- Human rights activist Deji Adeyanju has criticised those who are against the looming nationwide strike
- He also criticised the government’s bad policies, which have made things harder for Nigerians
- Nationwide protests in Nigeria are expected to kick off on August 1, and Adeyanju has expressed his full support
Human rights activist and convener of Concerned Nigerians, Deji Adeyanju, has criticised those opposing the planned nationwide strike, asserting that the devaluation of the Nigerian currency, the naira, is sufficient grounds for protest.
Adeyanju highlighted the severe impact of the government's fiscal policies on the nation’s economy, emphasising the present worthlessness of Nigeria’s currency.
In a statement made available to journalists on July 29, the human rights lawyer pointed out that N100,000 now holds the equivalent purchasing power of N10,000 due to these detrimental policies.
“N100,000 is the new N10,000, and you say people should not protest. The naira is almost worthless because of bad policies.”
I support and endorse the protest - Adeyanju
In a separate interview, Adeyanju also noted that:
“May God bless the faceless people organising the protest. The country needs protest. But the real organisers of the protests are bad governance, hunger, poverty, nepotism by the Tinubu government and other maladministration we have witnessed in the last one year.
“I support and endorse the protest. My prayer is that the protest should be successful. Government should do all it can to meet the demands of the protesters.
“And I must add that ending corruption is one of the important demands in the list. The issue of fuel subsidies and not paying politicians are important. How can a country be paying politicians? Politics should be a hobby, not a profession. We are too broke as a nation to be paying politicians.”
The activist's call for protest comes in the wake of increasing economic hardships faced by Nigerians. The continuous devaluation of the naira has led to soaring inflation rates, making basic necessities unaffordable for many. Adeyanju argued that the government's failure to implement effective fiscal strategies has plunged the nation’s economy into a deep crisis.
The planned nationwide strike, expected to start August 1 and supported by various civil society organisations, aims to pressure the government into taking decisive steps to stabilise the economy and ease the people’s pain points.
Bayo Onanuga claimed Peter Obi should be held responsible for planned nationwide protest
Meanwhile, TheRadar previously reported that Peter Obi had threatened to sue the Special Adviser to the President on Communications and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, for defamation.
According to the report, Peter Obi demanded N5 billion for damages from Onanuga over the allegations while Onanuga responded that he was not afraid of going to court.
