Civil Society Organisations under the aegis of the Coalition for Transparency and Economic Reforms (COTER) have kicked against the August 1st to 15th proposed nationwide protests by a group, #EndBadGovernance, against the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
COTER warned the organisers of the nationwide protests to be prepared for confrontation by law-abiding Nigerians under the aegis of the #ProtectNigeriaRally.
The Coalition gave this warning at a crowded press conference jointly addressed by its National Coordinator, Adeshina Animashaun and Comrade Akintunde Adedeji, on Sunday, in Lagos.
It warned the organisers of #EndBadGovernance to desist from going ahead with their threat to cause chaos in the manner the country witnessed during the October 2020 #EndSARS violence.
COTER further warned #EndBadGovernance that it would not allow any individual or group of persons to unleash terror upon innocent and law-abiding citizens of Nigeria under the guise of protesting against bad governance.
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The Coalition alleged that some aggrieved politicians and their allies who have lost out in the power game under the current dispensation had been identified as the brains behind the planned nationwide protests targeted at the incumbent government under Tinubu.
The 259 CSOs disclosed that they would be joining other law-abiding citizens in the #ProtectNigeriaRally scheduled to take place all over Nigeria at the same date as the planned nationwide protests by the #EndBadGovernance.
The Coalition vowed to stop the #EndBadGovernance group’s plan to carry out the anti-Tinubu nationwide protests in any part of the country.
COTER said, “We issue a stern and clear warning to potential enemies of the state, disruptors and those who want to instigate violence and upset lawful businesses.
“We shall join other law-abiding Nigerians to participate in the #ProtectNigeriaRally which will take place from August 1st to 15th. Our Coalition will be on ground to protect Nigeria, Nigerians and businesses. In the streets, markets and other public spaces, we will confront violent protesters, apprehend them, and hand them over to law enforcement officers. More details regarding logistics and organisational plans will be shared via our social media platforms.”
COTER has therefore called on the Federal Government and the various security agencies in the country to act swiftly to prevent the planned nationwide protests by the #EndBadGovernance, which it described as another #EndSARS violence in disguise and a disaster waiting to happen.
Recall that #EndBadGovernance had recently announced August 1st to 15th as the day for Nigerians to protest against the administration of President Tinubu over alleged failings of the current government.
#EndBadGovernance, which has since been mobilizing Nigerians on social media for the proposed anti-Tinubu nationwide protests, has urged citizens to storm the streets to carry out another #EndSARS-like demonstrations and violence.
COTER, at its press conference, however, raised the alarm that the utterances of the organisers of the #EndBadGovernance so far on its planned nationwide protests could ignite violence and chaos throughout the country, just as it happened during the October 20, 2020 #EndSARS riots in which several lives and properly worth trillions of Naira were lost across Nigeria.
The Coalition, therefore, urged security agencies to immediately nip this burgeoning protests in the bud before they become a conflagration and consume innocent citizens and property as it did during the October 2020 #EndSARS violence.
COTER drew the attention of Nigerians to the fact that hoodlums and other unscrupulous elements are patiently waiting to hijack such protests being planned by #EndBadGovernance, which it accused of hiring and even arming the hoodlums to unleash violence on innocent people under the guise of protesting against the current government.
The Coalition also warned Nigerian youths not to allow themselves to be deceived by the organisers of #EndBadGovernance to partake in the planned protest to avoid a situation where they could become “canon fodders” or “collateral damage” in the event of any faceoff with security agencies during the illegal action by #EndBadGovernance.
COTER also enjoined parents and guardians to warn their children and wards against taking part in the proposed anti-Tinubu protests to avoid regrets later.
COTER added, “The survival of our dear country, Nigeria is a task that must be paramount in the minds of every patriotic citizen. We must avoid acts that can jeopardize the continued corporate existence of our dear Fatherland.”
The full text of the COTER statement reads as follows:
TEXT OF A PRESS CONFERENCE HELD ON SUNDAY 21/07/2024 BY THE COALITION FOR TRANSPARENCY AND ECONOMIC REFORMS (COTER) ON THE PLANS BY SOME DISGRUNTLED POLITICIANS HIDING UNDER #ENDBADGOVERNANCE TO ORGANISE ANOTHER #ENDSARS NATIONWIDE PROTESTS IN AUGUST AND CAUSE DESTRUCTION OF LIVES AND PROPERTY AS WELL AS INSTIGATE MAYHEM ALL OVER NIGERIA TO EVENTUALLY SET THE COUNTRY ABLAZE
Gentlemen of the press, our group, Coalition for Transparency and Economic Reforms (COTER) is an umbrella body of 259 anti-corruption, civil society and human rights groups spread across the country. We are a Non-Governmental Organisation serving as watchdog of government policies and society in general.
