The Amalgamated Civil Society (ACS) group has distanced itself from the planned 1 October protest, which some politicians in the country are orchestrating.
The group’s statement described the planned invasion of Eagle Square, critical infrastructures, and other national monuments as an invitation to anarchy. It urged every patriotic Nigerian to resist these “protesters of fortune and madness” if they genuinely desire democracy, peace, and unity to prevail in the country. It has been just 16 months since the current administration came into power.
In a statement jointly signed by the National President, Comrade Gbenga Ashiru Abiodun, and the General Secretary, Comrade Yakubu Abdullahi, the group asserted that democracy cannot endure unless political opponents develop a culture of endurance and persistence, using the ballot box and electoral exercise to address perceived issues during the next general election.
They stressed that resorting to desperation and divisive tactics under any guise is unacceptable to Nigerians and the nation’s friends.
The group stated that instead of funding various misplaced protests designed to destabilise the country because some individuals were defeated at the polls or lost out in the scheme of things, they should learn from the likes of Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Governor Isa Yuguda, Governor Aliyu Magatakarda Wammako, Senator Ahmed Sani Yerima, Governor Dauda Lawal, Governor Seyi Makinde, and Dr. Alex Otti, among others.
“These political leaders were once in the opposition but patiently reclaimed their respective states through doggedness, meticulous planning, patience, and endurance, using every opportunity provided by democratic principles devoid of mayhem and destructive tendencies,” they emphasised.
“We must acknowledge that Nigerians are facing hardship due to hunger and unusual hyper-inflation resulting from poor planning and failed policies of past governments. However, participation in any form of protest bankrolled to destroy our country by a former governor who plunged his state into unimaginable debt for generations yet unborn can never be the solution to our problems,” the statement added.
The group further stated, “The truth is that local rice producers and essential commodity traders who arbitrarily increase prices of goods and services are responsible for Nigerians’ predicament. The same plot of rice producers, including opposition politicians and former governors who received waivers on the importation of fertilisers and other agricultural-related implements, are the brains behind the astronomical cost of living witnessed in our country.”
They called on patriotic Nigerians to hold these individuals accountable for the suffering of millions of citizens, as they are responsible for the hardship, hunger, and hoarding of foodstuff in the country.
The ACS also claimed that it had received critical intelligence on foreign funding provided to select NGOs under the guise of protecting democracy, free speech, lawful assembly, and similar activities. They stressed that the late Gani Fawehinmi, of blessed memory, never accepted funds from any foreign donor agency or domestic rogue politicians during his struggles.
“We must emphasise that anyone hiding behind a transactional protest to cause a breakdown of law and order is a security risk. Therefore, relevant security agencies must deal with these shadowy characters involved in premeditated espionage activities and actions capable of undermining our country’s sovereignty,” they warned.
The Amalgamated CSOs of Nigeria (ACN) clarified that they would not be part of a hidden plot by politicians masquerading as champions of democratic values to incite chaos during the country’s independence anniversary celebrations. They declared that they would label the organisers of the planned protest, who received money from politicians without disclosing such transactions to other stakeholders, as persona non grata from tomorrow.
The group further stated that they had established that these organisers were “nothing but usurpers using the cover of protest to enrich themselves, implement a partisan plot, and unleash lawlessness and anarchy in our land.”
“Our country paid a huge price during the protest organised by the same agents of destabilisation, stagnation, and decline about two months ago. This time, they have vowed to cause even greater havoc, hoping to exploit the current situation and distract the government and relevant security agencies from making progress against terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, and divisive forces that have
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