The Executive Director of Citizens for Development and Education (CDE), Ambassador Ibrahim Waiya, has called on security agents to arrest the organizers of the Kano protest to account for the lives and properties lost during Thursday’s crisis in Kano.
This was contained in a statement signed on Friday by Ambassador Waiya, who is also the Convener of Nigeria For Peace Project (N4P), with a copy made available to the press in Kano.
He condemned all those who helped in organizing and holding the protest, stating, “We wish to unequivocally condemn the protest in totality, as well as the promoters and organizers for their inability to envisage this calamity which could befall Kano State, our only dear State.”
According to him, “Hoodlums unleashed violence and widespread looting in Kano on Thursday during the ill-fated nationwide protest against ‘hunger,’ culminating in the loss of life and property.”
He disclosed that “History wouldn’t forgive those who adamantly insisted on organizing the protest despite repeated advisories to heed caution from many voices of wisdom.”
He hinted that “Before the date for the protest, many important personalities had cautioned against this planned protest, as Kano State is unique and different from all other states.”
“Especially knowing fully how some evilly minded people in the State are desperately seeking the slightest opportunity to strike and destabilize the State.”
“It is also our resolve to follow up on the unfolding developments in Kano State and ensure that those culpable in the mess that was created in Kano in the name of protest are brought to justice.”
He lamented, “What could be obviously observed as the dividends of the protests were: loss of human lives, loss of huge private and public investment, tarnishing the image of Kano State by subjecting our integrity to ridicule, disdain, and total embarrassment.”
He stated that “The NCC Centre, which was destroyed by some disgruntled hoodlums under the guise of protest, has dragged Kano State back in terms of opportunities in ICT literacy and development.”
Waiya hailed “the swift action of Gov. Abba Kabir Yusuf in imposing a curfew and also appreciates the quick and professional response of all our security agencies in containing the situation and the arrests so far made of some of the looters and hoodlums.”
“We have all acknowledged the insensitivity of the Federal Government to realize the pinnacle of the difficulty in the land, with more than 85 percent of the citizens struggling to feed, while those in government have not in any way shown any empathy towards the plights of the suffering citizens but have continued to openly spend public money extravagantly for their welfare and the welfare of their immediate family.”
Nigerians are losing confidence in democracy and the government, and Waiya therefore called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to stem the tide with urgent steps to alleviate the sufferings of Nigerian citizens, as life is becoming so unbearable.
“This is to let you, President Tinubu, know that gradually people are losing confidence and faith in Nigerian democracy and your government.”
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