Activist: Protest Has Already Achieved 25% of Its Goal

Human rights activist and lawyer Tony Dania has claimed that the #EndBadGovernance protest has already achieved approximately 25 percent of its objectives even before it officially started. He attributes this progress to recent government actions, including reducing rice prices, supporting Dangote’s local refinery, and approving a minimum wage for workers.

Speaking to journalists in Lagos on Wednesday, Dania noted that the protests arose from the government’s lack of proactive measures to address the issues that led to the demonstrations. He said, “The government’s recent populist policies, such as addressing the Dangote refinery issue and reducing rice prices, should have been implemented earlier. Thus, the protest has had some success.”

Dania expressed support for peaceful protests but refrained from participating due to concerns over poor coordination. He warned that the protest could be hijacked by hoodlums or politicians, leading to chaos and violence.

He criticized the organizers for their lack of coordination, saying, “Can the organizers control the protest if it’s taken over by criminals? What if the government counter-protests or politicians plant thugs among the protesters? These issues could lead to uncontrollable situations.”

Dania affirmed that while the protest is justified, he opposes any form of violence or destruction. He criticized past protests, like the #EndSARS movement, for resulting in violence and destruction. He suggested that alternative methods of protest that do not damage society should be considered.

He highlighted that the root causes of the protests include widespread corruption, high living costs, inadequate support for small and medium-sized enterprises, and youth unemployment. He recommended that the government implement self-executing populist policies, support local industries, and address security concerns to alleviate the current crisis.

Dania also doubted that the protests would last the full ten days, noting that many Nigerians depend on daily jobs for their survival and may not be able to sustain such long-term demonstrations.