Analysts pounce on Tinubu’s speech as tone deaf to protesters’ demands

ONOME AMUGE IN LAGOS

Analysts have expressed strong criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s Sunday nationwide address, which they observed, failed to adequately address the key demands of the #EndBadGovernance protesters.

The protest movement, which has been mounting pressure on the government to tackle widespread hunger and the high cost of living in Nigeria, has garnered increasing attention across the country. However, Tinubu’s response to the protests has been largely perceived as inadequate, with concerned Nigerians noting the President’s failure to meaningfully engage with the protesters’ demands.

The economic frustration among the Nigerian populace recently reached a fever pitch, resulting in nationwide protests that was unfortunately marred by violence. The protesters had, prior to the protest action, made several demands, which include a return of fuel subsidies, improvements in living standards, cuts in the cost of governance, reduction in electricity tariffs, and solutions to escalating insecurity, among others.

The protests, which began on August 1 were scheduled to last for ten days, aimed at expressing the hardships faced by Nigerian citizens and calling for government action. However, reports showed that the situation escalated in Kano, Borno, Yobe, Kaduna, Gombe, Bauchi, FCT, Niger, and Jigawa, where clashes between protesters and security forces have left numerous people dead and critically injured.

The protests have resulted in a devastating loss of life, with reports suggesting that as many as 19 innocent lives were lost during the first day alone. Although the death toll has been disputed, with Amnesty International placing the number of fatalities at 13, the violence has taken a heavy toll on the country. The chaos has also provided an opportunity for hoodlums to exploit the situation, vandalising and looting both government and private property in some states.

In an effort to stem the tide of violence and restore order in Nigeria, President Tinubu addressed the nation on Sunday, urging protesters to adopt a peaceful approach to voicing their concerns.

Tinubu, expressing his deep condolences to the families of those who lost their lives, called for an end to the protests and emphasised the need for dialogue and mutual understanding.

In his speech, Tinubu discussed the issue of hunger and poverty in Nigeria, highlighting the measures that the government has taken to alleviate the crisis. The president revealed that N570 billion has been disbursed to states for livelihood support programmes, and that 600,000 nano businesses have already benefited from nano grants. He noted further that another 400,000 businesses will also benefit from these grants, reiterating the government’s commitment to promoting economic growth and alleviating poverty in the country.

Tinubu firmly rejected the protesters’ call for a reinstatement of fuel subsidy, a highly contentious issue in the country. However, he reassured Nigerians that the government was committed to reducing transportation costs through its Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) initiative. He stated further that around one million CNG conversion kits would be distributed at little to no cost, a move that he claimed would reduce transportation costs by 60 percent.

Addressing the protesters, the president stated, “I have heard you loud and clear. I understand the pain and frustration that drive these protests, and I want to assure you that our government is committed to listening and addressing the concerns of our citizens.

“But we must not let violence and destruction tear our nation apart. We must work together to build a brighter future where every Nigerian can live with dignity and prosperity.

“Let nobody misinform and mis-educate you about your country or tell you that your government does not care about you,” the president stressed.

While President Bola Tinubu’s speech aimed to address the concerns of protesters, his failure to provide substantive solutions to the economic hardships at the root of the nationwide protests drew strong criticism from many Nigerians.

Femi Falana, human rights lawyer and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), shared his thoughts on the president’s speech, stating that the speech failed to address the main demands of the #EndBadGovernance protesters. Falana specifically highlighted the continued rejection of calls for the reinstatement of fuel subsidies as a key issue that was left unaddressed by the President. The human rights lawyer expressed his disappointment that the government had not taken more concrete steps to address the grievances of the protesters, arguing that the government’s response fell short of expectations.

“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,”  Falana stated.

Oby Ezekwesili, an economic policy expert and former minister of education, also criticised the president’s response to the #EndBadGovernance protests. Ezekwesili argued that the president missed an important opportunity to address the concerns of Nigerians by failing to provide tangible evidence of how he plans to address their demands. 

Ezekwesili, in a post on her X (formerly Twitter) handle @obyezeks, described the president’s address as terribly underwhelming, pointing out that it lacked substance and failed to meaningfully engage with the demands of the #EndBadGovernance protesters. 

Ezekwesili compared the president’s speech to an APC manifesto, suggesting that it focused too much on abstract political promises and too little on practical, immediate solutions.

Festus Ogun, a Nigerian lawyer and human rights activist, also spoke out against President Bola Tinubu’s speech, describing it as deeply disappointing.

Ogun expressed his dissatisfaction with the president’s statement, arguing that it failed to meaningfully engage with the primary concerns of the #EndBadGovernance protesters. He further compared the statement to a party manifesto, suggesting that it lacked the necessary specificity and urgency to address the pressing issues raised by the protesters.

Ogun’s critique of Tinubu’s speech focused on the president’s failure to specifically address the issue of cutting government costs, which was a key demand of the #EndBadGovernance protesters. The human rights activist highlighted the lack of clarity and specificity in the president’s statement regarding this issue, arguing that the government’s response fell short of the protesters’ expectations.

In his words: “The president is telling the people of Nigeria to endure, that things will get better. While he is telling us to endure, over there in the seat of power, there are no sort of sacrifices that are being made at all. The cost of governance is not cut to size in any manner and he is asking us to endure this time.

“Looking at the demands that the protesters have placed on ground, the statement of the president has not addressed even one of them. This, in my view, justifies why the protest should still continue.”

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF), a prominent group representing the interests of northern Nigerians, expressed deep concern over President Bola Tinubu’s failure to address the worsening security situation in the North West and other parts of the region.

The NEF, represented by Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, the director of publicity and advocacy of the group, voiced its concern over the escalating security threats in northern Nigeria, including the devastating impact of banditry, kidnapping, rape, and other criminal activities on the region’s population.

The group stated: “Criminal elements continue to wreak havoc, causing immense suffering for the residents of these regions. As a result, many communities have been forced to abandon their farmlands, schools have been shut down, and livelihoods destroyed.

“NEF is gravely concerned that the president’s recent speech failed to address these urgent issues or provide reassurance to the communities living in constant fear and uncertainty.”

The NEF made clear that it had been expecting President Bola Tinubu to acknowledge the ongoing struggles faced by the North West and other regions affected by insecurity in Nigeria. In particular, the forum had hoped that the president would offer words of support and assurance, along with concrete plans to address the escalating security threats faced by these communities.

Leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) also weighed in on President Bola Tinubu’s response to the #EndBadGovernance protesters, expressing disappointment with his framing of the issues as partisan politics.

Benson Utah, head of information for the NLC, condemned Tinubu’s approach, arguing that the protesters’ demands were rooted in genuine concerns about the economic and social conditions facing Nigerians.

“Reducing the serious, evidential issues and demands of the protesters to partisan politics is tragic. It is a blunt refusal to understand the way the people feel,” Utah stated.

Hakeem Ambali, the national president of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), also offered his assessment of President Bola Tinubu’s speech. Ambali expressed concern over the timing and content of the president’s address, noting that it focused primarily on long-term goals and plans rather than offering immediate solutions to the current economic challenges facing Nigeria.

Ambali pointed out that while long-term planning is necessary, the country’s citizens also require urgent interventions to alleviate their immediate hardships.