Activist: 25% of the protest's objective has already been achieved

Tony Dania, a human rights activist and lawyer, claims that the #EndBadGovernance demonstration has already accomplished roughly 25% of its objectives.

He ascribed this to the government’s adoption of populist measures, which included lowering the price of rice, assisting Dangote’s nearby refinery, and establishing a minimum salary for laborers.

He clarified that the government’s lack of initiative in resolving the issues that precipitated the protests was the reason behind their eruption during a Wednesday press conference in Lagos.

He said, “They’re selling rice. They’re coming up with populist policies, which is something they should have done before. They are addressing the issue of Dangote refinery, which they should have considered earlier. So, I think the protest has succeeded to some extent.”

He stated he refrained from taking part in the protest because it was poorly organized, he did, however, state that he would support a nonviolent demonstration.

He went on to say that the nation might descend into anarchy if criminals took over the protest and turned it deadly.

The activist claims that the so-called demonstration organizers lack well-thought-out ideas.

He said, “Can any of the organisers control the protests if hijacked by criminals? Can they manage protests against the protest because the government will also counter-protest, and some politicians may even plant thugs among the genuine protesters? Can they control the situation?

“The protest is justified and I support it, except that I am not in support of it being hijacked by criminals or politicians. You can’t stop the area boys from joining in. You can’t stop the government from counter-protesting.

“The protest is justified even though some cases have been seen to be very pronounced for other parties. It is not a partisan issue. But then, politicians can still take advantage of it, leading to the destruction of scarce infrastructure.

“I will not support that. Protests that lead to the killing of police personnel, like what happened during the #EndSARS saga, are unacceptable.

“I will not support protests that lead to destruction. But everything in society is evolving, not static. So, we should look at the best way to effect protests and reduce the damages that usually occur in Nigeria.

“For instance, what I’m doing here is a form of protest, and it’s effective and does not damage society.”

The lawyer claimed that the protests’ origins can be traced to the obvious corruption of federal and state government officials, some cases of alleged serious fraud and fraudulent enrichment, the high cost of living, the extremely low incentives for medium- and small-scale businesses, the effects of the oil and gas and maritime sectors on the economy, and the unrest and unemployment of young people.

However, he claimed that the Federal Government should support the Dangote refinery, which he claimed would contribute more than 30% to the country’s economy by creating thousands of jobs along with value chains, support local farmers, and address the issue of insecurity in the nation, in addition to implementing populist policies that are self-executing.

Speaking for the over 40% of Nigerians who depend on their daily work for livelihood, he voiced the opinion that the protests will not endure the ten days as declared by the organizers.