End Bad Governance Protest a Wake-Up Call for Leadership, Says Governor Fintiri

From Umar Dankano, Yola

Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri has described the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protest as a “wake-up call” for those in positions of authority in Nigeria to take necessary actions.

During a statewide broadcast in Yola on Sunday, Governor Fintiri acknowledged the justifiable nature of the protest given the prevailing hunger and hardship in the country. He emphasized that the government must address these challenges urgently.

“Protest is a constitutional right of citizens and a wake-up call to the government. We thank you most sincerely for this call to duty. For those who came out to protest, I thank you for doing so within the bounds of the law; for those who did not come out and indeed those who are in the majority, I thank you so much for sending your message louder than those who came out. There is so much we can achieve in an atmosphere of peace than we can in that one of rancour and chaos,” Fintiri stated.

Governor Fintiri commended the peaceful conduct of the protesters, despite some reported instances of violence and looting. He emphasized that leaders must not only listen but act on citizens’ concerns.

“The lesson we must derive from the protest is the constant reminder that it is not enough to tell the citizens, ‘We have heard,’ we must be seen as doing the needful in providing solutions to citizens’ concerns,” he added.

Fintiri assured that the state government is taking measures to address the hardships faced by the people. He highlighted efforts such as the deployment of 10 luxurious buses for intra and intercity mass transit, which will be scaled up with the addition of 30 more buses. The state is also focused on addressing transport challenges for students.

Regarding agriculture, Fintiri mentioned the establishment of a food security committee to drive a youth-to-farm campaign. The state has received and procured substantial quantities of fertilizers, rice seeds, herbicides, and other inputs, which will be sold at subsidized rates to farmers.

“We must not pretend that everything is right. We must also be able to tell you honestly what is within our carrying capacity as a subnational government. Some of the demands of the protesters, as genuine as they are, are macroeconomic policy issues that can best be addressed by the national government. This is the reality of our federal structure and constitution. We shall work with you to make sure that the demands are attended to. The president is a listening president, and I believe he can equally hear us loud and clear,” Fintiri concluded.