July 16, (THEWILL) – The National Harmonised Traders Union has directed its members not to participate in the planned nationwide protests against the prevailing economic hardship in the country.
Some groups had issued a notice to Nigerians, urging them to prepare for a nationwide mass action to protest against the government’s alleged insensitivity to the plight of the people in its handling of the prevailing insecurity, poverty and hunger, among other problems bedevilling the nation.
“We have directed traders nationwide not to participate in the planned protests against the Government, organised by some faceless groups,” the President of the union, Dr. Bature AbdulAziz, said in a statement issued to newsmen in Kano, on Tuesday.
Dr. AbdulAziz said members of the union had also been told to prevent their children and relatives from joining the protests, which he said might lead to chaos in the country.
“Protests or mass actions in this country usually bring suffering to the people, including our members, because they result in killings and looting of properties. The EndSars protests are still fresh in our minds,” he said.
He said many members of the union were killed, their goods looted and their stores burnt to ashes during the #EndSars protests.
“We are not against peaceful protests, but in Nigeria, we don’t see any peaceful protests. Anytime people, who are mostly youths and in most cases jobless, take to the streets, the outcome is always devastating,” he added.
The President gave an example of Yugoslavia, which he said witnessed protests for a long time but ended up balkanised.
“We share the pains and agony of Nigerians in the present economically devastating conditions they find themselves or we find ourselves, but allowing the government to gradually fix the situation is better than creating yet another problem that will drag the country 100 years backwards.
“Government should come up with assured means of salvaging the situation so that Nigerians will see clearly that there are efforts to address the situation. This will pacify them to shelve their planned mass protests,” he said.
Abdullahi Yusuf is a seasoned journalist, communicator and was previously the Deputy Editor-In-Chief and Zonal Manager, News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Jos, where he retired on December 15, 2021
