A coalition of civil organizations in Katsina State has expressed dissatisfaction with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent national address regarding the ongoing nationwide protests.
According to Comrade Abdurrahman Abdullahi, the chairman of the coalition, the President’s speech failed to address the core grievances of the protesters, rendering it “empty.”
Comrade Abdullahi articulated the sentiments of many in Katsina State, stating, “The President’s speech to the nation is empty; that is the opinion of most leaders of thought in Katsina State.
The youths are agitating for the restoration of the fuel subsidy, which they believe is the root cause of the problems, but the President did not address it. It shows he has no plan on restoring the subsidy.”
Abdullahi emphasized the specific demands of the protesters, noting that many carried placards highlighting issues such as hunger, the need for subsidy restoration, and food price control.
“None of these issues were addressed by the President,” he said. “He spoke of fertilizer being given to farmers, but of what use will it be to the farmers when they do not have access to their farmlands due to insecurity, especially here in the Northwest.”
The coalition chairman further expressed his disappointment, stating, “In my opinion, the President should have addressed the grudges of the protesters. What Nigerians expected to hear, apart from the abolition of import tax on some food items, was an announcement of a committee or agency charged with price control. This would help break the manipulation of prices by traders or marketers.”
Additionally, Abdullahi highlighted the critical issue of insecurity, urging the government to mobilize sufficient forces equipped with sophisticated arms to tackle the security challenges plaguing the nation.
“The government needs to mobilize enough forces with sophisticated arms to face the challenges of insecurity that are bedevilling the nation,” he concluded.
