Nationwide Protest Against Hunger and Hardship: Organised Civil Society Issues Guidelines
As Nigeria prepares for a nationwide protest against hunger and hardship, the Organised Civil Society has issued guidelines to ensure the success of the demonstration. The protest, scheduled to begin on August 1, aims to compel the government to address the pressing issues of hunger and hardship in the country.
According to a statement signed by Olawale Okunniyi, Head, Coordinating Secretariat of the United Action Front of Civil Society, the guidelines were issued following a meeting with the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun. The statement emphasized the importance of protesters being civil, orderly, and focused, and not allowing anyone to provoke or distract them from the agenda of the protest.
Protesters are advised to record any external aggression with their phones and send the recordings to the Civil Society Situation Room on Protests Ethics Monitoring. The group also urged protesters not to bring sharp objects or weapons to the protest venues, as anyone found with such items will be handed over to security agents.
To ensure the success of the protest, the Organised Civil Society has set up a situation room with hotlines for citizens to contact protest monitors via WhatsApp. The hotlines are +23481-884-51511, +234 814 286 4904, +234 703 504 6101, and +234 803 582 3617.
The group also appealed to the government and its agents to demobilize and caution those being recruited to threaten and intimidate peaceful protesters. Okunniyi warned that any sponsored mobilization against the protesters could lead to another unwanted riot, similar to the #EndSars debacle in Nigeria.
As the country prepares for the nationwide protest, the Organised Civil Society is urging citizens to remain peaceful and focused on the goal of ending hunger and hardship in Nigeria.
