Nwaokobia’s View on the Need for Protest and Government Reform
Prof. Chris Mustapha Nwaokobia Jnr., leader of the Country First Movement, believes that the planned protest against hunger and rising living costs is long overdue.
He argues that hunger, inflation, price increases, and food shortages have become common issues in a nation rich in resources.
Nwaokobia Jnr. expects the government to act quickly with necessary reforms instead of wasting time and resources on individuals pretending to offer solutions to the crisis.
He criticizes these so-called problem solvers, claiming they have no real understanding of or solution to the upcoming protest.
He also expects the military and police to respect the constitutional right to protest and work to ensure that any demonstrations are peaceful and orderly. He believes this approach is both patriotic and legally required.
In his statement, Nwaokobia Jnr. suggests that the protest is a form of cosmic justice since the current government had once supported similar actions against bad governance.
He recalls the 2012 protests against President Jonathan’s fuel subsidy removal, noting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, then in opposition, supported those protests and should now allow peaceful demonstrations.
Nwaokobia Jnr. argues that the protest is overdue and reflects the failures of the All Progressive Congress (APC) government over the past nine years. He accuses the APC of destroying a functioning economy, worsening insecurity, and deepening ethnic and regional divisions. He claims that corruption and wasteful spending, such as on the Vice President’s residence and a new presidential aircraft, have exacerbated the crisis.
He also points out that some individuals who once supported protests have now turned against them, using ethnic and divisive tactics to undermine democratic freedoms. Despite these challenges, he believes the current generation is determined to bring about change and will not be deterred by threats or attempts to discredit their efforts.
