Protest: ‘Pack of empty words, load of irrelevancies’ – Inibehe Effiong on Tinubu’s nationwide address

A human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, has described President Bola Tinubu’s Sunday broadcast to Nigerians as “a pack of empty words and a time-wasting load of irrelevancies.”

Effiong said the president’s speech is a confirmation of his long held view that Nigerians are dealing with “a fatalistic political class that is intentionally deaf and willfully blind to the sufferings and yearnings of the citizens.”

The lawyer’s statement posted on his X handle on Sunday comes on the heels of Tinubu’s nationwide broadcast to Nigerians.

The president in his address, the president ruled out the return of fuel subsidy, contrary to the demands of the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protesters, who are seeking a return of the controversial scheme.

However, not satisfied with Tinubu’s speech, Effiong said the President only did what despots do, which according to him is ignoring the agitations of the masses.

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Effiong said: “President Tinubu’s speech is just a pack of empty words and a time wasting load of irrelevancies.

“It is a confirmation of my long held view, that we are dealing with a fatalistic political class that is intentionally deaf and willfully blind to the sufferings and yearnings of Nigerians.

“This president is disconnected from the reality of the everyday Nigerian. He’s living in an imaginary Nigeria that only exists in his head. The speech couldn’t have been more meaningless and aimless.

“Those who wrote it, and Mr. Tinubu, who read it out, have succeeded in justifying the reasons for the nationwide protest.

“It is appalling that despite what we have witnessed across the country in the last three days, the President did not deem it necessary to speak to the specific demands of the protesters.

“A government is only useful if it serves the interests of the governed. This government is anti-people.

“Tinubu made no mention of electoral reform, no reversal of his horrible and devastating economic policies, he made no attempt to cut down the overbloated size of his government.

“Tinubu made no concessions.

“This President only did what despots do; ignore the agitations of the masses.

“Great leaders make sacrifices for their country, but terrible leaders like Tinubu only know how to sacrifice the country for their own interests.

“It is not his voice that people wanted to hear, people wanted him to speak directly to their demands. His call for dialogue is in bad faith. He did not address the mindless killing of protesters by security agencies in any meaningful way. He also did not set up any credible machinery for a purposeful dialogue.

“Tinubu is preoccupied with the ridiculous idea that the protest is being sponsored by his political adversaries. This provocative arrogance by Nigerian politicians will be ended one day by Nigerians, one way or the other.”