Nationwide Protest Fails To Gain Traction In S’East, As Abians Boycott Process
Nationwide Protest Fails To Gain Traction In S’East, As Abians Boycott Process
As Nigerians witnessed the first day of the 10 days proposed nationwide protest, South East seems to be the only region with zero participation.
Our Correspondent who went round the Abia State Capital, gathered that the Umuahia city centre was a ghost town,as some major Streets, Workers Secretariat and most Government offices were deserted amidst protest.
Recall that a nation wide protest was initiated by Nigerians to kick against bad governance which they alleged has given rise to untold hardship in the country.
The 10 days protest was scheduled to hold across the nation from the 1st to 10th of August 2024.
As other regions joined in the peaceful demonstration today, the South East region remained a protest free zone with residents shunning economic activities and resulted to sit at home.
It could be recalled that several Igbo groups had come out to urge the people to boycott the protest, recounting on past protests and their effects on the Igbo nation.
The Apex Igbo social cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, in a Statement, had called on the South Easterners to shun any demonstration against the government,following other calls from notable groups,as well as Igbo leaders.
In a Live Broadcast with All Breaking News in Umuahia, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Benjamin Kalu, had warned Ndigbo to sit at home instead of the protest.
According to him the Igbo people are the worst hit in any protest, stressing that the blood of Ndigbo had been shared enough.
Another group under the aegis of Abia Renewed Hope for Tinubu maintained a firm stance, backing Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo in calling on the Igbo Nation to shun the nation wide protest, scheduled from the Ist to 10th of August, 2024.
The Group in a Press Release jointly signed by the State Coordinator, Lady Queen Linda Ogbuehi, the Secretary, Chetachi Nwako and other Stakeholders, Hon Dr Uzuegbu Uchechi Paul and Hon Onyeije Onuoha Kalu, said going by historical activities, the Igbo people are always the worst hit in any nation wide protest or demonstrations.
According to them, past events have shown immense losses of lives and properties of Ndi igbo.
The group reflected on the history of Igbo people in Nigeria, particularly,the aftermath of notable riots and protests, such as the 17th of April, 1978, called ‘Ali Must Go Protest’, the Anti-SAP riots that happened between May and June 1989, against the regime of General Ibrahim Babangida, the 1993 June 12 protest, including the 2nd to 14th January 2012 Occupy Nigeria protest movement, against fuel subsidy removal and the 20th of October 2020 End SARS protest, all showed that the Igbo have often been unfairly treated as sacrificial lambs.
Following these Injustices and miscarriages of justice suffered by the igbo community, given the negative effects of the protest in the lives and properties of the igbo man in the past, the Abia State Renewed Hope for Tinubu, however, adopted a firm stance with the decision of the Ohanaeze ndi igbo and the South East Leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the Executive Governor of Imo State, Sen Hope Uzodinma and other relevant stakeholders, that Ndi Igbo should not be a part of the scheduled nation wide protest, as it’s negative effects are enormous.
They added that the action would create an opportunity for criminal elements and external igbo detractors to exploit the situation and instigate further chaos.
The group further advised that the Igbo community should focus more on activities that could lead to the release of their son, Mazi Nnamdi kalu, who has been incarcerated for several years now.
Also, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), had called on Ndigbo across Nigeria to refrain from participating in the ongoing nationwide protest, hash tagged “EndBadGovernance” protest.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the IPOB’s spokesperson, highlighted the group’s stance, advising that the current economic hardships in Nigeria should be addressed by Nigerians, not Biafrans.
The spokesperson emphasized that Biafrans have faced historical injustices and violence and should avoid further endangering themselves through participation in nationwide protests.
IPOB further expressed concerns that involvement in the protests could lead to profiling and targeting of Ndigbo by the government, as experienced during the #EndSARS protests. The group also stressed that the focus for Biafrans should remain on their struggle for independence rather than engaging in Nigerian national issues.
Furthermore, IPOB advised that any protests regarding economic hardship should be held in Northern or Western Nigeria, as the Southeast region is already dealing with significant security challenges. The group urged caution and wisdom, prioritizing the safety and well-being of the Biafran people during these tumultuous times.