President of Committee for the Defense of Human Rights, Comrade Prince Kehinde Taiga, has said that Nigeria ethnic groups that went on air to announce their pulling out from the August 1 nationwide protest betrayals and aiding corrupt government officials to destroy the country.
He identified the President Bola Tinubu’s kinsmen (The Yoruba), the Hausas, the Urhobos and the Ohanaeze leaders who recently announced their pulling out from the proposed national protest against hunger and bad governance.
Taiga, in an interview with Emerald News, told the news medium that the tribes that pulled out are supporters of bad governance and betrayals of justice. He said despite they must have been comprised by the federal government mercenaries, it would have been honourable for them to have kept mute than voicing their unwillingness to join the protest.
The human rights activist said those who are supporting bad governance in and betraying justice will have their pain in the future.
He also fumed over the decision of the Nigeria Labour Congress to pull out of the protest, saying the compromising nature of NLC is why it could not achieve anything worthwhile in their fight for the national minimum wage.
He added that irrespective of the decision of NLC and tribal groups to pull out of the protest and the threat from the federal government, the protest would hold.
He noted that the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria made provision for protest and that protesters should be protected by security agencies.
“It is the duty of the police to protect protesters. Any chaos that emanates from protest is a fault of the security agencies. It is their duty to protect protesters and ensure that protest does not turn violent.
“The inability of the police to protect protesters is what leads peaceful protest degenerating into violence and chaos. If all security agencies, army, police, civil defense, carry out their duties well, nobody will vandalise government property.
“Ethnic groups pulling out must have been paid. They are conspiring with government to destroy the country. We sre fighting for the voiceless, the defenseless and the general masses who cannot speak for themselves.”