NASRE Advocates Civility, Calmness As Nigerians Set For National Protest

<h4><strong>NASRE Advocates Civility<&sol;strong><&sol;h4>&NewLine;<h4><&sol;h4>&NewLine;<p><strong><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;openlife&period;ng&sol;">OpenLife Nigeria<&sol;a><&sol;strong> reproduces a statement by the Nigerian Association of Social and Resourceful Editors on the proposed nationwide protest against hunger in Nigeria<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>As Nigerians set for a nationwide protest&comma; the Nigerian Association of Social and Resourceful Editors &lpar;NASRE&rpar; reiterates its unwavering support for the constitutional right to protest&period; The freedom to assemble and express grievances is a cornerstone of our democracy&comma; and it must be protected&period; Protesters should not be intimidated by security officers or other means&semi; rather&comma; they should be safeguarded&comma; and the protest should be conducted in a moderate and orderly manner&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>However&comma; it is imperative to address the underlying issues driving the protest&period; There is no doubt that the country&&num;8217&semi;s economic situation is dire&period; According to the National Bureau of Statistics &lpar;NBS&rpar;&comma; the inflation rate as of June 2024 surged to 34&period;19&percnt;&comma; up from the May 2024 headline inflation rate of 33&period;95&percnt;&comma; while unemployment stands at a staggering 33&period;3&percnt;&period; The cost of living continues to rise&comma; with food inflation reaching 40&period;01&percnt; in March 2024&comma; making it increasingly difficult for average Nigerians to afford basic necessities&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>Insecurity remains a pervasive concern&comma; with rampant incidents of violence and crime&period; The scarcity of fuel exacerbates the economic hardship&comma; leading to skyrocketing food prices and hampering business growth&period; The reality is stark&colon; many Nigerians cannot afford three square meals a day&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>At this critical juncture&comma; the President must address the nation directly and live&comma; not through recorded and edited broadcasts&period; The citizens who elected him deserve to hear his plans for tackling these issues firsthand&period; The President should also ensure his ministers and party leaders exercise restraint and empathy in their public statements&comma; as their current approach often exacerbates tensions rather than alleviating them&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>We genuinely applaud the <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;vanguardngr&period;com&sol;">Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR<&sol;a> administration for the steps already taken to ease the suffering of Nigerians&comma; which include the removal of duties on essential food items&comma; the introduction of more than a 100&percnt; increase in the minimum wage for civil servants&comma; the cheaper and smart transportation model consisting of CNG buses&comma; conversion centers&comma; revamped rail networks&comma; super highways&comma; and the implementation of a student loan scheme to ease the financial burden on families&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>The Nigerian Police Force and other security operatives responsible for maintaining internal peace must remember that their allegiance is to the people&comma; not to power brokers&period; Their role is to protect both protesters and non-protesters alike&comma; maintaining peace and order without resorting to excessive force&period; Lawful and peaceful protests should be met with understanding and dialogue&comma; not with tear gas and firearms&comma; which only serve to increase chaos&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>As the planned protest is set to begin tomorrow&comma; August 1&comma; it reflects Nigerians&&num;8217&semi; defiance in their quest for an equitable society and effective leadership&period; Despite warnings from various political and traditional quarters&comma; the Nigerian people are determined to demand change&comma; seeking affordable food&comma; zero hunger&comma; and a reduction in the cost of living&period; It is also important to remind Nigerians that the same constitution that backs the upcoming protest empowers the security agencies to deal lawfully with those who use the protest as a means to engage in bad behavior&comma; especially destroying property and endangering others&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>As Nigeria faces these complex challenges&comma; NASRE calls for unity and collective effort in overcoming the current economic difficulties&period; It is crucial for the government to listen and respond constructively&period; By addressing the root causes of the nation’s difficulties&comma; we can work towards a brighter and more equitable future for all Nigerians&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>Signed&comma;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>Comrade Femi Oyewale<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>President&comma; NASRE<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;