Ahead of the planned nationwide protest in August, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has asked the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to ensure security for the protesters.
Angry youths have promised to protest the country’s current economic suffering. The ‘End Bad Governance’ demonstration, which is slated to take place from August 1 to August 10, is already getting support on social media.
While government officials have asked the organisers to shut off the demonstrations, claiming they are politically motivated, the TUC wants demonstrators to be safe.
Briefing journalists in Abuja on Thursday, TUC President Festus Osifo stated that the Police Act and the constitution require the Police to provide sufficient security for demonstrators. He stated that enough protection is required to ensure that the planned protest is not hijacked by criminals.
“As the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, we have participated in various protests. We are also pleased with some of the remarks we have received from other sources ensuring that when the protests take place, these folks will be safeguarded,” he stated.
“We don’t want a situation whereby the protest goes on and at the end of the day, it leads to violence. We want to hereby call on the Inspector General of Police and the entire security agencies to do everything possible to provide security for whoever intends to carry out protests so such protests do not degenerate into chaos.”