Sowore Snubs Bishop Kukah Centre’s National Peace Committee Invitation To Town Hall Meeting On #EndBadGovernance, Gives Reasons
Omoyele Sowore, a human rights activist and convener of the #RevolutionNow movement, has declined an invitation from the National Peace Committee (NPC) of Bishop Kukah Centre to participate in a town hall meeting.
The meeting aimed to address the concerns of #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protesters.
The NPC is a non-governmental initiative conceptualized in 2014 in response to emerging threats occasioned by the 2015 general elections.
According to its website, it is an “initiative made up of eminent elder statesmen who undertake efforts to support free, fair and credible elections as well as intervene in critical issues of national concern through high-level mediated and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms”.
Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah is the Convener of the NPC while General Abdusalami Abubakar (retd.) is the Chairman.
The Centre had in an invitation letter dated September 22, 2024, and signed by its Chairman, Abubakar, invited Sowore to a 1-Day Town Hall Meeting in Abuja on Thursday, September 26, to participate in an interactive session to discuss the issues highlighted during the August 1-10 nationwide #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests.
According to the invitation, the town hall meeting will hold a few days to October 1, which has been scheduled for the commencement of the second phase of the nationwide protests against hunger, hardship and bad governance under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, captioned #FearlessInOctober.
With several protesters still held in various detention and prison facilities across the country, the NPC claimed, just like the Nigerian government, that some of the protesters were calling for a return to military rule.
The letter reads, “The nationwide “End Bad Governance” protests from the 1st to 10th of August 2024 reinforced the clamour of Nigerians for a credible electoral process that facilitates the emergence of leaders of integrity with the vision and the determination to resolve the Nation’s lingering socio-economic and political problems.
“Most worrying is the fact that some of the protesters were calling for a return to military rule. This signifies a failure of our democratic institutions to provide the dividends they promised since 1999.
“The current realities of violent conflicts and the increased economic hardship have exacerbated food insecurity and hunger across the land.
“This is made worse by the fact that most Nigerians are largely within the informal sector of the economy with a substantial population that lacks the technical skills and knowledge to participate in a modern economy.
“The protesters made a 10-point demand on the government: end hunger; address the cost of living; curb insecurity; reduce the cost of governance; obey Ecowas judgment on #endsars; provide security for farmers; declare a state of emergency on education; implement Justice Uwais Report on Electoral Reform; establish a living wage and amend the constitution to allow for referendums.
“With the Committee’s mandate to focus on national mediation, intervening in matters that impact on the peace and stability of Nigeria, we believe it is critical to engage with a spectrum of stakeholders, to explore the pathways for sustainable solutions. It is in this context that the Committee is organising a 1-Day Town Hall Meeting.
“Consequently, I am pleased to invite you to participate in this interactive session, which will provide a platform for frank and impactful discussions on the issues highlighted during the protests.
“The NPC is committed to collating the concerns and recommendations, in order to engage with the government.”
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CHowever, Sowore disclosed that he turned down the invitation due to significant concerns.
Sowore’s primary reasons for rejecting the invitation include the committee’s inaccurate claim that there are only 10 demands from the protesters, when in fact, their demands have escalated from 15 to 17.
Additionally, Sowore pointed out that the ‘Peace Committee’ mainly invited political parties, most of which didn’t participate in the #EndBadGovernance protests, rendering their representation insignificant.
In a post on his X account on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, Sowore wrote, “Last night, I received an invitation from the @KukahCentre indicating that the National Peace Committee intends to convene a town hall meeting in Abuja to address the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protesters’ grievances.
“However, two key issues arise: firstly, the committee inaccurately stated that there are 10 demands, whereas our actual demands have increased from 15 to 17.
“Secondly, the ‘Peace Committee’ primarily extends invitations to political parties, most of which did not participate in the protests, rendering their representation inconsequential.
“Moreover, the Tinubu @officialABAT regime constitutes the main impediment to peace in Nigeria, a case in point is its recent conduct in Edo state #EdoDecides2024, therefore no meaningful mediation can occur while innocent protesters remain incarcerated and our demands including the fundamental overhaul of our electoral systems remain unaddressed amongst others.”
Last night, I received an invitation from the @KukahCentre indicating that the National Peace Committee intends to convene a town hall meeting in Abuja to address the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protesters’ grievances.
However, two key issues arise: firstly, the committee… pic.twitter.com/5I9JUcRAcb
— Omoyele Sowore (@YeleSowore) September 25, 2024
