FCT Youths Disengage from Ongoing Nationwide Protests
With that notion and the escalating tension within Nigeria, youths from the Federal Capital Territory have decided to pull out from the ongoing nationwide protests. They agreed with this due to the increased risk of violence, besides which, there was no concerted agenda brought forth by the protest organizers.
“Our community’s safety and well-being is our number one priority,” said one of the youth leaders, Ibrahim Yusuf. “We know it’s our right to protest peacefully, but this situation is just too heated at the moment. Violence might spark that really shouldn’t.
The protests have seen very intense participation from across the country and are addressing an array of issues, including accountability by the government and the state of the economy. However, it is this difference in objectives that has caused some disarray.
And, as Sarah Johnson, another leader in youth activism from the FCT, said: “We need to have a unified goal and approach. Without this, our efforts could be in vain or, worse, lead to unintended consequences.“
The decision has, however, sparked mixed reactions. Some protesters feel betrayed and argue that unity is very important in making the change they desire. Others, on the other hand, truly understand the safety concerns and agree that a more organized approach is necessary.
The FCT youths’ action is coming at a time when nationwide protests are becoming huge and underlines some of the complexities and difficulties with organizing mass actions. It also raises questions on how effective such movements can be if not with clear and unified direction.
This event, given recent occurrences, has sparked new demands for dialogue and more structured planning. The belief of many is that for any given protest to actually work it would have to be not just simply peaceful but strategic enough to prevent disorganization and possible violence.