Action Aid Nigeria, a non-governmental organisation, is said to have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to address with urgency the issue of the EndSARS protest, which has continued to rage on for weeks across the country with hoodlums taking over the protest in some states.
The organisation revealed in a statement released on Monday, October 19, 2020, through Ene Obi, its Country Director, that failure of the president to address the country may lead to anarchy.
The statement reads in part, ‘We have been following the unfolding events amidst the agitations by the citizens and has deemed it fit to further address emerging trends in the ongoing protest. The protest has moved from being a social media campaign to a peaceful protest by Nigerians across the globe in the last 13 days, with clear demands on the abolition of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad accused of unlawful arrests, torture, and extra-judicial killings.’
‘ActionAid Nigeria has observed that the peaceful protest is gaining more momentum across the country, with Young People airing their grievances on rights violations and the need for an overhaul of the country’s security and governance architecture.’
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Consequently, the organization stated that it therefore ‘calls on President Muhammadu Buhari, to fully address the nation in a national broadcast as a Father, Leader, and the President of Nigeria, with the mandate of the people to manage the affairs of the country and give clear-cut responses to the demands of the protesters before it is too late.’
It went further to say that ‘Nigerians anticipate clear plans, timelines, and commitments, which will be in form of a pact with the citizens. The President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, should see this as an opportunity to write his name in the sands of time by starting the process of transforming this country especially by responding to the demands of citizens.’
‘ActionAid Nigeria also call on security agencies to keep securing the streets to get unscrupulous elements with illegitimate interests of the peaceful protests, while respecting the rights of peaceful protesters. We applaud the resolve of Nigerian youths leading the revival across the country and the resolute to hold the government to account.’
Following the recent turn of events in the ongoing protest which has since gone violent, the ActionAid Nigeria warned that ‘it is pertinent that decorum is maintained while resisting any calculated attempts by unknown elements to disrupt the just cause for a total reformation of our country, Nigeria.’