Inside Nigeria
Insecurity, Corruption: #RevolutionNow to Stage Nationwide Protest Wednesday
RevolutionNow group will Wednesday troop on the streets, nationwide to protest against wanton killings in the country, large scale corruption and also demand better governance from the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“One year after the people took the same route in a peaceful protest tagged #RevolutionNow on August 5, 2019 to demand a better society from the same administration, nothing significant has changed – instead the people have had their rights grossly violated by a regime whose draconian and unfriendly policies continue to plunge millions of individuals and households deeper into poverty,” the group said in a release.
Convener of the protest movement, Omoyele Sowore, a human rights crusader was arrested on August 3, 2019 by Department of State Services and was kept in jail from that period until December 24 when an international outrage forced the government to release him after initially flouting two court orders sanctioning his freedom on bail.
“Apart from rising cases of killings by bandits and other armed groups across different parts of the country, unemployment rate neared alarming levels over the last one year especially with many companies and businesses closing shop in Nigeria as a result of a harsh economic climate.
“Bothered by these anomalies, the Nigerian people have vowed to embark on a mass action to put the government in check.”
The Coalition for Revolution while describing August 5 as a national day of action, in a statement said, “The situation in the country for poor people keeps getting worse. While poverty continues to increase for the many, the rate of stealing of monies that could be used to improve lives and livelihoods keeps accelerating, on a daily basis. Repression follows in tow, to stop questions being asked. And those who actually work, waged workers are underpaid and overworked.
“The masses are fed up. This is the time to rise up and fight to break our chains. On 5 August, 2020, Coalition for Revolution will organise a national day of action in commemoration and continuation of its #RevolutionNow campaign.
“Enough is enough. We cannot let this situation continue. We cannot allow a few persons to throw the 99 per cent of the population of the cliff into the abyss of starvation and destruction. We will fight until victory, starting with the national day of action on 5 August.”