Some residents of Awka, the capital of Anambra, have expressed mixed reactions to President Bola Tinubu’s address on Sunday over the ongoing nationwide #EndHunger protest.
Some said the address was timely and empathetic, but it failed to address some issues that led to the protest.
Chris Azor, the coordinator of Anambra State Civil Society Network (ASCONET), said the president was able to highlight some of the steps his administration was taking to ameliorate the numerous challenges he met while assuming office.
Mr Azor, a good governance advocate, said the speech did not provide measures to address the grouses of the masses in the immediate term.
He said among protesters’ demands were realities of hunger and hardship, a spike in the cost of living due to the removal of full subsidy, floating of the local currency, insecurity and unemployment.
“The president did not say anything about insecurity, fuel subsidy removal, the humongous cost of governance, and how to tackle them immediately. We did not see specifics and timelines for how to solve the issue of hikes in the prices of food items, social services, and galloping inflation.
“Furthermore, the President’s language betrays fixation with political opponents as the cause of the crisis; it is a curious misreading and lack of understanding of the core existential issues,” he said.
Mr Azor said the warning to ethnic bigots was welcome but urged the president to arrest and prosecute promoters to serve as a deterrent for others.
He said civil society was worried about the high cost of governance and called for implementing the Oronsaye panel report to the right size ministries, departments, and agencies, as well as to reduce the duplication of functions.
“We commend Mr President for the address. Going further, we want him to put in place immediate security measures to give farmers access to their farms without hindrance by herders and bandits to ensure massive food production,” said the activist.
Jude Atupulazi, a social commentator, described the president’s speech as fairly good, with many promises.
Mr Atupulazi said at the bottom of today’s problems was the removal of fuel subsidy without emplacing measures to cushion the effects, adding that instead of improving people’s lives, it had left them worse off.
He said he had expected that the president would address the downturn in the real sector due to the harsh operational environment, noting that it was a major contributor to unemployment and poverty.
(NAN)