National demonstration on October 1: organizers send message to police and begin preparations

• Organizers of the October 1 nationwide protest have requested support from the Nigerian Police to ensure the safety of participants.
• Hassan Soweto of the Education Rights Campaign (ERC) called for peaceful protests against “anti-poor policies”.
• The protest in Lagos will begin at 7:30am at Ikeja under the bridge, with participants marching through different streets to raise awareness.

In a bid to ensure the safety of participants in the upcoming October 1 nationwide protest, organizers have formally requested security support from the Nigeria Police Force.

This demand was articulated in a statement jointly signed by several advocacy groups, including the Education Rights Campaign (ERC), the Movement for Fundamental Change (MFC), the Youth Rights Campaign (YRC ), the Joint Action Front (JAF) and Pan-African Consciousness. Renaissance (PACOR-Nigeria).

During a press briefing on Thursday, September 26, 2024, Hassan Soweto, the National Coordinator of the ERC, urged Nigerians to participate in peaceful protests against what he described as “anti-poor policies”.

He stressed the importance of maintaining non-violent protests to effectively convey their message.

Organizers have detailed plans for the protest in Lagos, which is expected to begin at 7:30 a.m. at the Ikeja Bridge. Participants will march through various streets to raise awareness for their cause.

In their communication with Olanrewaju Ishola, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, the organizers stressed the need for adequate security measures in line with the Police Establishment Act, 2020.

They stressed the importance of ensuring the safety of all participants during the demonstration.

The statement reads:

“With this announcement, we inform the Commissioner of Police of our planned action in October and remind the police of their obligation under section 83 (4) of the Police Establishment Act 2020 to ensure a adequate security for citizens participating in public meetings, rallies and demonstrations. “, they said.

“This action is a warning and an urgent call for the Tinubu administration to immediately respond to our demands. If our demands are not met, more protests will follow National Survival Day. »

Giving the reasons why the protest must take place, the organizers said: “We invite you on another journey to redeem our nation as we continue to oppose the anti-poor policies of this regime,” the statement read. the press release.

“As is obvious to everyone, none of the demands of our ten days of anger in August have been met.

“Instead, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu simply used our national treasury to procure luxury cars, planes and other luxury goods for himself and his first family, without caring about the plea of ​​Nigerians hungry.

“To show the utter contempt the Federal Government has for the people, Tinubu decided to unleash another fuel price hike on Nigeria earlier this month.

“As we speak, the price of fuel ranges between N900 per liter and N1,900 per liter depending on which part of the country you are in.

“Meanwhile, less than two years ago, a liter of fuel cost no more than N200 per litre. It’s scandalous. This is intolerable. As a direct result of this increase, life has become unbearable for many Nigerians.

“Many are starving as the rise in fuel prices has also impacted food prices. Inflation has rendered the new national minimum wage of N70,000 irrelevant and incapable of providing any relief to Nigerian workers.

“At the same time, the sharp rise in the cost of imported goods has made traders and traders redundant, with stores overflowing with products that no one is willing to buy.

“The situation has also affected businesses and industries. No less than ten multinational companies left Nigeria’s shores between May last year, leading to even more job losses.

“Based on the above, we, of the #EndBadGovernance movement, have decided to declare October 1, 2024 “National Survival Day.”

“On this day, we call on the people of Nigeria, workers, students, youth, the unemployed, traders and the poor to peacefully demonstrate and protest against the atrocious conditions of misery, poverty and hunger imposed on us by the President Tinubu’s decision to implement anti-poor capitalist policies inspired by the IMF and the World Bank, consisting of an increase in fuel prices, an increase in electricity tariffs, an increase in transportation fees. schooling and a devaluation of the naira.

“We also call on the Nigerian people to use this day to demand with one voice the immediate and unconditional release of all #EndSARS and #EndBadGovernance protesters detained by the police and in prison, as well as the freedom of journalists, whistleblowers. alert, activists and all detainees. victims of state repression.

Tension as protests erupt in Abuja

In the meantime, Legitime.ng had earlier reported that Nigerians had gathered in Abuja to protest the ongoing fuel shortage. The protest was led by the Coalition of Concerned Civil Society Organizations of Nigeria.

Comrade Aminu Abbas, the convener, blamed the fuel shortage on the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari.

Source: Legit.ng