WYSN Statement on President Tinubu’s Speech
PRESS STATEMENT
(For immediate release)
4th August, 2024.
PRESIDENT TINUBU’S SPEECH ON THE ON-GOING NATIONWIDE PROTEST; HOLLOW, LACKING IN SUBSTANCE.
* The President Has Again Bungled A Great Opportunity To Bring An End To The Quagmire, Chose To Play To The Gallery.
* As The Long-suffering Nigerian Masses, We Remain Resolute In Not Only Our Demands But Importantly Also In Getting Justice For The Tons Of Our Fellow Innocent Countrymen And Women, Slain In The Course Of This Struggle.
* We Will Intensify The Struggle/Protest Across The Country With Renewed Vigour And Determination.
* We Hold The President and The Inspector General Of Police Pointedly Responsible For The Violence And Killings With Which They Have Visited On The Citizens’ Action So Far.
The Workers and Youth Solidarity Network, (WYSN) a Network of Working People And Youths all across the Country, have received the address of Nigeria’s president Bola Tinubu on the ongoing Nationwide Protest, with complete disappointment. A careful listen to the Speech shows nothing more than a rehearse of the usual rhetorics with which Nigerian government (at all levels), has typically approached issues in the country, including fundamental issues affecting the Lives and Wellbeing of the Citizenry.
It is even more disappointing to note that, whereas the Masses had placed clear and concise genuine Demands for action by the president, Mr Tinubu sadly chose to bypass these and rather Play to the Gallery with a speech that has neither mettle nor substance and did not address in any concrete way, EVEN ONE of the Demands of the Protest.
Furthermore, the president totally ignored and turned a blind eye, to the massacre and violence unleashed by the Police, who against all laid down local and international Charters and Constitutional Provisions, used live ammunitions on innocent Protesters who were duly exercising their Fundamental Right to Protest. As at last count, over 50 Persons have been killed while about 1000 have been variously arrested and detained in parts of the Country. His silence in the face of this abhorrent acts simply lends tacit support to it and emboldens the Nigerian Police and other law enforcement Entities to tow similar line. We condemn abhorrent Act in its entirety and we have accordingly added “JUSTICE TO THE SLAIN” as a Point in the Demand List.
The Workers and Youth Solidarity Network, WYSN, calls on Nigerians, not to be deterred by the intimidations of the government for indeed, the Cause they are fighting for is genuine and they are on the right Path of History.
Nigeria has enough resources to cater for every one of its Citizen, but the unbridled Greed of the Ruling class has robbed the Citizenry of equitable distribution of the nation’s collective Wealth. We make it abundantly clear that, no responsible and responsive government will continue to remain aloof and be favouring the Rich while the Poor die of Hunger and Deprivation. In Nigeria, this has been the status quo for decades, a system effectively hoisted by Neo-liberal economic policies propagated by the World Bank, IMF and their Western Allies and Collaborators. We therefore call on Nigerians to totally reject the Inflation, the Mass-hunger and suffering inflicted on the Economy and Masses by the Anti-Poor Policies of this Regime.
Lastly, we strongly call on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to immediately commence general Strikes to demand for and End to the Massacre of innocent Protesters as well as the reversal of all Anti-Poor Policies enacted by the present regime as these as well as unmitigated Sleaze and Corruption, are the origin of the quagmire the nation and it’s citizens faces today.
Signed;
Comrade Iortyom Moses Northern Coordinator