We are a law-abiding and patriotic organisation whose major and ultimate objective is probity and transparency in government for quality socio-economic reforms.
Our numerous anti-corruption activities and actions are aimed at assisting the government and the Nigerian people to effectively tackle corruption and corrupt tendencies in high places and achieve probity and transparency for the ultimate benefits of all citizens.
Gentlemen of the press, recent developments in the Nigerian polity, which have elicited serious concerns, apprehension and fears in various quarters, have once again necessitated COTER’s decision to immediately and urgently speak up. We feel we’ll be guilty of compromise if we keep quiet in the face of impending danger posed to our dear country and beloved Fatherland by some criminal elements now masquerading as social crusaders and rights activists.
We are actually referring to the planned nationwide protest initiated and being organised by some unpatriotic Nigerians under the #EndBadGovernance umbrella against the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The so-called protest, which is being fashioned after the most destructive and ruinous protest in the history of Nigeria, #EndSARS of October 2020, has been wickedly tagged by the unpatriotic organisers planning the impending mayhem scheduled for early August, as #EndSARS 2.
Indeed, our nation is facing many challenges. We fully understand that security has to be improved upon and the economy has to start responding positively to the reforms introduced by President Bola Tinubu to give the ordinary people Renewed Hope and a reason to exercise patience.
We also understand that elected and appointed officials should reflect current realities in their day-to-day activities and solidarise with the people to make those reforms work.
For this reason, we call on the government to heed the cries of society and immediately begin to address the pressing issues already identified and highlighted for intervention.
We are not under any illusion that there are no challenges. However, over the past year, there have been silver lining and a genuine effort to address those challenges.
Not long ago, one of the most groundbreaking rulings in the history of the country was pronounced when the Supreme Court granted the 774 local governments – the third tier of government – autonomy to function as they should. While we welcome the Supreme Court judgment on Local Government Area funding, we commend the present administration for that landmark and bold step and call for further reforms.
The assurance given by President Bola Tinubu that the new national minimum wage of N70,000 will be reviewed after three years, instead of five years, is indeed highly commendable.
While we recognize some progress under President Tinubu, we urge his administration to do more and cover more ground in good time. Ministers and government officials must be seen to do more to alleviate the current socio-economic challenges daily faced by the people.
Over the past year, Nigeria has witnessed progress from the reforms introduced by this administration to stabilize the economy. And we can see that the country, creditably, has improved. The Nigerian government has also been proactive in addressing security challenges in the country and the sub-regions.
Social interventions have been put in place to help the poor and vulnerable survive and navigate the period of economic reforms. Massive investments in infrastructure, health, and education have also been put in place.
Therefore, as concerned patriotic citizens of this great country, Nigeria, we do not see any cogent reason for anyone or group of persons, whatever their grouse is against the system, to plan to disrupt this flow of positive developments being experienced by peace-loving citizens of Nigeria.
We call on the Federal Government and the various security agencies to act immediately to nip this impending dooms day in the bud by ensuring they immediately deploy all intelligence strategies and machineries at their disposal towards ensuring that the evil plans of the organisers and sponsors of #EndBadGovernance do not see the light of day and are not carried out eventually.
It is imperative that they act immediately in order not to allow any individual or group of persons to jeopardise the peace and continued corporate existence of our dear country, Nigeria.
It is our patriotic opinion that any act of insurrection and insurgency against the Nigerian state by any individual or group of persons, no matter their intentions or connections, should no longer be overlooked by the security agencies and the Federal Government or treated with kid gloves, for the good of the entire country and all law-abiding citizens of Nigeria.
We make bold to say that the major champions and agitators of the planned nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests are disgruntled politicians who have lost out in the power game under the current dispensation and are poised to take their own pound of flesh from ordinary Nigerians whose only major concern is how to earn a decent living. These failed politicians are now working in cahoots with their allies in different parts of the country and even outside Nigeria with the ultimate ulterior motive of causing mayhem in August with their evil #EndBadGovernance nationwide protests.
From our own findings, the major aim of this planned massive violence under the cover of #EndBadGovernance,
is to create panic, fear and promote anarchy, and ultimately scuttle the achievements of the current administration of President Bola Tinubu.
