A prominent lawyer and dedicated human rights activist, Tope Temokun, has publicly criticized President Bola Tinubu’s recent nationwide address directed at the #EndBadGovernance protesters as well as the broader Nigerian populace. Temokun’s remarks were made in a statement delivered from Akure, the capital of Ondo state, where he expressed his disappointment, asserting that the President fundamentally failed to address the deep-rooted pains and grievances being expressed by the protesters.
He emphasized that the President only dismissed the protests, referring to them as the efforts of a select few individuals driven by political motives, a characterization that he deemed exceedingly troubling and problematic. According to Temokun, the approach taken by the President is indicative of a significant disconnect from the reality faced by ordinary Nigerians who are crying out for relief from their suffering.
In his critique, Temokun pointed out that within the introduction of the broadcast, President Tinubu claimed to speak with a heavy heart; however, shortly thereafter, he contradicted this sentiment by asserting that his government would not remain passive while a handful of individuals with political intentions seek to divide the nation. Temokun lamented, “This statement is not just concerning; it’s profoundly disheartening. It starkly illustrates that the President has not yet grasped the harsh reality that his citizens are agonizingly struggling to cope with severe hunger under his administration.”
Temokun further expressed that such statements reflect a sense of malice, an alarming insensitivity, and a troubling lack of accountability towards the citizens who are suffering. He articulated that the broadcast serves as an indictment against the protesters, suggesting that their expressions of discontent were not genuine responses rooted in the experiences of reasonable youths truly suffering from hunger but rather the actions of a few individuals with ulterior political motives.
He noted, “The most dangerous liars are those who believe they are speaking the truth.” This sentiment filled him with profound sorrow as he realized that he is part of a nation where, when individuals rally together out of genuine hunger and frustration in search of solutions for their survival, their President might cavalierly dismiss their cries as merely the actions of a few with political agendas. This, he remarked, indicates a disconnection on the part of the President from the real suffering of the people.
Furthermore, the President urged the protesters to suspend their actions and open avenues for dialogue without adequately addressing the pain and struggles faced by ordinary citizens. Temokun criticized this by stating that the President failed to provide tangible relief by sharing crucial information with the citizens, such as what the price of bread will be the following day, the upcoming costs per liter of fuel at gas stations, or whether prices of essential items like yam will decrease in the market in the near future.
In his analysis of the President’s address, Temokun concluded that the economic assertions presented during the speech were nothing out of the ordinary; they amounted to the same old narratives that the government has been sharing for years. None of these statements offered the protesting youths any real assurance that their immediate suffering would be alleviated anytime soon.
Ultimately, the lawyer declared, “In sum, the speech represents a complete failure! It inadequately addressed the urgent concerns of the angry and starving youth of a nation that is desperately pleading for a chance to live.” This failure to connect with the very real challenges facing the population only serves to deepen the divide between the government and the people it is supposed to serve.
