Threatening Those Planning To Protest Won’t Work – Falana Warns FG

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana has urged the Federal Government to listen to the demands of the organisers ahead of the August 1, 2024, nationwide planned protest in the country.

Falana, a human rights activist, also cautioned the FG not to threaten the protesters as such could exacerbate the situation.

While featuring on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Tuesday, Falana said, “How do you identify those who are issuing statements; those who are planning the protest, and then engage with them productively?

“But threats do not work. In fact, on some occasions, the desperation of the government also has a way of popularising such protests.”

He also noted that state governors should hold talks with residents and make them aware of their plans to ameliorate the hardship ravaging the country.

The legal practitioner stated, “So, this time around the government should try to identify the leaders of the movement and then engage them, and then the questions be raised. There are demands that are being made, and the government should address these demands.

“Between now and August 1 is still a long way and I understand the government is going to address the nation. It is also important for governors to come out and let the people know what they are doing to address hardship in the country which nobody is denying.”

Over the past week, calls for a nationwide hunger protest have been gaining traction across social media.

Addressing the matter on Tuesday, President Bola Tinubu, through the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, appealed to Nigerians who plan to stage nationwide hunger protests to shelve the plan as he called on citizens to give his administration enough time to respond to their requests.

“On the issue of the planned protest, Mr. President does not see any need for that. He asked them to shelve that plan and he has asked them to await the government’s response to all their pleas,” Idris said after a closed-door meeting with the president.

However, there’ve been calls from other quarters urging the FG to allow concerned Nigerians to proceed with the planned protest.

“Chasing shadows and contriving purported persons behind the planned protests is an exercise in futility when it is obvious that Nigerians, including supporters of Tinubu and the ruling APC, are caught up in the hunger, anger, and hopelessness brought about by the incompetence and cluelessness of this government,” former Vice President and key opposition figure, Atiku Abubakar said on Tuesday in a tweet via his X handle, #atiku.

Also, Amnesty International on Tuesday advocated citizens’ right to engage in the hunger protest, saying, “Threatening peaceful protesters is unlawful. It is a clear attack on freedom of assembly — which is guaranteed by international law and Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution:

“Nigerians must not be denied the constitutionally and internationally guaranteed right to peaceful protest; through veiled threats of violence and false insinuations.”