By Joel Aluko
There has been palpable tension in major states in the country including the FCT, Abuja since the early hours of Thursday due to the protest which many didn’t anticipate to turn out violently.
The date of the protest had been set some weeks ago and sincerely, the government tried to ensure that the protest didn’t hold by suddenly creating job opportunities, reducing the price of rice, sharing of funds, making some policies that appeared people friendly but as it stands, the purpose of all those last minute interventions has been defeated; the protest has made significant negative impact already.
In states like Kano, protesters secured their way into the government house, they looted the newly built NCC complex, stole food items from stores across the state, destroyed government properties, vandalized social amenities, burnt buildings to ashes, and many more.
In Abuja, despite the warnings of the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike that protest won’t be allowed, the massive crowd that is currently in FCT protesting, destroying properties, is beyond the imagination of many. There has never been such a kind of protest in Abuja in the last 15years.
In Niger State, about six protesters were reportedly killed while Kaduna saw the death of one protester. So far, about four states have declared a 24-hour curfew in order to curb the violence that may still erupt as a result of the protest. In short, there is already a breakdown of law and order nationwide.
In the midst of all these unfortunate happenings, all that I can remember is Primate Elijah Ayodele of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church warned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Not once, not twice did he warn the president out of his ‘church mind’, he warned him about four different times to prepare for a massive protest that may be bigger than ‘ENDSARS’ if he doesn’t take care of hardship that is ravaging the country.
Starting from Saturday, 6th of July 2024 when he launched the 30th edition of his annual prophecy book titled Warnings To The Nations, Primate Ayodele while answering interview questions made it known that there will be a massive protest that will be described as the ‘Mother of all protests’ except the government takes urgent steps to avert it.
He specifically mentioned that the protest would be about hunger and anger in the country and that if the President wants to avert it, he needs to solve the highlighted problems. Incidentally, notice of the protest started gathering momentum the following week after the prophet made the statement.
These were his words: “I see a major protest worse than EndSARS protest before 2027. Except the government of the day is ready and will be willing to do the needful to ameliorate the hardship in the land. As a matter of fact, the government must take urgent steps to address the hunger and the anger in the land before September ending. If the government wants to avert the mother of all protests, they must do the right thing in addressing hunger and joblessness in the country.”
In May 2024, Primate Ayodele, as usual, called on President Tinubu to solve economic problems or allow himself to face a protest bigger than ENDSARS. The warnings in May were spectacular because the prophet mentioned that the protest is likely to happen between August and September 2024. He called on the President to ensure that he solves the economic and hunger crisis in order to prevent such protests.
These were his words; “President Tinubu, don’t allow another massive protest to come up, let there be food on the table of Nigerians. Do something about this inflation so that we can avoid inflation. I see another massive protest that will affect every quarter. If there is no improvement by August-September, it will be terrible.’’
It’s quite unfortunate that people in power don’t respect and listen to divine instructions because if they do, Nigeria would not be experiencing another massive protest in 2024. The prophet had said what was going to happen, he even gave a timeline, this was in May; about four months ago but nothing was done till the last minute when all plans to protest had been made already.
Meanwhile, before the 2023 presidential election, Primate Ayodele mentioned that anyone that wins among the three top candidates will experience massive protest. He however advised that whoever wins must ensure that everyone is carried along and also exercise patience in decision making in order to avoid this massive protest he has been warning about.
These were his words: “I foresee a massive protest either ATIKU, TINUBU, OBI or KWANKWASO is in the saddle. Anyone of them MUST PRAY AGAINST any major massive protest that is a mother of END SARS. When and time I don’t know but before the end of the new era because it is not going to be immediate change either any of the three wins but one would be better than the other. But Nigeria will not want to be patient. That is the reason why the incoming government must exercise patience and make the people understand.”
In relation to this prophecy which was foretold before the election, it would be recalled that President Tinubu started his administration with a policy that set a foundation for hardship. The effect of his declaration is still very much significant in the problems that led to this protest. Apparently, he ignored the warnings of Primate Ayodele that the next president should be patient and make people understand.
Furthermore, while the federal government started panic moves to bring an end to the plans to protest, Primate Ayodele issued a statement that there is nothing the government can do to stop the protest because Nigerians are angry already.
“People are very bitter and they have hatred towards this government. Some states will participate and some will not but definitely there will be protests. The government needs all it needs to do; crash the price of food, electricity, petroleum, find solutions to insecurity, regulate prices and others to mitigate the effect of the protest.’’
“People are in serious hardship but the government doesn’t understand, they need to do something fast because it will be more than an ordinary protest. Nigeria doesn’t need this protest now because there is ‘protest inside protest’ due to pains, hardship, and hunger.’’
He stated that the government has not done anything to show seriousness in solving hunger issues, therefore, the protest will stand.
“The government is affecting the rich and poor, there is hardship everywhere but people didn’t expect this. People who surround the government are deceiving him. They want the government to collapse. The government has not done anything so they should expect the protest, it will stand.”
Today marks the beginning of the #EndBadGovernance protest yet there is so much impact already, the protest is slated to hold for ten days. If the first day already has a resemblance of ENDSARS, How then would the remaining days look like?
I wish President Tinubu had listened. Indeed, Primate Ayodele warned him.
