Ahead of the planned nationwide protest in August, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has asked the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to provide security cover for the demonstrators.
Angry youths have vowed to protest over the current economic hardship in the country. The ‘End bad governance’ protest scheduled to be held from August 1 to August 10 is already gaining traction on social media.
While government authorities have called on the organisers to shelve the demonstrations, claiming it is politically motivated, the TUC wants protection for protesters.
Briefing journalists on Thursday in Abuja, the TUC President, Festus Osifo, said the Police are mandated by the Police Act and the constitution to provide adequate security for protesters. He said adequate protection is necessary to ensure that the planned protest is not hijacked by hoodlums.
“As Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, we have been involved in several protests. We are also happy with some of the comments that we are hearing from different quarters assuring that when the protests do take place, these people will be protected,” he said.
“We don’t want a situation whereby the protest goes on and at the end of the day, it leads to violence. We want to hereby call on the Inspector General of Police and the entire security agencies to do everything possible to provide security for whoever intends to carry out protests so such protests do not degenerate into chaos.”
According to Osifo, the leadership of the TUC has not called for a protest.
“The leadership has never sat down one day to call for a strike or protest. All we know is that the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is very clear on the issue of peaceful protest.”
“The Police Act also mandates the police that when there is a protest, you should ensure that there is law and order, ensure that those that are protesting are also protected.”
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu, governors, and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have appealed to Nigerians to shelve the planned ‘EndBadGovernance’ protest slated for next month.
Prices of food and basic commodities have gone through the roof in the last months as Nigerians battle one of the country’s worst inflation and economic crises sparked by the government’s twin policies of petrol subsidy removal and unification of forex windows.
