According to the report from the Nigeria Tribune, a former chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Kaduna State, Reverend Joseph Hayab advocated for a more strategic approach to protests in Nigeria, emphasizing the importance of peaceful and targeted demonstrations.
He suggested that rather than organizing nationwide shutdowns, which can have detrimental consequences, protesters should focus their efforts on specific locations, such as the National Assembly or the Presidential Villa.
Hayab argued that by concentrating their actions on these critical government sites for a limited period, protesters could effectively convey their dissatisfaction and prompt a response from the government.
He encouraged the consideration of a more “civilized” form of protest that allows citizens to voice their concerns while minimizing potential harm to the country’s overall functioning.
According to Joseph Hayab, “I think the time has come for us to understand the civilisation of protest. I believe the people should be able to express their feelings about government activities but how to go about it is very crucial. For example, the organisers may decide to occupy just the National Assembly. They don’t need to cover the entire country. For one week, nobody will enter or leave the National Assembly. Let’s see whether the government will not act. They could also occupy the Villa for one week; Nobody leaves the Villa. Let us see if the president (Tinubu) will not do something. But a situation where the whole country is shut down completely is dangerous.”….Vïêw–Môrê