The anxiety and concern about the future of the South East region over the Nationwide Hunger Protest has been significant among those following events in the area. The protest organizers may have expected the South East, which has shown considerable agitation, angst, depression, and feelings of marginalization and neglect by Federal Government policies, to be a strong base for the national action.
Given the history of weekly sit-at-home orders on Mondays for the past four years, frequent clashes between unknown gunmen and security agencies, and the Federal Government's failure to address key issues negatively impacting the region, participation in the national protest could have escalated out of control. While Nigerians took to the streets in cities like Abuja, Lagos, Kano and Port Harcourt, the South East remained relatively calm.
In the commercial cities of Aba, Onitsha, Nnewi, and Owerri, residents heeded the calls of Igbo stakeholders to remain at home on Thursday, August 1, 2024, instead of protesting. There were no reports of protests, whether peaceful or violent, in Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, and Anambra States. Instead, people closed their businesses, stayed off the roads, and resumed activities on Friday.
The silence was significant enough that analysts questioned whether the South Easterners were unaffected by the economic crunch. Why did the region fail to join a national action that might have addressed some of their persistent grievances? Was there a compromise?
In the build-up to the Nationwide Hunger Protest, Igbo leaders like the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, appealed to the youth to reconsider their participation. They emphasized the region's vulnerability and urged the people to give the Federal Government more time to address Nigeria's economic issues.
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Governors, wary of the damage and economic disruption caused by the #EndSARS protests in the region, campaigned vigorously to dissuade the youth from joining the protest. Religious and traditional leaders were also enlisted to appeal to the people's conscience.
Additionally, there was a perceived lack of broad-based mobilization and support for the protest, fragmented leadership, conflicting interests among stakeholders, and the fear of a possible crackdown by security forces.
While the protest may have failed in the South East, the underlying issues remain unresolved. There are concerns that the region may be losing the sympathy of other regions in their quest for infrastructural development and improvement in the security situation.
Reports of violence, looting, and loss of lives in some northern areas provided some relief to those who heeded the call not to participate in the protest. As Nigerians await the Federal Government's response to the protesters' key demands, it is crucial to note that anything hindering the free flow of movement and business activities in Aba, Owerri, Nnewi, Onitsha, Ogbete, Abakaliki, and other commercial hubs threatens the South East's economy.
The Federal Government needs to take the security of lives and the deplorable condition of infrastructure in the region seriously to restore hope in government policies and programmes.
The trust deficit between the followers and leaders in the country is growing and poses a risk for future protests, underscoring the need for the government to seek public buy-in for policy formulation.
