Nigerian leader calls for end to hardship protests
"The ugly truth about Nigeria's child trafficking "Nigeria: Seven years since Chibok, the government fails to protect children 2015 - "Boko Haram: 'For five kilometres, I kept standing on dead bodies'"""
Nigeria’s leader has called for an end to mass protests over economic hardship, saying the rallies have turned violent and blaming “a few with a political agenda” for driving them
ByCHINEDU ASADU Associated Press August 4, 2024, 6:46 PM
VIDEO 1:16 International headlines from ABC News Catch up on the developing stories from around the globe making headlines. [..nothing new..]
The protests, which began Thursday, have been accompanied by reports of looting and vandalism, as well as accusations that security forces have used excessive force. Amnesty International has reported the deaths of nine protesters in clashes with police, while another four were killed by a bomb. The Nigerian police denied the Amnesty report.
“I have heard you loud and clear,” President Bola Tinubu said in his first public remarks on the demonstrations. “I understand the pain and frustration that drive these protests, and I want to assure you that our government is committed to listening and addressing the concerns of our citizens.”
But, he said, “a few with a clear political agenda to tear this nation apart” would be resisted by security forces.
Tinubu's remarks were criticized by some who said he failed to address the issues that caused the protests. It was a “missed opportunity” in which the Nigerian leader “shied away from the underlying issues and provided no roadmap or clear targets for tackling them,” the Lagos-based SBM Intelligence research firm said in its assessment.
Tinubu’s aides have said the protests are politically motivated. His election last year was disputed by the opposition, after he won with 37% of the vote, the smallest margin of any Nigerian president ever. The election also recorded the lowest turnout since 1999, when the country returned to democracy.
The protesters have also been inspired by other young people in Kenya who held rallies last month to oppose a planned tax hike.
The Nigerian leader said that his government “will not stand idly” and allow the looting reported in the past days to continue.
“Under the circumstances, I hereby enjoin protesters and the organizers to suspend any further protest and create room for dialogue,” he said.
The military has also threatened to intervene to quell violence.
[Insert: US adds Boko Haram leaders to terrorist list [...] Abubakar Shekau is said to be the leader of Nigeria's Boko Haram armed group [AFP] 2012 - https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=77205595 .. and.. Nigeria bombings, attacks by Taliban-inspired militants kill 67 November 5, 2011 | 4:12 pm fp: "How much of Britain’s national budget goes on parliament? In Nigeria 25 percent of the budget is spent on MPs, the workings of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The members have voted themselves $1 million a year each in salaries and allowances, and on top of that almost all of them use their positions to make money by taking backhanders to fix contracts or block reforms. In the last three years the senate has passed only seven bills, three of them finances bills, which are necessary to pay their grotesque salaries and perks. It makes the British parliament’s recent expenses scandal look like children’s pocket money." 2011 - https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=68717698]
Tinubu defended the audacious reforms that were supposed to save the government money and shore up dwindling foreign investment, but whose immediate impact has added to hardships.
The reforms, including the suspension of decades-old gas subsidies and currency devaluation, have had a knock-on effect on the price of just about everything else because they've been poorly implemented, analysts say.
“The economy is recovering; please, don’t shut out its oxygen,” Tinubu said.
In a region that has witnessed rampant military coups off the back of popular discontent with democratically elected governments, the Nigerian leader warned the protests could also threaten the country’s democracy.
[Dowden in Africa - Nigeria election blog [...]This runs contrary to my theory that Nigeria is not entirely a failed state. It works well for those who own it and control it. Chaos in Nigeria is created, organised to ensure that nothing works because that benefits the ruling elite who control the economic choke points. The best example is the three oil refineries. None of them have worked for years, despite pledges from successive governments and billions of dollars promised. Why? Because the fuel importers have more power than the reformers, and they buy off anyone who tries to fix the refineries. One of the diplomats tells me that Nigeria spends more on importing petroleum products, largely for personal generators, than the whole government budget. P - How much of Britain’s national budget goes on parliament? In Nigeria 25 percent of the budget is spent on MPs, the workings of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The members have voted themselves $1 million a year each in salaries and allowances, and on top of that almost all of them use their positions to make money by taking backhanders to fix contracts or block reforms. In the last three years the senate has passed only seven bills, three of them finances bills, which are necessary to pay their grotesque salaries and perks. It makes the British parliament’s recent expenses scandal look like children’s pocket money. 2011 - https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=62174005]
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