By Hillary Azemata
As the atmosphere becomes tensed and government making frantic moves to beefed up security across the country in the wake of the planned protest against tomorrow August 1, the Executive Director for Citizens Advocacy for Social and Economic Rights (CASER) Mr. Frank Tietie, on Tuesday said the Federal Government’s fear is unnecessary even as he said that it is needless for it to contemplate criminalizing the organisers of the impending protest.
Tietie, a lawyer and public affairs analyst spoke while responding to fears and concerns raised by the Voice of America (VOA) in its day break programme through a telephone chat.
Asked on fears that the protest might get hijacked as is being alleged by government which may have damning consequences, he said: “I think that if the people are planning a protest and they give a notice to government, the presumption is that they are well meaning and there is no spontaneity like we found in the case of the Arab spring or like what we expressed in Kenya.
“The organisers have put the government on notice and by telling the government plainly that this is what they want and given an opportunity to the government to correct the wrongs and make some fundamental and significant changes that can assuage their minds and the prevailing hardship.
“So, I think that the fear of government is unnecessary because they could have responded in more meaningful terms than engaging in a campaign that claims to criminalise those who are planning or organizing the protest.
Tietie, told VOA that the atmosphere is charged with some of level uncertainties as according to him, this revolves around the amorphous nature of persons said to be organizing the protest adding that this is palpable.
He said: “We are witnessing a flurry of groups holding conferences across the country to announce their dis-association from the planned protest.
On whether President Bola Tinubu, has not moved fast enough to address the underlining issues as demanded by the would be protesters, VOA asked: The CASER boss, added, “The idea is that Nigerians find it quite ironical that President Tinubu, is not anyway pleasant with instituting reforms which included the immediate removal of subsidy and the floating of the naira.
“These policies of government have triggered untold hardship in the immediate times in the entire population and it therefore becomes strange that the President is telling them to be patient.
“Whereas the President wasn’t patient on his part because it was thought that the President could have done it in a more gradual manner in phases so that the impact of the removal of fuel subsidy and floating of the naira in an economy that is largely and hugely dependent on import.”
According to Tietie, the president was too swift and as such their demands is clear that he should make a sharp u-turn and reverse the policies of removal of subsidies and floating of the naira against the U.S dollar.
On the recently increased minimum wage to N70, 000, Tietie, responded that it is very far from it.
“Here we are talking about the minimum wage that can only affect less than 5% of the population.
“Those are the far lesser number that are directly employed by the federal government so the increase of the minimum wage is an attestation to the increased inflation which also buttressed the fact that prices are bound to go up in response to the wide understanding in the market place that wages have been increased yet we are talking about a small number of Nigerians whose wages that has been signed to law.
“I think that if the people are planning a protest and they give a notice to government, the presumption is that they are well meaning and there is no spontaneity like we found in the case of the Arab spring or like what we expressed in Kenya.
“The organisers have put the government on notice and by telling the government plainly that this is what they want and given an opportunity to the government to correct the wrongs and make some fundamental and significant changes that can assuage their minds and the prevailing hardship.
“So, I think that the fear of government is unnecessary because they could have responded in more meaningful terms than engaging in a campaign that claims to criminalise those who are planning or organizing the protest.” He said.