The speech of President Bola Tinubu concerning the ongoing hunger protests in some parts of the country missed the mark because it did not address the issues at stake.
This is the view of a former Head of Department, Business Law, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Dr Chijioke Agbo.
Dr Agbo, who spoke in Enugu, said the president spoke as a person who is unaware of the hunger in the land.
Quoting him, “The broadcast was an opportunity for President Tinubu to address the issues that informed the protest in the first place. With due respect, he missed the mark.
“That speech, in my opinion, presents a person who is oblivious of the circumstances that even gave rise to the protest.
“The protest is a hunger protest. It is not indigenous to Nigeria. We are witnesses to such circumstances, even outside the country, where people embark on such protests.
“It is caused by the crunching conditions of the people occasioned by bad government policies.”
He said President Tinubu also started wrongly by issuing out threats against the protesters and organisers, adding that such was insensitive.
Agbo berated Tinubu for not addressing the high-handedness with which security personnel manhandled some protesters.
According to him, “We received police reports that protesters were shot by security operatives who are supposed to protect them. The use of live ammunition is reprehensible.
“Law enforcement agents are not unaware that protests can be calmed without the use of extreme force. They did not.
“The speech of the president failed to address this aspect, hence law enforcement agents are emboldened to use extreme force because the president did not denigrate their use of live ammunition to address protesters who are saying they are hungry.
“The president also talked about how the federal government has raked in over six trillion naira; the possible use of gas propelled vehicles to curb the high cost of transportation, as well as students’ loans and disbursement of over N5bn to states.
“I must say that persons who are protesting do not know what CNG is. Their concern is the hunger that began the first day this government came into power.
“He did not address the electricity tariff hike which is destroying small businesses, nor insecurity making farming risky.”
Hunger Protest: Tinubu Not Addressing Security Agents’ High-Handedness – Varsity Don is first published on The Whistler Newspaper