24 Northern groups withdraw from planned protest, present 6 demands to FG

From Mustapha Sdamu, Kano

No fewer than 24 groups from North, under the auspices of Arewa Citizens’ Action For Good Leadership (ACAGL), Kano State chapter have announced withdrawal from the planned nationwide protest, citing concerns for peace and stability in the region.
At a press conference in Kano on Monday, Comrade Saeed Sulaiman Umar, the ACAGL’s spokesman, emphasized the need for constructive engagement with the government to address pressing issues such as insecurity, hunger, and starvation.
According to him, it is evident that economic woes and general hardship had taken tolls in Nigeria today, as many hardworking people can no longer deliver on their basic responsibilities to their families.
Thus, according to him, the group actively participated in mobilizing people to partake in the forthcoming nationwide protest, considering the prevailing conditions of insecurity, hunger, and starvation in the country.
“However, after careful consideration and a thorough assessment of the potential risks, vulnerabilities and consequences of participating in the protest, we have decided to withdraw from the planned Nationwide Protest.
“This decision is borne out of the desire to prioritize the peace and stability of our dear Kano state and the northern region. We have witnessed the devastating effects of protests in some countries, where initially peaceful demonstrations escalated into violent conflicts, resulting in loss of lives, destruction of property, and long-term instability.
ACAGL therefore called on all Nigerians “to challenge government policies, actions and decisions that affect them in a constructive manner as it is part of their civic engagement but should desist from actions capable of destroying the relative peace we are enjoying.”
“ACAGL aligns itself with calls for caution and restraint, prioritizing peace and stability in Kano, the North, and Nigeria,” he said.
The group however demanded that the Federal Government should provide innovative solutions to end hardship, revive refineries and reversing petrol price, electricity tariffs and suspend increments.
Other demands of the groups include reducing cost of governance and salaries of political office holders and restraining from foreign loans as well as tackle insecurity.