Oby Ezekwesili, a former Minister of Education, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and State governors to engage the citizens and listen to their demands amid the ongoing nationwide hunger protest.
She stated that it is unwise to threaten, taunt, brutalise and shut up protesters demanding an end to bad governance.
Ezekwesili’s statement comes as the nationwide protests against hunger enter day 6.
In a post via her X handle, the former minister said Tinubu, governors, and other political leaders still have a slim window of opportunity to swiftly do the right things for their citizens, asking them to end bad governance in Nigeria.
According to Ezekwesili, to take Nigeria and its citizens out of the unfortunate predicament the country found itself in, Tinubu and state governors must be ready to listen to the protesters, engage them and persuade them with factual counterpoints.
She said, “Let me reiterate a possible Pathway for @NigeriaGov @officialABAT to take Nigeria and Nigerians out of the unfortunate quagmire the country finds itself:
“When Citizens tell their Leaders that they are hungry and angry due to #BadGovernanceInNigeria, the unwise thing to do was the orchestrated efforts of @NigeriaGov to shut them up, threaten, taunt, brutalize them and generally act detached from their suffering.
“Such triggering display of empathy deficit has obviously strengthened the resolve of the Protesters to continue into Day5 of their Protests as we can now all see.
“The @NigeriaGov @NGRPresident @officialABAT @nassnigeria @NGRSenate @HouseNGR and Governors of State and their State Assemblies still have a slim window of opportunity on this Day5 of the nationwide protests to swiftly do the right things by their Citizens who are asking them to #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria:
“Go out NOW to their Protest Grounds across the Country and ENGAGE your Citizens. Hear them express their Demands to you directly. Do not lock yourselves away behind the High Gates of your publicly-funded State and Government houses enjoying indulgent lives while your Citizens are out there crying out in pain from the severity of economic hardship induced hunger and anger.
“The @NigeriaGov @NGRPresident @nassnigeria and Governors of State and their State Assemblies, go out NOW and start connecting with your Citizens:
“Listen. Listen. Listen.
“Engage. Engage. Engage.
“Persuade with Factual Counterpoints
“Present Convincing Plan of Action to Address their Short Term grievances.
“For the medium to longer term issues, @officialABAT and the @nassnigeria should convert the current Crisis to a *Golden Moment of Opportunity* for a Reset of Nigeria. Every reasonable Nigerian knows that Nigeria in its present state cries out for a RESET.
“The mounting restiveness of our Citizens across the country is but a symptom of deeper structural problems for which @officialABAT should lead the rest of political leaders and Citizens’ representatives nationwide to a present sound plan for a credible National Conversation focused on the Most Effective Structure and Direction for Good Governance at all levels for productivity, competitiveness, prosperity, justice, equity, equality, order, peace, harmony, stability and resilience.
“The Choice is in your hands still @NigeriaGov.”
