August 1: You are an enemy of the people if you kick against the planned protest – AWC

Nigerian workers under the All Workers Convergence (AWC) have told Nigerians to regard anyone resisting the planned protest against hunger as their enemy.

AWC said this in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze on Monday, July 22, regarding the country-wide protest that is slated to commence on August 1.

Some individuals and groups have been kicking against the planned protest, leading the AWC to reiterate that protesting against bad governance, hunger, and insecurity is a legitimate right of the people, and therefore, kicking against it would make you an enemy of the people.

According to the group, the protest became necessary because of the challenges Nigerians are going through, noting that the oncoming protest is a revolt against hunger and a rebellion against hardship.

“We have been calling for protest and we shall continue to call for protest until the system works for the public good. We are in full support of calls by Nigerians for massive protest in order to end hunger, hardship, and bad governance in Nigeria.

“In a situation like ours in Nigeria, protest becomes a collective duty. It is, however, antisocial not to participate in protest.

“Our people have lost hope in the system. All our able-bodied citizens are either leaving or planning to leave the country. Our people are being strangled daily by bad governance. Our government keeps telling us the same old story.

“While the mass majority of our people pass through hardship, our rulers and a very few are immersed in unimaginable wealth and wastage of national resources.

“We will not sit down and continue to see things get worse by the day. Our leaders have been making mockery of governance and certainly we cannot continue like this.

“Governance under Tinubu has brought untold hardship to our people. Everything is now upside down. It appears governance under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has collapsed.

“We the Nigerian workers support the call for national protest against hunger and bad governance. Protest everywhere is a fundamental human right. Protest everywhere is lawful. Protest is not a crime. Protest is a duty of all citizens. We shall protest, no going back. We salute the courage of our people as we all continue to mobilize for actions toward the D-day.

“This protest is a revolt against hunger and a rebellion against hardship. Our people are only trying to resist deprivation. This is a revolution towards the genuine transformation of Nigeria.

“Our people have suffered enough. Our people have made up their minds to arrest the situation. We are going ahead with the planned protest.

“Anybody against this call for protest is an enemy of the people. It is time to emancipate Nigeria from corruption, bad governance and exploitation. We call for synergy among all the organizers of this protest. We shall overcome. No retreat no surrender.”