Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Femi Falana, has criticized President Bola Tinubu's recent nationwide address, stating that it failed to meet the demands of the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protesters.
In his statement on Sunday, Falana pointed out that the President's speech did not address the core issues raised by the peaceful protesters. The protests, which began on August 1, have seen Nigerians calling for a return of fuel subsidies, improved living standards, reduced cost of governance, lower electricity tariffs, and solutions to escalating insecurity, among other demands.
Falana emphasized, “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 could make them review their actions. Insensitivity to their demands can only provoke continued action.”
He commended the protesters for bringing attention to the struggles of millions of Nigerians and called for the immediate and unconditional release of all detained protesters, asserting that they had committed no criminal offense.
Falana also condemned the repression of peaceful protests and expressed condolences to those who lost loved ones during the demonstrations. He urged the government to establish commissions of inquiry to hold accountable those responsible for the killings.
“We commiserate with the families of the peaceful protesters who were killed and call on the Federal and State Governments to set up Commissions of Inquiry, which should include representatives of credible human rights organizations and the NBA, to investigate the killings with a view to prosecuting the reckless murderers in police uniform and ensuring justice.
“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 criminalized in Nigeria.”
