By: Mandy Park
Endbadgovernance Movement has blamed the hunger and hardship in Nigeria on President Bola Tinubu’s adoption of IMF policies, which they described as anti-poor.
While the group commiserate with Nigerians over the death of citizens due to stampede at charity events for palliative measures to remain alive, they demanded for a halt in the whole sale implementation of IMF policies by the Tinubu-led APC government.
The group also expressed worry and dissatisfaction on the issue of crowd control measures at events that should not lead to the death of citizens.
In a statement made available today, Monday 23 December, to the media, signed by Comrade Hassan Taiwo Soweto and Oloye Adegboyega-Adeniji, on behalf of the Organizing Committee, #Endbadgovernance Movement, Lagos State, it reads “We members of the #EndBadGovernance Movement, Lagos Chapter, commiserate with the Nigerian people over the repeated cases of deadly stampede at charity events around the country in the past one week.
“According to reports, nothing less than 65 people have died in such circumstances in Ibadan in Oyo state, Okija in Anambra state as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja. Among those who lost their lives are 35 children, in Ibadan, Oyo State.
“They were trampled to death as people rushed in desperation to get their hands on cash and items being shared by charity organizers.
“Our hearts go out to their families and loved ones.
“While obviously a case can be made about lapses in security and crowd control measures, the root cause of this unfortunate tragedy must however not be ignored.
“The truth which must be told is that it is the unnecessary poverty, hunger, and hardship inflicted on the Nigerian people by President Tinubu’s government’s anti-poor capitalist policies that has created an environment where citizens are forced to fight for survival.
“It is also the government’s failure to address the basic needs of its citizens that has led to a state of desperation, culminating in the avoidable loss of lives.
“Therefore, as far as we are concerned, President Tinubu, the National Assembly members, and the 36 State governors all have blood on their hands because they are each responsible for the tragic death of these Nigerians.
“Sadly, all President Tinubu could do in response to the unfortunate deaths was to cancel his official activities slated for Saturday August 21 without making an immediate public commitment to reverse the policies behind the tragedy and begin to take the welfare of Nigerians seriously.
“As far as we are concerned, this is tokenistic and performative. There is no iota of sincerity about it.
“Unless President Tinubu is being misadvised by his kitchen cabinet, he ought to know that it is his policies that are killing people.
“Apart from those who died during stampedes at charity events, hundreds of other Nigerians are committing suicide daily due to depression over inability to meet families’ needs and indebtedness.
“Part of President Tinubu’s constitutional responsibility is to protect the lives and properties of Nigerians.
“The repeated tragic deaths of hungry Nigerians over the past one week as well as recent report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showing that over 600, 000 people have been killed and about 2.2 million kidnapped in the last one year are serious indictment on President Tinubu as they show clearly that his government has failed woefully.
“To ensure that more Nigerians do not perish in similar circumstance, it is now a matter of emergency for President Tinubu to immediately reverse all the IMF/World Bank neoliberal capitalist policies that have perpetuated poverty and inequality thereby creating the enabling environment for the tragic occurrences.
” These policies include fuel subsidy removal and the attendant hike in fuel prices, devaluation of the naira, hike in electricity tariff, intensive commercialization of public education and health care.
” We hereby demand investments in social welfare programs, public education, agriculture, public healthcare, and job creation.”
