The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has urged the organisers of the planned #EndBadGovernance nationwide protests set to begin from 1 to 10 August to call off the plan.
In a statement on Monday, the NBA president, Yakubu Maikyau, cited the economic and security risks of the protest in urging the organisers to rescind their decision.
“Our past experiences with mass protest are that they are usually hijacked by unscrupulous elements who use the opportunity to commit heinous crimes and thus turn an otherwise peaceful protest into a riot,” he said.
Mr Maikyau, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, acknowledged the nation’s challenges and “the corresponding right of the people to express their dissatisfaction with the current state of the affairs”.
However, he said there is a possiblitiy that the nation’s “detractors and naysayers” could be directly instigating and encouraging the protest.
“It is against this background, that I most humbly appeal to Nigerians, particularly, those that have decided to embark on the planned street protest to have a rethink and take a second look at what could be the possible outcome of embarking on such exercise to our security, economy, and existence,” the NBA president wrote.
He added, “Whatever we are going through right now, cannot be compared to the experience of a civil unrest and the chaos that could ensue therefrom. Needless to mention nations that are currently going through wars with the attendant carnage and destructions. We do not even want to imagine what the experience would be, and we must forbid it.”
He said instead of the protest, the government, the protest organisers, and supporters should rather engage in “for frank and sincere discussions on what must be done to immediately address the plight of the people.”
He added, “Mechanisms should be put in place for regular government/people engagement, with timelines for specific actions that should be implemented as circumstances dictate.
“We urge members of the National and State Houses of Assembly to engage with their constituents to address the demands of the people.
“We also recommend convening a National Security Summit, where serving and retired military, police, intelligence, and other law enforcement officers can reexamine our security situation and propose workable solutions.
“Traditional institutions and religious leaders should be included in this process, and civil society organisations should be engaged in both the dialogue and monitoring of implementation.”
Some Nigerians, particularly the youths, have been mobiliaing online for a nationwide protest to pressure the government to address economic hardships many citizens are going through in the country.