Twenty hours after the nationwide broadcast on the state of the nation and the #EndBadgovernance protests, some prominent Nigerians have criticized the broadcast for not addressing the concerns of the protesters.
Reacting to the broadcast, the 90-year-old Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, described the broadcast as the hollow response of President Bola Tinubu to the protest, which entered its fifth day on Monday.
He faulted the national broadcast for not addressing the violent crackdown by security forces on protesters.
Soyinka, who had been silent on national political issues, expressed concern over the omission of this critical issue in the broadcast said: “I set my alarm clock for this morning to ensure that I did not miss President Bola Tinubu’s impatiently awaited address to the nation on the current unrest across the nation.
“His outline of government’s remedial action since inception, aimed at warding off just such an outbreak, will undoubtedly receive expert and sustained attention both for effectiveness and in content analysis.
‘’My primary concern, quite predictably, is the continuing deterioration of the state’s seizure of protest management, an area in which the presidential address fell conspicuously short.
“Such short-changing of civic deserving, regrettably, goes to arm the security forces in the exercise of impunity and condemns the nation to a seemingly unbreakable cycle of resentment and reprisals.
In his remarks, Nigeria’s former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 polls, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, dismissed the broadcast as a hollow speech, devoid of solutions to the hardship facing Nigerians.
Atiku, who spoke through his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, in a statement in Abuja, said the broadcast intended to quell the fervour of public protests against his administration’s poor governance, utterly missed the mark.
He said: “His (Tinubu’s) speech neglects the pressing economic hardships that have besieged Nigerian families since the very beginning of his tenure.
“This address lacks credibility and fails to offer any immediate, tangible solutions to the Nigerian people.
“Given the extensive publicity surrounding the protests and the threats issued by government officials against demonstrators, one would have expected President Tinubu to present groundbreaking reforms, particularly those aimed at reducing the exorbitant costs of governance.
“But alas, no such announcements were made. The President ignored the protesters’ demands, such as suspending the purchase of aircraft for the President, downsizing his bloated cabinet, or even eliminating the costly and burdensome office of the First Lady, who has been indulging in extravagant trips at the nation’s expense.
“In his lacklustre recorded speech, President Tinubu offered a superficial account of his so-called reforms, revealing his own tenuous grasp of policy as he failed to convince his audience.
“While the President has spoken, it is unfortunate that his words lack substance and respect for the protesters’ sentiments, leaving Nigerians with little faith in his reform agenda – if one exists at all.
“We urge the President and his team to own up to their failures over the past 14 months and abandon the absurd theory that the protests are orchestrated by the opposition,’’ the statement said.
Nigeria’s former Minister of Education, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili, criticized President Tinubu’s broadcast on the #EndBadGovernance protests, calling it “terribly underwhelming” and a “monumental missed opportunity” to address the concerns of Nigerians.
Ezekwesili expressed disappointment that the speech failed to connect with the protesters’ demands and instead read like a party manifesto, focused on “getting back at imaginary enemies”.
She emphasized that a true leader should not view citizens as enemies and should prioritize nation-building and rallying all citizens behind a common purpose.
Ezekwesili also condemned the killing and maiming of citizens by law enforcement personnel and called on President Tinubu to instruct the Inspector General of Police to stop the violence and ensure that those responsible are sanctioned.
She urged the President to take responsibility for the demands of public leadership and to prioritize the needs of citizens rather than being self-obsessed rulers.
In his reaction, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State in northern Nigeria, expressed his solidarity with the protesters, saying: “We shall work with you to make sure that the demands are attended to. The President is a listening president.”
Fintiri acknowledged the trust built between the government and citizens, which gave him the confidence to move freely and inspect ongoing projects in the state. He thanked the citizens for their show of support and love, which has rekindled his resolve to do more for them.
The governor empathized with the citizens’ pains and struggles, assuring them that as their leaders, they will work tirelessly to address their concerns and restore their hopes.
He emphasized that good governance is the citizens’ right and that his government is committed to delivering it.
Some of the demands of the protesters include policy reforms, reduction in the size of government, socioeconomic issues triggering hardship and tackling insecurity across the country among others.
GIK/APA