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UPDATE: FULL LIST – Protesters Present Demands to Tinubu August 1 Nationwide Protest
Protest organizers in Nigeria have issued a list of demands to President Bola Tinubu’s government, highlighting economic and governance challenges. The nationwide protest, scheduled from August 1 to 10, aims to address issues such as hunger and poor governance. Key demands include restoring the fuel subsidy, increasing the national minimum wage to N300,000, and reversing educational fee hikes. Protesters also call for transparency in governance, electoral and judicial reforms, and efforts to combat inflation and corruption. There are concerns about potential criminal elements hijacking the protests.
Who are the Organizers of the Planned Protest?
Mobilized through social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter), various groups have come together to organize the protests. These groups include the Take It Back Movement, Concerned Nigerians, Nigerians Against Hunger, Initiative for Change, and many others. They reflect a diverse coalition united by a common goal: addressing economic hardship and advocating for comprehensive reforms.
Protesters List Their Demands
As reported by BusinessDay, the demands reflect a broad spectrum of issues, highlighting the diversity and complexity of the movement. Here are some key demands:
1. End Anti-People Policies
Protesters demand an end to policies perceived as detrimental to citizens, including overtaxing and electoral fraud, which have contributed to widespread suffering and frustration.
2. Reversal of Fuel Price
They call for reversing the recent fuel price hike to below N300 per liter and restoring affordable electricity tariffs and import duties to previous rates.
3. Increase in National Minimum Wage
The demand for increasing the national minimum wage to N300,000 contrasts with the N70,000 recently signed into law by Tinubu.
4. Reversal of Education Fee Hikes
Protesters seek to reverse the hike in tertiary education fees imposed by many institutions.
5. Transparency and Accountability in Governance
Protesters demand transparency and accountability, including public disclosure of officials’ salaries and the establishment of an emergency fund to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
6. Electoral Reforms
They call for the autonomy of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), electronic transmission of live electoral results, and reopening national borders.
7. Economic and Judicial Reforms
Protesters demand reforms in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), a state of emergency on inflation, and a judicial reform to ensure swift and fair justice.
8. Public School Mandates and Local Product Support
They demand that children of public office holders attend public schools and that the government patronizes made-in-Nigeria goods.
9. Judicial and Constitutional Reforms
The groups seek a transition to a unicameral legislature, scrapping the 1999 Constitution, and replacing it with a people-made constitution through a Sovereign National Conference, followed by a National Referendum.
10. Abolishment of the Senate
Protesters advocate abolishing the Senate, retaining the House of Representatives to make laws on a part-time basis, and reinstating a corruption-free subsidy regime to reduce hunger and poverty.
11. Probe of Past Leaders
They call for a probe of past and present Nigerian leaders who have looted the treasury, with a focus on recovering and reinvesting stolen funds.
12. Restructuring of Nigeria
Protesters demand restructuring to accommodate diversity, resource control, decentralization, and regional development. They also call for security agency reforms to stop human rights violations.
13. Special Energy Fund and Public Works Investment
The establishment of a Special Energy Fund for power sector development is demanded, alongside investment in public works and industrialization to employ Nigerian youths.
14. Diaspora Voting and Judicial Reforms
Protesters call for diaspora voting to allow Nigerians abroad to vote and demand a judicial shake-up to remove corrupt judges and officers.
Concerns Over Protest Security
The federal government has voiced concerns about the protests potentially being hijacked by criminal elements. Police in Lagos neutralized an explosive device, highlighting security risks. Despite these concerns, organizers remain determined to proceed with the protests.
Source: Foxnigeria
