The former Chairman of, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Kaduna branch, Reverend Joseph Hayab has said Nigerians must demand to know the identify of those behind the Proposed Protest in Nigeria:
According to him avoiding the Identity of the protesters and their sponsors can lead to anarchy and social disorder.
He made this in a statement he issued to newsmen in Kaduna on Sunday.
The former CAN chairman posited that actions that can promote Nigeria’s progress
is legitimate, and the Nigerian constitution provides freedom of expression but not destruction.
“That is why I join other well-meaning Nigerians in saying that there is no guarantee that the planned nationwide protest will not attract violence against innocent citizens in the wake of the growing tensions in the country.
While I stand with the Nigerian populace to call for better governance, my honest opinion is that a protest could destabilise the Nigerian social order or even set the nation ablaze, given the penchant for some Nigerians to resort to divisive tendencies whenever a matter of national concern arises.
“From every available record, for instance, the recently released Multidimensional Poverty Index by the National Bureau of Statistics, Ondo and Lagos have the lowest poverty rates in Nigeria.
” So, suppose the protest is about fighting poverty. Why are the mobilisers not more concerned about areas with a high poverty index, such as Zamfara, Yobe, Lafia, the capital of Nassarawa State, Abakaliki in Ebonyi, Lokoja in Kogi, and Yobe states, indicatively with much worse poverty conditions?
He maintained that the worry is that the protest might not indeed be about poverty and hardship but likely about scoring a political card that gives the impression that there is more than what the eyes can see about the call for protest. Indeed.
“Nigerians have the right to call for protest for the good of the country, but when mischief makers hijack the plan, it could spell doom for us, and that is why there is an urgent need for caution.
“Without a doubt, those urging youths to unleash the Kenyan kind of protest on Nigeria do not mean well, as the Kenyan protests left many national infrastructures and businesses in ruins, leaving a bitter taste in the mouth.
“Besides, the Kenyan protests had many having to pay the supreme price of death. That is not what a well-meaning citizen should wish for his/her country.
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“Therefore, Nigerians must demand to know the identity of the persons behind the proposed protests and ask them questions about the protests’ goals.
“The planners cannot remain faceless if they mean well. Who are they? Who are their sponsors? What are their motives?
“If they mean well, they should join well-known organisations in the country and be open to dialogue with the government and relevant agencies. After all, the present government has said it has an open-door policy and is ready for dialogue.
“As a stakeholder, I tremble to ask, what if the motive of the protest sponsors is political and against any nationalistic agenda? Thus, I call on Nigerians to be patient but, through legitimate means, shove the current leadership to be more transparent and accountable, with programmes that could lead to steady progress and bring prosperity to the nation in the long run.
Moreover, there are about two years and six months for the current administration. Through the ballot, Nigerians can mobilise and use their voter cards to protest in 2027 if the government fails to provide dividends of democracy as promised, but the planned protest is pregnant, and no one can tell what it might give birth to.
