Mobilizers of the nationwide planned protest against bad governance have unmasked their faces in Kano reading out directives and demands for the 1st August, 2023 action.
A coalition made up of several civil society organizations named Nigeria Patriotic Front Movement (NPFM), Northern Chapter, and led by Anas Adamu is made up of 13 organizations.
At a press conference, Tuesday evening in Kano, the group issued a communique declaring their intention to hold the protest as planned.
In the communique, they also listed their demands to the Nigerian government that include reducing the pump price of petrol to between N160 to N200, reduce inflation on food, housing and electricity, bring down interest rates, reduce cost of governance and flush out insecurity in the country.
Following these demands they declared that they are going to stage the protest and issued directives on the conduct of the planned protest.
These include among others, participants should not carry any form of weapons, should not attempt to harass anybody or engage in any form of violence and should not loot people’s property.
“Our protest is peaceful and consistent with rights enshrined in the 1999 constitution of the federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
“We call on the people of Kano state, and Nigeria at large, to come out in their numbers on the 1st of August and exercise their human rights to freely protest against bad governance at all levels of government in the country. And we call on foreign imperial actors to stay out of our domestic affairs.
“Let us ignore all paid agents profiting from our mass sufferings that are now trying to intimidate and persuade us from speaking out and protesting against unjust governance. If we do not protest now, how would the government take us seriously? It is time for us to stamp our authority as citizens, so that those in power will not continue to take us for granted.
“This August 1 protest is just the first step. It will go on whether or not the powers that be like it. As a mother and activist said in one of our meetings:
“”We are ready to die… Our children are already dying at home; some of them are in prison for flimsy offences, but they are innocent compared to the thieves in government. The system has criminalized them.”
“We need not add any more voices. The message is clear. Nigerians want an end to Bad Governance and Bad Government. President Tinubu must listen to the voice of the people and change course now before it is too late. We come in peace. Long Live Nigeria!” part of the communique reads.