The arrest of Juwon Sanyaolu, National Coordinator of the Take It Back (TIB) movement will not stop the #WeAreHungry nationwide protest from taking place today, June 12. This clear message was sent to the regime and its repressive state apparatus in a joint statement issued Speaker Bright (TIB North West Coordinator, Kunle Ajayi (National Chairperson, Socialist Workers League, SWL), Ayoyinka Oni (Lagos Chapter Chairperson, African Action Congress, AAC), Peluola Adewale (Nat’l Mobilisation Officer, Joint Action Front, JAF), Hassan Taiwo Soweto (Nat’l Coordinator, Education Rights Coordinator, ERC).
Comrade Juwon was arrested at about 10:00pm on Tuesday, June 11 and has been taken to an unknown destination. TIB, AAC, SWL, JAF, and ERC and several other organisations including the Federation of Informal Workers Organisations of Nigeria (FIWON), People’s Redemption Party-Vanguard (PRP-Akida) and Committee for the Defense of Human Rights (CDHR) have expressed the mass anger at the agonising level of hardship and hunger in Nigeria. The past one year of the evil reign of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has brought untold suffering to poor working people and youth, while a handful of super-rich people have gotten richer.
Women in Suleja, Niger state launched what turned out to be a wave of protests against the burdensome hardship and the spate of insecurity in February. These swept across several states between February and March. The Nigeria Labour Congress also joined this wave, organising a nationwide protest at the time.
But things have gotten worse over the last three months. In fact, the living conditions of working-class people have continually gotten worse over the last year. The Tinubu government has pushed liberalisation of the economy forward with a vengeance, to the delight of investors. We need sustained struggle to win. We will not be deterred by the repressive antics of the degenerate state. Our demands, as stated in the joint statement, are unambigousr: “hardship must end, gruesome hunger must end, insecurity claiming lives of thousands must end, hike in fees must stop, fuel hike must end.”
Take a stand on the right side of history! The history of the “June 12” now celebrated as “Democracy Day” is not simply one of an election that was annulled. It is the history of a popular struggle against a repressive regime. We dared to struggle and dared to win.
Join the protests in your state this morning. A people united and determined cannot be defeated. See take off points and time below:
1. Lagos: Ikeja, Underbridge Time: 7AM
2. Osun State: Freedom Park. Osogbo Time: 8 a.m
3. Oyo State: Ibadan: Mokola Roundabout, Underbridge
4. Ondo State: Post office, Akure. Time: 8 am
5. Edo State: Museum ground, Ring Road, Benin City. Time: 8 AM
6. Rivers State: Pleasure Park, Portharcourt Time: 8;30 AM
7. Delta 1: Effurun, Roundabout, Warri Time:
8 AM 8. Delta 2: Ughelli, Otovwodo junction. Time: 8 AM
9. Kano: Zoo Road opposite Zoo Garden, Kano City Time: 9 am
10: Federal Capital City Abuja; Unity Fountain, Abuja Time: 8 am
11. Kaduna: FIWON office, Access Bank, Kaduna City
12. Jigawa: CONVERGENCE POINT: Bakin Titin Kwarin Awaja, Birninkudu, Jigawa State. Time: 8 am
13: Adamawa: 22, Ribadu Square, Jimeta-Yola Time: 8:30 am
14. Gombe State: Rainbow Roundabout, Gombe Township Time: 7:30 AM
15. Bauchi State: Opposite School of Agriculture, Yelwa, along Tafawa Balewa Road, Bauch Township Time: 8:30 AM
16: YobeState: Network of Yobe State Civil Society Organizations Head office, Damaturu Time: 8;30AM
17. Niger State:Gidan Matasa Bosso Locost Bosso, Minna. Time: 8:30 AM
18: Kwara State: The front of Ilorin Stadium Time: 7:30 AM
by Segun OGUN
