Shettima Speaks on What Motivated North’s Participation in Hunger Protest

• Yerima Shettima, national president of AYCF, has broken his silence on the just concluded nationwide protests
• He opened up on why the North participated in the 10-day August demonstration but shunned the EndSARS demonstration
• According to Yerima Shettima, Tinubu inherited a bad economy from ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, but his recent reform policies contributed to the hardship which informed the northerners' participation in the protests

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements

Yerima Shettima, the national president of Arewa Youths Consultative Forum (AYCF), has reviewed the North's participation in the just concluded 10-day nationwide protest.

In an interview with Vanguard newspaper published on Sunday, August 11, Shettima said the government has pushed the northern region to the wall hence their recent action in the polity.

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Recall that different groups took to the streets on Thursday, August 1, to begin the 10-day nationwide protest against Tinubu’s administration.

This was in response to the rising inflation, hunger and hardship occasioned by Tinubu's economic reforms.

Speaking on the development, Yerima Shettima said the north is worst hit by the hunger and economic hardship prevalent in the country.

He said insecurity has forced the people in the region to abandon their farms, and they are unable to receive palliative from the government, which in turn provoked the people to storm the streets rather than die silently.

The ACYF president stated thus:

"It is a clear indication that, over time, the North has been neglected by its previous leaders, who didn’t do the needful. They left the people frustrated.

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"If the leaders cannot do the needful, they will see the worst protests shortly where everybody will be consumed."

Protests: "Hunger motivated the North to actively participate"

Speaking further on the silence of the North during EndSARS and active during this protest, Yerima Shettima added

He added that while some policies of the Bola Tinubu government caused more hardship, the problem started during the government of former president Muhammadu Buhari.

Yerima Shettima stated thus:

"Nobody would have succeeded Buhari without removing the subsidy, but there should have been a palliative that would get to the people.

"They planted what we are reaping today. The eight years of Buhari was just a waste for the region and the country. Tinubu inherited the problem. And this is the consequence of the wasteful leadership of the Buhari era. That is what provoked our people to be deeply involved in the demonstrations.

"EndSARS had to do with Yahoo Yahoo, otherwise known as fraudsters, people. Here in the North, we do not have Yahoo Yahoo people. What is happening in the North is hunger. People cannot feed, they can’t fend for themselves."

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Shehu Sani speaks on protests in Northern Nigeria

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that Senator Shehu Sani explained how northern protesters are trying to overthrow the government of President Tinubu.

Sani said the intent of the protest is not about policies and programmes or the removal of subsidy but an attempt to take over power from Tinubu.

He said money and the Russian flag were given to the protesters to create an atmosphere of anarchy, lawlessness, and disorder.

Source: Legit.ng