to President Tinubu to consider the release of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, through dialogue.
Kanu is currently in detention, and his release has been a subject of widespread calls from various quarters.
