An elder statesman and former Nigerian Ambassador to the Philippines, Dr. Yemi Farounbi, has said Nigerians have the right to protest against bad governance and hardship in the country, berating the Bola Tinubu-led administration for claiming that Peter Obi of the Labour Party is the brain behind the proposed nationwide protest.
Farounbi, who was speaking on the heel of a nationwide protest against the Federal Government, stated this in an interview with with journalists , Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The veteran broadcaster said the government was only lionising and making Obi more important than he is by claiming that he was the sponsor, calling on the government to address hunger and anger in the land.
He stated that Nigerians had the right to protest, adding that Tinubu was the father of protests against past governments.
Farounbi asserted that if nobody prevented Tinubu from protesting when he was in the opposition party, he must allow Nigerians to express their minds and disenchantment against the current administration.
He said: ‘’Nigerians have the right to complain because this is a democracy – the government of the people, by the people and for the people. And in his June 12 speech, the President quoted Roosevelt as saying that the best form of government is democracy. But he conveniently forgot that Roosevelt also said four things that democracy must give you are freedom of speech and expression, freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear. When there you have terrorists, bandits and other insecurity, you have no freedom from fear.
‘’So, the people have the right to say they are not happy, because Tinubu himself was the father of protests. He participated in many protests against governments in the past. He was part of NADECO [National Democratic Coalition] ,Save Nigeria, Occupy Nigeria. He was part of the protest against Jonathan’s government over the removal of subsidy. If he had been given the freedom of expressing his opposition or disenchantment with a particular government, he cannot be criticising others who want to do similarly.
‘’There was a demonstration in the UK, Kenya and I was an ambassador in the Philippines. I know what they call the Mass Action of the People even under a dictatorship government.
‘’You cannot prevent people from expressing their anger. When you prevent them, they get bottled up. And it gets bottled up, it is like boiled water that is bottled up. Its explosion is not always the best. So, whether they are right or wrong, they must be allowed to exercise their right.
‘’ Government or government functionaries are just making Obi more important than the way he is by claiming that is the sponsor of the proposed protest. Those who are ready for the protest are those unhappy with the current situation of the country, including those who voted for Tinubu and his fanatical supporters. Hunger has no tribal mark or political inclination. When you begin to say Obi is the one behind the proposed protest, you are lionising him. When you now confer legitimacy on the Obidient Movement and lionisation on Obi, you make him more important; you are leaving the real issues and chasing shadow, hunger will still persist, high inflation will continue’’