A citizen-led movement, #FixPolitics, has condemned the Federal Government’s attitude towards the protest staged across the country on Thursday.

It described the Nigerian Government’s reactions to the EndBadGovernance protest as a disconnect with the people it was elected to govern, warning that the citizens were not a conquered people.

In a statement entitled ‘August 1, 2024 Citizens Peaceful Protest: Time to Change Course’, the group faulted what it called the government’s reactionary and ill-advised actions to give the protest and the protesters themselves a bad name.

Executive Director, #FixPolitics Africa, Anthony Ubani, said the government’s reaction and provocative utterances about the protests reflected a deep disconnect with the people’s reality.

He faulted “the government’s attempt to demonise the valid demands of the hungry populace and brand it as the work of opposition political parties.”

According to him, “searching for imaginary sponsors of the protests only bolstered the courage of the people, who fear the loss of their voices and dignity in an oligarchy posing as a democracy.”

The group accused the government of “sponsoring individuals, groups, traditional and religious leaders to speak strongly against the protests, as well as getting the Lagos traditional institution to announce a ‘curious Oro’ festival to coincide with the period of the protests; the Attorney General of the Federation going to a ‘captured judiciary’ to secure an order of court restricting the protest in Lagos to Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park in Ojota and the Peace Park in Ketu.”

It said “the making of doomsday scenario references to Venezuela, the promise to slash salaries of the national representatives by half for six months, allowing thugs to threaten citizens not to come out for any protest and sundry other clandestine actions underscore a complete lack of sensitivity and understanding of the nation’s predicament and the people’s disaffection.”

The Office of the Citizen, Ubani said, “is the highest in a democracy”, adding, “To make it impossible for citizens to express themselves or criminalise their right to free assembly in peaceful protest is an unacceptable descent into dictatorship.

“Peaceful protests are a constitutionally protected right of citizens and the rational response from a democratic and well-meaning government would have been a call for national dialogue, and more importantly, a commitment to definite actions to be implemented in the next few weeks.

“It is not too late for the Tinubu administration to allow citizens to freely express their disagreement with government policies and programmes through peaceful protests.”

“The determination of citizens to execute the protests peacefully from August 1 to August 10, 2024, #FixPolitics noted, reflected the failure of the government’s underhand and patronising tactics to placate the people.

“It is the responsibility of the government to ensure the security of the protesters, stop criminal elements from hijacking the protest, and importantly, create opportunities to listen to the citizens.

“To act otherwise will be tragic. Painful memories of #EndSARS still linger. The world is watching and citizens are no longer docile. The mistakes of the past should not be repeated, especially in light of ongoing agitations in other African countries.

“We, therefore, make bold to state in precise terms that the authoritarian and intolerant reflex that characterised the government’s statements and actions in the build-up to the protest has no place in a democratic country,” it said.

The ED said the protests provided the government an opportunity to rethink its actions of the past 14 months and make the needed changes.

“The pain, suffering and hardship in Nigeria are real and cannot be politicised.

“The government should eat the humble pie and urgently go back to the drawing board to initiate new people-centred policies to ameliorate the pain and anger across Nigeria,” he stated.

FixPolitics said the best approach would have been to dialogue with citizens, demonstrate understanding and empathy, adding that peaceful protests were a constitutionally protected right of citizens.

The group insisted that it is the constitutional responsibility of the police to provide security to ensure the safety of the protesters and deter criminal elements from infiltrating and hijacking the protest.

According to the group, the Office Of The Citizen is the highest in a democracy, and to make it impossible for citizens to freely express themselves, as well as criminalise their right to freely assemble in peaceful protest, is an unacceptable descent to dictatorship.

It advised that “engaging the protesters in the EndBadGovernmentinNigeria peaceful protest which commenced today, listening to their complaints and demands, and responding with measured promises of reform would have won more hearts and minds to the government’s side and assuaged the anger, frustration, disillusionment and hopelessness that hang over Nigeria like a harmattan haze was the best path that government should have followed.

“It is not too late for the President Bola Tinubu administration to pull back from the brink and allow citizens to freely express their disagreement with government policies and programmes through peaceful protests.

“Nigerians are not a conquered people. Let citizens carry on with their peaceful protest and let governments do their job by providing security for their safety. There can be no better time than now for Tinubu to put action to his famous words, ‘Let the poor breathe!’”

It explained that for a government peopled by politicians, who not only popularised protests and dissent in Nigeria but also used protests and dissent as a powerful tool in their march to power, Nigerians would have expected greater tolerance, diplomacy and engagement, rather than the insensitive and hypocritical reaction to the planned August peaceful protests.

Hardship protest: Nigerians not conquered people – FixPolitics tells FG