According to the groups, the country is grappling with record levels of poverty, driven by corrupt leaders who brazenly flaunt their ill-gotten wealth.
The Mekunnu Koya and the Federal Workers Forum have called on Nigerians to join the nationwide protests scheduled for June 12.
According to the groups, the country is grappling with record levels of poverty, driven by corrupt leaders who brazenly flaunt their ill-gotten wealth.
In a statement on Sunday, signed by Comrade Wale Balogun and Comrade Andrew Emelieze, the groups described the current situation as “the direct opposite of why we fought military misrule.”
Titled: “Be Part Of The June 12 National Protests, For Every Onlooker Is Either A Coward Or A Traitor,” they lamented that Nigerians are struggling to afford basic needs due to skyrocketing food prices, insecurity, and government ineptitude.
“We call on you all not to empathise with us but to fully participate in the June 12 National Protests Action to reclaim and refocus the mismanaged civil rule in Nigeria towards a genuine democratic process,” the groups stated.
“We appeal to you to support and take part in the mass agitations against bad governance in Nigeria because we believe you are the unsung and genuine heroes of our nascent democracy. Clearly, our experience today is the direct opposite of why we fought military misrule to send the Khaki boys packing.”
The group stated that their sacrifices—facing police brutality, persecution, and even losing friends and loved ones—were not meant to result in a system where the poor continue to suffer while a wealthy few grow richer.
They emphasised that the struggle against military dictatorship was fought to secure freedom and democratic choice, not to enable any neo-fascist regime to impose a one-party state and misuse state resources for personal wealth accumulation and imperial ambitions.
The groups said, “Food prices have skyrocketed, people cannot afford basic needs, insecurity of lives and property is the new norm, while the government shows gross ineptitude and a lackadaisical attitude in their interventions during natural disasters. The Tinubu’s renewed hope mantra has become a curse with renewed hardship.”
“For every onlooker is either a coward or a traitor… We call on you to join hands to end the unprecedented poverty caused by a thieving few in the corridors of power.”
The groups condemned the policies of the Tinubu administration, asserting that they have deepened economic hardship and suffering.
They called on Nigerians to push back against what they termed a neo-fascist style of governance and to reclaim their democratic rights.
“If we failed to speak out now, if we failed to act now, if we failed to resist the Tinubu’s government anti-poor socioeconomic policies, if we failed to reject the script for one party rule now, if we failed to resist an Emperor that has weaponised poverty, it means we have submitted our freedom and liberty, we shall be worse than slaves in our fatherland,” the groups said.
The statement concluded, “Dare to struggle, dare to win! We must mobilise for a protracted struggle in the coming days, weeks, and months.”
The groups called on Nigerians to organise themselves in their neighbourhoods, streets, offices, and campuses to demand better governance and accountability.
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