Tinubu’s Speech Fails To Address Protesters’ Demands
Legal luminary and popular human rights activist Femi Falana, SAN, has said that the speech that President Bola Tinubu delivered on Sunday failed to meet or address the demands of the protesters.
After much pressure from across the country, Tinubu finally decided to address the country on Sunday after three days of protests, which have turned violent.
But Falana said that the speech failed to address the demands. The protesters are calling for an end to bad governance, hardship and hunger.
Falana said, “If the government takes the fight against corruption to oil dealers and crude oil is processed in government-owned refineries, there will be no basis for fuel subsidy, which is induced by the importation of petroleum products. A positive response to the key demands of the youths to review the protesters could make them review their actions. Insensitivity to their demands can only provoke continued action.”
“We commiserate with the families of the patriots’ peaceful protesters that were killed and call on the Federal and State Governments to set up Commissions of Inquiry, which should include representatives of credible human rights organisations and the NBA to investigate the killings with a view to bringing to justice prosecute the reckless murderers in Police uniform and ensuring that.
“The family members of the deceased should be adequately compensated by the federal government. The victims of the barbarous police killings should be identified and celebrated as heroes and heroines of the struggle for the emancipation of the downtrodden Nigerian people. Participation in peaceful protests should never be criminalised in Nigeria.”
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