Comrade Benjamin Atu, the National Coordinator of the Nigeria Association For Public Opinion Research (NAFPOR), has warned against the consequences of unexpressed anger and suppressed depression, advising President Bola Tinubu and others to declare August 1st as an annual National Youth Dialogue Day to address pressing national issues directly with youth in order to de-escalate widespread national protests.
“As a leading organization in conflict management over the last decade, NAFPOR discloses that National Dialogues are an official negotiation forum and a critical tool for the prevention of violent conflict and the management of youth crises as a response to overarching national issues. Since Nigerians are desirous of expressing themselves, rather than attempting to mute them, the federal government should own the protest and create the enabling platform for them to express themselves. Like the force of water, the planned protest cannot be stopped but can be streamlined constructively for the betterment of Nigeria and the safety of the youths.
In a press statement issued today, Saturday, July 27th, 2024, NAFPOR stated that as a Public Opinion Research Organisation, they have conducted nationwide consultations and engaged Nigerian Youths across the country, and their findings have revealed that the President needs to speak with Nigerian youths and answer their questions in a one-on-one national dialogue to mitigate the impact of protests the same August 1st. The interactive session should be streamed across all online platforms to engage youths on that day and also allow them to ask questions no matter how the questions may sound.
The research institution maintained that, instead of continuing to promote National Protest Day in the media, they propose that the federal government renames August 1st as National Dialogue Day for Nigerian Youths. The President should make free vehicles available nationwide to transport all Northern youths to Kaduna State Stadium, while youths from the South-South, South West, and South East should all congregate at the newly named Wole Soyinka National Stadium in Lagos. The mere fact that the federal government provides free movement to and fro will naturally calm nerves and shift sponsorship from outside forces to a federal government-owned and led protest. The federal government can then lobby the tone of the protest rather than resorting to force, which may backfire.
Benjamin Atu, former Chief Press Secretary to Dr. Ngozi Olejeme, former Chairman of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), stated that NAFPOR is prepared to voluntarily spearhead a successful National Youth Dialogue Day on August 1st to turn youth attention away from the protest by providing a better meaning to the nationwide protest rather than succumbing to the antics of a few.
“National Dialogues are nationally owned political processes that aim to generate consensus among a wide range of national stakeholders during times of deep political crisis as a viable way to bridge internal schisms and rebuild relationships between groups. Tunisia, where the Arab revolutions began, is an example of a successful nationwide protest that evolved into National Dialogue,” they explained.”
The Statement urged the federal government to identify civil society organizations that will act as mediators, as Nigerian youths do not want to hear from the political class other than the President and Vice President directly. Members of the Federal Executive Council who are threatening youths with unguarded utterances and chanting war songs, as the FCT Minister is doing, should refrain from doing so, as a dog destined to die does not listen to the Master’s whistle, they said.