Hunger protest: Tinubu’s broadcast fell short of expectation — Labour leaders

Following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s national broadcast addressing the demands of the ongoing EndBadGovernance protests earlier on Sunday, several prominent labour leaders have voiced their dissatisfaction with his response.

Comrade Benson Utah, Head of Information for the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), criticized the President for framing the protest issues as partisan politics.

“Reducing the serious, evidential issues and demands of the protesters to partisan politics is tragic. It is a blunt refusal to understand the way the people feel,” Utah said.

He emphasised that the protest’s demands are deeply rooted and require more than a political explanation.

On his part, Comrade Hakeem Ambali, National President of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), expressed concerns about the timing and content of the address. “Mr. President’s address came very late,” Ambali noted. “He should have been proactive and addressed Nigerians before the protest began.”

Ambali also criticised the President’s media team for inadequate preparation, suggesting that many of the initiatives mentioned in the president’s broadcast should have been publicized earlier. He also highlighted that the address focused predominantly on long-term plans rather than providing immediate solutions to Nigeria’s current economic challenges.

Similarly, Comrade Olusoji Oluwole, National President of the Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI), found the President’s address lacking in substance.

“We expected the President’s address to have more bite and to include guarantees within a specified timeframe,” Oluwole stated. He noted that the address did not adequately address the protesters’ specific demands or offer a clear, actionable plan.

“Let’s hope his spokespersons will provide more details on the intended measures to address these challenges,” Oluwole added.

The critiques reflect a broader sentiment among labour leaders and protesters that the President’s address did not meet expectations for immediate and substantive action.

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