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The Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) has called for dialogue between government and leaders of the August protest planned to highlight economic hardships Nigerians currently suffer in the face of reforms by the regime of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, while calling for the immediate reversal of increased electricity tariffs and reduction of food and fuel price as a goodwill gesture.
OPC gave its counsel in a statement on Tuesday by its President Otunba Wasiu Afolabi, however, urging the protesters to remain non-violent and toe the path of dialogue.
“A hungry man is an angry man. The government must crash the price of food, electricity and fuel for peace to reign and for people to know that the government cares about their welfare,” Afolabi said.
The Yoruba socio-cultural organisation urged President Tinubu to immediately issue an Executive Order opening up all the country’s borders in the South-West and South-South in order for rapid inflow of food that would lower prices.
The OPC President encouraged the government to concentrate efforts on getting the nation’s refineries to produce domestic fuel in order to solve the problem of inadequate and expensive petroleum products.
“If one man, Aliko Dangote, can build a refinery in less than 10 years, how can ordinary maintenance of four full-fledged and functional refineries become an impossible task since 1999 when civilians took over power? What is the mystery?
“Government must identify, expose and apprehend cabals and all the enemies making life unduly difficult for commoners in Nigeria. This nation belongs to all of us and Nigerians must be able to enjoy their commonwealth.”
He also called for reduction in the cost of governance.
Afolabi said: “A situation where citizens are urged to tighten their belts; but politicians are living larger than life on public funds can only bring discontent and rebellion. Government must cost the cost of governance. These are austere times and the leader must also adopt austerity measures.”
Additionally, the socio-cultural organisation asked the police to prevent the demonstration from being hijacked by hoodlums who could use the protest for looting and mayhem.
According to the OPC President, Nigerian leaders and protest organisers must not toe the line of Kenya, where demonstrations degenerated into a bloodbath with loss of lives and wanton destruction of property.
“Protestors and government have lost control in Kenya. We cannot afford to go that way. We have no other country but Nigeria; and we cannot allow a civil protest to spiral out of control,” OPC said.