“Get Out From Villa High Gates, Go To Protest Grounds, Listen To Protesters, Talk Directly To Them” – Ezekwesili Tells Tinubu

By Akinwale Kasali

To stem the current violent protests by many Nigerians against hunger, hardship, and bad governance under the Government of President Bola Tinubu, a former Minister for Education under the Government of  former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Mrs Obiageli Ezekwesili, has asked the President to step out of the high walls of the Presidential Villa, meet the Protesters at their protest grounds and speak with them.

Ezekwesisli urged the President and the 36 State Governors of the Federation to up the ante in order to bring to an end  the ongoing hunger and bad governance nationwide.

The protest which began on August 1, 2024, has led to loss of lives and destruction of properties in some part of the country. It has also taken a ridiculous but ominous signs with some Protesters in the North, particularly in Kano and Kaduna, waving the Russian National Flag, and calling on the Nigerian Military to sack President Tinubu’s Government.

Both Tinubu and the Military have described both action and utterance as treasonable. The President has also ordered the arrest of those flaunting the Russian Flag. The Russian Embassy in Nigeria has distanced its Country from the bizarre action.

And, after an assessment of the situation,  Ezekwesili said it is unwise for President Tinubu and the 36 state Governors to threaten, taunt, brutalise and shut up protesters demanding an end to bad governance and hunger in the country. She  stressed that they have the right to protest and demand for good governance.

In a post on her X handle, the former Minister said Tinubu, governors, and other political leaders still have a slim window of opportunity to swiftly do the right things for their citizens. She asked them to end bad governance in Nigeria as the protest enters Day Six.

According to Ezekwesili, to take Nigeria and its citizens out of the unfortunate predicament the country found itself in, Tinubu and State Governors must be ready to listen to the protesters, engage them and persuade them with factual counterpoints.

She wrote, “Let me reiterate a possible Pathway for @NigeriaGov @officialABAT to take Nigeria and Nigerians out of the unfortunate quagmire the country finds itself:

“When Citizens tell their Leaders that they are hungry and angry due to #BadGovernanceInNigeria, the unwise thing to do was the orchestrated efforts of @NigeriaGov to shut them up, threaten, taunt, brutalize them and generally act detached from their suffering.

“Such triggering display of empathy deficit has obviously strengthened the resolve of the Protesters to continue into Day5 of their Protests as we can now all see.

“The @NigeriaGov @NGRPresident @officialABAT @nassnigeria @NGRSenate @HouseNGR and Governors of State and their State Assemblies still have a slim window of opportunity on this Day 5 of the nationwide protests to swiftly do the right things by their Citizens who are asking them to #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria:

“Go out NOW to their Protest Grounds across the Country and ENGAGE your Citizens. Hear them express their Demands to you directly. Do not lock yourselves away behind the High Gates of your publicly-funded State and Government houses enjoying indulgent lives while your Citizens are out there crying out in pain from the severity of economic hardship induced hunger and anger.

“The @NigeriaGov @NGRPresident @nassnigeria and Governors of State and their State Assemblies, go out NOW and start connecting with your Citizens:

“Listen. Listen. Listen”

President Tinubu, on Sunday, addressed  Nigerians in a Nationwide broadcast. But that has not stemmed the protest. Instead, a couple of States in the North witnessed more violent protests than before, forcing their State Governments to declare 24-hour curfew.