*Says ‘protests could be hijack by thugs, plunge Nigeria into chaos’
In a lengthy address on Monday, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, appealed for restraint and dialogue in light of planned nationwide protests over the country’s economic hardships and insecurity.
While acknowledging the immense suffering of Nigerians due to rising poverty, unemployment, inflation, and rampant insecurity, Maikyau urged protesters to reconsider mass demonstrations, warning they could be hijacked by unscrupulous elements and descend into chaos and violence.
“Whatever we are going through right now, cannot be compared to the experience of a civil unrest and the chaos that could ensue therefrom,” Maikyau said. “We do not even want to imagine what the experience would be, and we must forbid it.”
The NBA President called on the government to urgently engage with the people through frank dialogues to address their grievances. He recommended setting up periodic government-people meetings, timelines for specific actions, a National Security Summit, and the involvement of traditional rulers, religious leaders and civil society to collectively examine solutions.
Maikyau said that while the NBA empathizes with the plight of Nigerians, embarking on mass protests at this time could have devastating consequences for the nation’s security, economy and very existence. He appealed to the patriotism of all Nigerians to prioritize the country’s stability.
The planned protests, slated to begin next week, have been backed by some civil society and opposition groups demanding urgent government action to alleviate hardships.
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