Urging President Bola Tinubu to address the ongoing crises of hunger and hardship in the country, the Delta State Obidient Elders’ Council has voiced its concerns.
The council interpreted the nationwide hunger protest as a display of Nigerian youths’ resilience to combat the intimidation and misinformation spread by the Federal Government and its agencies.
Starting on August 1, 2024, the protests under the banner of #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria seek to prompt the Tinubu-led administration to tackle issues such as hunger and economic adversity.
Issuing a statement signed by Chairman Chris Biose and Secretary Solomon Akeni, the council emphasized these points and shared their thoughts with journalists in Asaba, the state capital.
In part, the statement read, “We, the Delta Obidient Elders’ Council hereby respectfully urge President Tinubu to desist from his grandstanding and address realistic issues that affect the masses.
“The fact that the youth population ignored the hypocritical pleas by traditional rulers and religious elite to dissuade them from the protest is abundant evidence of the disconnect between these institutions and the younger generation of Nigerian citizens.
“The charter of demands of the youths is designed to bring about a better, more livable and just Nigerian state. These include a drastic reduction in the cost of fuel, cost of governance, bridging the yawning gap between emoluments of political officeholders and that of other public servants among others.”
Expressing regret, the council highlighted that “the civil protest unfortunately deteriorated into violence, property looting, and public facilities destruction in some areas of the country.
“The grievances raised by government officials and police concerning unruly behavior of some protesters stem from the political and social practices left unaddressed by the Federal Government,” referencing a situation where Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum “reported that over 95 per cent of protesters in Maiduguri were under-age.”
The statement further added, “In general, we are dismayed that President Tinubu did not acknowledge the alarming killings of crop farmers across the nation by armed Fulani herdsmen,” attributing this as the “underlying cause of Nigerian farmers’ inability to generate adequate food for local consumption in recent years.”
The council also critiqued that “the president stayed silent on the pervasive oil theft damaging the economy. Furthermore, he failed to address investigations into the ruthless killings of Nigerian citizens by his law enforcement officers.”