Hunger Protest: South East farmers write President Tinubu
By Athan Agbakwuru, Owerri
Against the backdrop of the just concluded nationwide #Endbadgovernance Protest, farmers in the South East geopolitical zone have sent an open letter to President Bola Tinubu urging him to harken and attend to the grievances of the protesters and Nigerians at large.
The group under the aegis of Indigent Farmers Association of South East, IFAS, in the letter signed by the Executive Chairman, High Chief Levi Vincent,
urged the president not to be discouraged by the national protest but see it as ‘a blessing in disguise and an Act of God,’ to help him feel the pulse of the citizens.
Chief Vincent noted with delight that the protest will surely redefine the nation’s democratic ideals and strengthen the structure for good governance adding “It’s good to see Nigerians display high sense of maturity in expressing their grievances over the poor state of our economy that found evidence in hyper inflation, poverty, diseases and excruciating hunger.”
The Executive Chairman told Mr. President, that this is not time to trade blames insisting that, if anyone is to be blamed, it is the citizens for not demanding leadership accountability in all ramifications over time.
According to him, the protest provided the golden opportunity for the government to understand the ugly situation and redirect its steps by consciously addressing the maladies dragging the nation backwards.
His words, “Nigerians are looking for a country that works for everyone irrespective of tribe or tongue.
I sincerely hope you can seize this historic moment to reshape leadership in Nigeria. This is a duty trust you cannot afford to loose.
“Your administration needs everyone of the protesters. Their fears and grievances are real and founded. Mr. President, this protest above every other thing will serve as eye opener for you to know that most of the highly commendable socio economic interventions your administration embarked upon since inception hardly get to the grassroots.
“For example, in the area of agriculture, the real farmers in the South East that I represent, don’t have access to ordinary fertilizer, as against tractors, harvesters, improved seedlings etc etc. This total neglect of agriculture has created very huge economic gap resulting into social security problems ranging from laziness to violent criminal activities.
“Your Excellency, must take advantage of this protest to re-visit most of these anomalies hindering our nation’s growth and prosperity. You must begin to align with registered grassroot based associations for genuine rural development.
In view of recent threats of a fresh protest on 1st October, Nigeria’s Independence Day, the group appealed for restraint and recourse to dialogue emphasizing that “We cannot get solution to our problems on the streets.”
