‘How Tinubu Can Avert #FearlessInOctober Protests,’ Political Scientist Fagbemi Offers Solutions For Nigerian President
To stabilise the Nigerian state, Fagbemi advocates for policy changes and presidential directives to address the energy crisis and restore citizens’ trust.
Dr. Ayokunle Fagbemi, an Abuja-based political scientist and peacebuilding expert, has called on President Bola Tinubu to take proactive measures to prevent the impending #EndBadGovernance 2.0 protests, dubbed “FearlessInOctober,” slated to begin on October 1, 2024.
To stabilise the Nigerian state, Fagbemi advocates for policy changes and presidential directives to address the energy crisis and restore citizens’ trust.
Specifically, Fagbemi recommends that Tinubu’s administration should free all protesters currently held in detention across Nigeria; relocate Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB leader from DSS detention to a secure, halfway-house apartment and invoke Section 175 of the Constitution, granting prerogative of mercy and clemency, as per the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.
Fagbemi, who is the Executive Director of Center for Peacebuilding and Socio-Economic Resources Development (CePSERD), made these recommendations during his keynote address at the National Association of Seadogs’ Citizens’ Forum on energy crisis, held at Abuja on Saturday, according to a statement issued on Sunday.
He urged President Tinubu to make the necessary adjustments to his speech for Nigeria’s 64thIndependence Anniversary to avert the widely proposed and anticipated “Fearless in October Protest” scheduled to commence on October 1, 2024.
He pleaded that the President to “activate measures that can restore the responsiveness integrity of his administration as required precursor to renewed citizens trust, confidence, and understanding that citizens are only actively engaged in participatory governance with regards to the prevalent energy crisis”.
He emphasised that these actions would demonstrate President Tinubu’s commitment to participatory governance and addressing the energy crisis.
Making copious references to extant legal and policy frameworks, Fagbemi noted that “if functional and properly activated by the concerned agencies of government and incumbent public officials, the (August) #EndBadGovernance protests should not have occurred.”
According to the statement, he “identified and reviewed the mandates of ten of such agencies that their shortfalls in performance that negatively led to the protest because of what he called incoherent Nigerian-state governance feedback information (data gathering, analyses, and) management system for preventive responses delivery.”
He said, “Issue Presidential Directive to the Attorney General of the Federation/Minister of Justice to enter “Nolle prosequi” in respect of the already charged protesters; and facilitate the release of all protesters currently in detention nationwide using the #EndSARs and #EndBadGovernance as case studies.
“Issue a Presidential Directive to the Director-General (SSS) to move Citizen Nnamdi Kanu to a “protected halfway-house safe haven apartment” under concurrent oversighting of the Nigeria Correctional Service, and with improved visitation rights of unfettered access by his legal and medical teams pending the resolution of legal bottlenecks to achieve his release and probable acquittal by the judiciary.”
As a panacea, he therefore enjoined Mr. President to issue a Presidential Executive Order for activating an efficient Framework on Public Institutions Performance and Citizens Reaction Feedback Monitoring for Proactive Responses to harness the activities of all agencies of government as provided for by relevant legal and policy frameworks such as in that of the National Monitoring and Evaluation Policy (2022), SERVICOM, PCC, CSI, ReportGov.Ng, NOA, FCCPC, NERC, etc.
He observed that for effectiveness and efficiency, it may require appointing a Senior Special Assistant/Coordinator (Feedback Information and Intelligence Analyses for Proactive Response) and strengthening the Office of the Special Adviser on Performance Monitoring and reinforced direct oversight by the Chief of Staff to the President and Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
Fagbemi urged the National Assembly, led by Senator Godswill Akpabio and Tajudeen Abbas, to focus on their constitutional oversight role and avoid another probe into Nigeria’s energy crisis.
He noted that another probe would be counterproductive, saying it would create unnecessary drama without achieving meaningful results.
“That any NASS probe shall constitute a distraction, become counterproductive, and shall only create sensations that are merely harmonic vibrations that cannot achieve much,” he said.
Instead, Fagbemi suggested that the Senate President should request notarised data and reports from stakeholders in the energy sector.
This information would be reviewed by a research study group to provide independent verification, validation, and legislative briefing notes for proactive interventions, he says
This approach would help the National Assembly overcome sensationalism and address citizens’ concerns about its integrity and trust deficit. By engaging stakeholders directly, the Assembly can receive expert reports, facilitate an enabling environment for efficiency in the sector, and optimize energy production.
He emphasized “that the proposed approach should help NASS receive expert reports from stakeholders that can easily correlate with the outcomes of our earlier proposed disruptive research from the executive branch convened by PBAT and help NASS insulate the legislature from brickbats while concentrating on how to ensure that they facilitate the enabling environment for efficiency in the sector.”
Fagbemi also called on Civil Society and the Organised Private Sector, particularly the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and electricity distribution companies (DISCOs), to articulate citizens’ demands and participate transparently in implementing proposed recommendations.
