A claim that the #EndBadGovernance protest billed for August 1 -10 has been circulating on social media, particularly on WhatsApp.
The claim stated that the protest has been shifted from August 1 to October 1, 2024 if the demands made by members of the Good Nigerian Movement was not met.
READ: How information disorder heightens tension, confuses public during crisis
Part of the WhatsApp post read:
PROTEST SHIFTED TO OCTOBER 1ST WITH THE FOLLOWING 7 CONDITIONS TO GOVERNMENT
We the Nigerian people under umbrella of GOOD NIGERIAN MOVEMENT hereby wish to announce our collective intention to halt any form of protest within Nigeria and shift it to next 2 months of 1st October if the following conditions are not met by our government.
1. That Nigeria Government Must temporally remove all import duties on food and food items due to the present hunger in the land. Government must provide incentives for farmers in this planting rainy season and secure our forests to protect farmers from terrorists and preserve their crops by storage during harvest.
2. That Federal Government having removed fuel subsidy over a year MUST strictly start now to making crude oil available to our local refineries in naira as promised on 29th July 2024 at the Federal Executive Council meeting Abuja. We cannot allow International Oil Companies IOC and NNPC or anyone to keep us in perpetual importation of refined Petroleum products at high price while we keep exporting our raw crude. Our local refineries must work now.
3. That Nigeria Government at all levels MUST remove all the fuel queue at all the filling stations across the country by making the petroleum products available at reasonable price. This will further positively affect price of food and commodities in our markets to be reduced.
4. That Nigeria Government at all levels MUST begin payment of the approved 70,000 Naira minimum wage to workers across Nigeria and making sure it is enforced. Even though the minimum wage has low purchasing power due to high inflation rate now but we look forward to a better economy soon.
5. That Nigeria Government at all levels MUST begin full implemented of the laudable pronouncement of Local Government Autonomy by Supreme Court to allow for development to all local areas.
6. That all FIRS taxes and Electricity Bills have to be restructured and made conducive for business growth, manufacturing and production of local goods to avoid killing our local manufacturers.
7. That We the Good Nigerians and our leaders should imbibe the culture of live , used and buy Made in Nigeria Products so as to encourage our naira to become stable and grow our economy.
NIGERIA WE HAIL THEE !
Signed:
GOOD NIGERIAN MOVEMENT – GONIM
Another press statement purportedly issued by the Omoyele Sowore-led ‘Take It Back Movement,’ another group backing the protest, which said the protest has been shifted to October 1 have also been circulating online.
The press statement read:
NOTICE OF POSTPONEMENT OF PLANNED PROTEST
Dear Nigerians,
Due to prevailing security threat conditions, we, the organisers of the #EndBadGovernance and hunger protest, can no longer guarantee the security of lives of Nigerians who will come out tomorrow.
In light of this, we have made the difficult decision to postpone the #EndBadGovernance Protest to October 1.
The safety of our citizens is paramount, and we cannot compromise on that.
We will continue to monitor the situation and work towa ds a peaceful and secure protest on the new date.
SIGNED
Damilare Adenola
Director of Mobilization
CLAIM
#EndBadGovernance protest has been shifted to October 1, 2024.
THE FINDINGS
Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE!
A keyword search on the keywords ‘Good Nigerian Movement’ to ascertain the authenticity of the press statement did not yield any result.
Also, the list of demands in the press statement that was circulating on WhatsApp did not tally with the ones made by most of the groups publicly backing the protest.
The ‘Take It Back Movement’ (TIB Movement) has also debunked the claim of postponing the protest via its X account, describing it as “Fake News”.
“DISREGARD! They have started with their propaganda and false narratives,” the X post by the TIB Movement read.
READ: Old video of Kano incident used to depict ‘hunger’ protest in Abuja
Media reports on Thursday (August 1) indicated that the #EndBadGovernance protest has begun in Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Borno, among other Nigerian states.
The ICIR is providing LIVE UPDATES from the scene of the protests across the country here.
THE VERDICT
The claim that the #EndBadGovernance protest has been shifted to October 1, 2024 is FALSE; credible media reports show that the protest has taken off in some Nigerian states.
Seasoned fact-checker and researcher Fatimah Quadri has written numerous fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy pieces for The FactCheckHub in an effort to combat information disorder. She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or [email protected].
