KANO, Nigeria — Bature AbdulAziz, President of the National Harmonized Traders Union, has called on traders and marketers across the nation to abstain from participating in the planned August protests against President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The protests are in response to the government’s economic policies, which critics say have led to widespread suffering.
In a press release issued to journalists in Kano, Dr AbdulAziz urged his union members to prevent their children and relatives from joining the protests, warning that such actions could potentially lead to the disintegration of Nigeria.
“Apart from creating a serious crisis, it might lead to further economic woes in Nigeria,” he said.
AbdulAziz referenced the consequences of the #EndSARS protests as a cautionary tale, noting the significant losses incurred by traders during that period.
“Many traders were killed, their goods looted, and their stores burnt to ashes,” he recounted.
While emphasizing that the union is not against peaceful protests, Dr AbdulAziz expressed skepticism about the likelihood of maintaining peace.
“In Nigeria, we don’t see any peaceful protests; any time people, mostly youths and in most cases, jobless youths, take to the streets, outcomes are always devastating,” he explained.
He drew parallels to historical protests in other countries, such as Yugoslavia, which he claimed led to division and greater destitution for their citizens.
“Allowing the government to gradually fix the situation is better than creating yet another problem that will drive the country 100 years backwards,” Dr. AbdulAziz stated.
Dr. AbdulAziz called on the government to take swift action to alleviate the economic hardships faced by Nigerians.
He acknowledged the distribution of 20 trucks of rice to each state as a commendable effort but urged for more significant interventions to reduce pain, hunger, and hyperinflation.
As the President of both the National Harmonized Traders Union and the Patriotic Elders for Peace and Unity, Dr AbdulAziz appealed to parents to discourage their children from joining the protests.
“In these planned protests, one can see the hands of the enemies of Nigeria who have been angling to make the country ungovernable,” he advised. “This should not be supported by any sensible person, and parents have a greater role to play by stopping their wards from joining the protests.”
The union president reiterated the need for the government to provide clear and effective solutions to the economic crisis to pacify the populace and avert the planned mass protests.
