Last Updated on 1 August 2024 by Naijadazz

Anambra Traders Shun Nationwide Protest, Demand Kanu’s Release and Economic Reforms

All markets, stores, and artisan shops in Nnewi, the industrial town, and Onitsha, the commercial city of Anambra State, opened for business as traders and youths shunned the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protest that started today.

As early as 6:30 am, commercial buses and tricycles were already noticeable on the roads and streets of Nnewi and Onitsha, transporting traders and artisans to their respective markets, stores, and shops.

Ndigbo have repeatedly expressed their opposition to the planned protests or the ten days of rage that started today. One vocal Igbo group, the United Igbo Elders Council (UNIEC) Worldwide, made their opposition clear in a statement issued Thursday morning. According to the statement, their stance is “based essentially on the differential attitude to human rights that the organizers have shown towards the Igbo/East in particular, and other Nigerians as well.”

The statement, signed by UNIEC’s Director of Media and Publicity, Prof. Obasi Igwe, and its Coordinator General, His Lordship Alpha Justice, criticized the silence of some organizers regarding targeted injustices against the Igbo/East, including orchestrated killings and official involvement or connivance.

UNIEC further noted that the Igbo are already being threatened, attacked, and molested in Lagos, with no word of condemnation from those said to be fighting against bad governance. Despite these challenges, the Igbo population understands the Nigerian situation well and knows what can be done to address it, starting with ending the unparalleled oppression of Easterners.

UNIEC’s statement, titled “Rage or Protest in Nigeria: Position of the United Igbo Elders Council, UNIEC, Worldwide,” outlined a ten-point demand on Mr. President to stabilize Nigeria instead of supporting the protest. Some of the key demands include:

• Economic Blockades Removal: Dismantling the constraints on eastern seaports to facilitate trade and development.
• Addressing Insecurity: Implementing measures to improve safety and security in the East amid rising violence and unrest.
• Ending Discriminatory Practices: Urging the government to halt actions detrimental to Igbo-owned businesses, particularly in Lagos and Abuja.
• Removing Fulani Herders: Expelling armed groups that threaten farmers and communities in the Eastern and Middle Belt regions.
• Reducing Fuel Prices: Returning to lower fuel prices to alleviate economic hardship for poor Nigerians.
• Students’ Loan Scheme Rejection: Restoring government bursaries and scholarships, drastically reducing school fees, and returning to effective free education at all levels.
• Nation-Building Focus: Urging the federal government to focus on nation-building for equal benefit to all and ignoring those driving ethnic glorification and triumphalism.
• Political Prisoners Release: Demanding the unconditional release and rehabilitation of Mazi Nnamdi Okwu Kanu and his colleagues, and addressing extrajudicial executions.
• Immediate Restructuring: Demanding the restructuring of the country to liberate ethnic nationalities, reduce governance costs, and establish new development poles.
• Justice for All: Advocating for justice for all, not selective or ad hoc justice.

These demands reflect a preference for targeted policy changes over street protests, demonstrating a nuanced understanding of Nigeria’s socio-political landscape and the specific challenges faced by the Igbo community. The limited participation in Anambra State underscores a focus on regional grievances and alternative methods of engagement with the government, illustrating the complexity of organizing nationwide protests in a diverse country like Nigeria.

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