A human rights activist and lawyer from Ondo State, Tope Temokun, has expressed disappointment with President Bola Tinubu’s nationwide broadcast, stating that it failed to address the suffering and hardship faced by Nigerians.
Temokun described the speech as insensitive and lacking measures to alleviate the economic struggles of citizens.
He criticized Tinubu for attributing the protests to political agendas, rather than acknowledging the genuine pain and frustration of Nigerians, according to Daily Post.
The lawyer emphasized that the speech did not offer concrete solutions or assurances to address the economic challenges, such as food and fuel prices, leaving the protesting youths without hope for relief.
Temokun concluded that the speech was a failure, failing to speak directly to the pain and concerns of Nigerians.
He said, “In the introductory to the August 4 early morning broadcast today, President Tinubu took off by saying he speaks with a heavy heart, but shortly after that line, the president said that his government would not sit by idly and allow a few with a clear political agenda to tear the nation apart. This statement is too sad.
“It shows the president has not come to terms with the fact that his citizens are struggling to survive excruciating hunger under his government.
“This aspect smacks of malice, insensitivity, and a sense of no responsibility to the citizens. In fact, the broadcast is an indictment on the protesters that the protest wasn’t a genuine response of reasonable youths who are truly hungry but just a handiwork of a few with a political agenda. The most dangerous liars are those who think they are telling the truth.
“This makes me weep that I belong to a nation in which, when people come out in hunger and frustration to cry for solutions for survival, their president would merely and briskly tag their cries as just the handiwork of a few with a political agenda. It shows the president didn’t feel our pain.
“The president said further that he hereby enjoined the protesters to suspend their strike and create room for dialogue without speaking directly to our pain and palliate the citizens by telling us as citizens what will be the price of bread from tomorrow, what the fuel stations will sell per litre of fuel tomorrow, and whether the price of yam will go down or not in the market going forward.
“All of the economic postulations he piled up in that speech are nothing new; they are routine government old stories, and there is no assurance to the protesting youths that their pain will be alleviated as soon as possible.
“In all, the speech is a failure! It did not talk to the angry and hungry youths of a nation crying to live.”