We want to appeal to all Nigerian youths not to fail for the baits being thrown at them by the unpatriotic organisers and sponsors of #EndBadGovernance to partake in their evil designs. What they’re planning is nothing but creating an easy pathway for the destruction of young people’s lives while their own children are in safe havens even outside this country. So, we enjoin our youths to be wise by “shining their eyes” to understand the real intentions and objectives of the sponsors and organisers of #EndBadGovernance protests in order not to fall victim to their devilish tricks and shenanigans.
Nigerian youths and other stakeholders across the country should come to the quick understanding and realization that the organisers’ claim that an overwhelming number of youths are ready to partake in the impending mayhem that #EndBadGovernance represents, is a ploy and smokescreen by them and their sponsors to achieve their selfish and devilish objectives.
COTER wants to state without mincing words that the ultimate objective of this ploy by the organisers of the #EndBadGovernance, is to achieve nothing good or beneficial for the Nigerian people, but to further their evil designs to have a repeat of the October 2020 #EndSARS protest, undermine the administration of President Bola Tinubu and ultimately destroy the country our heroes past have striven to build.
It is a well-known fact that properties worth trillions of Naira, not to talk of invaluable human lives, due to the October 20, 2020 violence that followed the #EndSARS protests and which our dear country is yet to recover from, almost four years after, were lost. We can no longer afford to lose more to the unpatriotic and evil activities of hoodlums masquerading as activists and social crusaders. Not sane minds in their wildest imagination would crave a repeat of the October 2020 #EndSARS nationwide mayhem.
In actual fact, many parts of Nigeria are still grappling with and even yet to come to terms with the unimaginable aftermath of the last October 2020 #EndSARS protests. The large scale destruction, especially in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, and other parts of the country, is still shocking to many Nigerians as it remains unprecedented. Renowned Financial Derivatives Company Limited (FDCL) has put the losses suffered during the #EndSARS protests in October 2020 to a whopping N1.5trillion! This, the company said is approximately 1.03 percent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 11.47 percent of the nation’s 2021 budget.
The Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA) also reported that over N11billion was paid for the losses arising from the destruction caused during the October 2020 #EndSARS protests.
Should our dear country continue to lose this much to senseless shenanigans of some disgruntled politicians? We say a capital NO!
COTER will therefore like to use this medium to demand Government and security agencies’ immediate action against those planning to set the country ablaze once again under the banner of #EndBadGovernance, which essentially is being designed to be a more violent repeat of the 2020 #EndSARS protests.
COTER, also urges all Nigerians to be resolute in immediately checkmating the plans of these unpatriotic and evil sponsors and planners of #EndBadGovernance, who are not pretending their lack of the due respect for democracy, by taking the appropriate actions against them to nip their evil plans in the bud.
These unpatriotic elements and their collaborators should no longer be allowed to further destroy the economic and social well-being of Nigerians in the name of fighting against bad governance through their evil designs under #EndBadGovernance. Nigeria can no longer afford to continue to lose lives, property and other valuables to the unpatriotic and evil activities of sponsored hoodlums masquerading as protesters.
We urge our youths in the entire country to disregard the disguised devilish plans of the masterminds of the forthcoming #EndBadGovernance protests. We say these are unpatriotic people without character. They neither speak nor act in the interest of anyone else, but to realise the selfish interests of their paymasters. They should, therefore, be disregarded by all patriotic and peace-loving Nigerians.
We also call on parents and guardians all over the country to warn their children/wards against taking part in the August mayhem being planned by disgruntled politicians under the banner of #EndBadGovernance. They should warn their younger ones to avoid any gathering organised by the group #EndBadGovernance in any part of Nigeria to avoid regrets later. We should not allow our children to be used as thugs by people who have kept their own children in safe havens outside this country.
We issue a stern and clear warning to potential enemies of the state, disruptors, and those who want to instigate violence and upset lawful businesses.
We shall join other law-abiding Nigerians to participate in the #ProtectNigeriaRally which will take place from August 1st to 15th.
Our Coalition will be on the ground to protect Nigeria, Nigerians, and businesses. In the streets, markets, and other public spaces, we will confront violent protesters, apprehend them, and hand them over to law enforcement officers.
More details regarding logistics and organizational plans will be shared via our social media platforms.
The survival of our dear country, Nigeria is a task that must be paramount in the minds of every patriotic citizens. We must avoid acts that can jeopardize the continued corporate existence of our dear Fatherland.
Signed
Dr Peter Chima Chukwu
President, COTER
Mallam Auta Ibrahim Koko
General Secretary, COTER
Adeshina Animashaun
Co-ordinator
