Public Advocacy Group Initiates Monitoring And Reporting Hub For #EndBadGovernance Protests

Public Advocacy Group Initiates Monitoring And Reporting Hub For #EndBadGovernance Protests

The Workers and Youth Solidarity Network (WYSN) has voiced its strong support for the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protest set to start on August 1, 2024. This national demonstration aims to challenge the government’s economic policies and advocate for citizens’ rights………. CONTINUE READING

Comrades Salako Kayode and Iortyom Moses, the Southern and Northern Coordinators of WYSN, respectively, affirmed that “peaceful protest is a fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended.”

WYSN encouraged Nigerians to disregard any threats and participate fully in the protests, stating, “We urge Nigerians to reject the intimidating rhetoric from government agents and confidently exercise their constitutional right to dissent.”

The organization criticized the current administration’s neo-liberal economic policies, which it claims have exacerbated hardship and poverty. WYSN argued that these policies devalue the Naira and severely impact the purchasing power of ordinary citizens.

The group condemned the government’s alignment with the IMF and World Bank, asserting that these policies disproportionately benefit the wealthy. WYSN noted, “Political elites and their associates, who benefit from these policies, live in luxury while the general populace endures severe deprivation.”

In response to these issues, WYSN has established a Protest Observatory and Communications Room to ensure compliance with citizens’ rights and monitor all activities related to the protests.

“This initiative aims to safeguard the rights of citizens during the protests,” WYSN explained.

The network also called on President Bola Tinubu to uphold and protect the constitutional rights of protestors, warning, “The President will be held accountable if he fails to safeguard those exercising their right to protest.”

WYSN urged the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to back the protest, emphasizing that the current minimum wage of N70,000 is inadequate to address the needs of the working class.

The organization called for a broader political movement to address the masses’ needs, concluding, “It is crucial for the public to rally around an alternative that will bring about genuine and lasting change to end the widespread suffering.”