In the face of rising discontent over Nigeria’s economic crisis, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has cautioned against insinuations to subvert the democratic process through coup d’état.
General Musa reiterated the military’s commitment to upholding constitutional order and urged Nigerians to support the administration of President Bola Tinubu in tackling the nation’s challenges.
“Nigeria is a democracy and we must respect the rule of law and the will of the people. We cannot afford to go back to the dark days of military dictatorship, which brought nothing but misery and suffering to our people,” he stated while commissioning some building projects in Nigeria Army 6 Division in Port Harcourt on Thursday, February 22.
General Musa said the military will not “hesitate to take appropriate action against people who are inciting violence and unrest in the country
His remarks came at the time Nigeria is facing multiple crises, including a surge in inflation and insecurity.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the inflation rate rose to 29.90% in January 2024, the highest in four years. The unemployment rate also increased to 33.3% in the fourth quarter of 2023, the highest on record.
The economic hardship has sparked protests in several states, such as Ogun, Oyo, Kano, and Niger.. Some protesters have also called for the resignation of the president, or a military intervention to end the crisis.
General Musa appealed to Nigerians to shun violence and embrace dialogue as a means of resolving their differences, saying that the country needed unity and cooperation to overcome its challenges.
Meanwhile, the African Development Bank (AfDB) has raised an alarm that rising prices of fuel and other commodities could lead to social unrest in Nigeria, Ethiopia, Angola and Kenya.
It stated, “Internal conflicts and violence could also result from rising prices for fuel and other commodities due to weaker domestic currencies and reforms.
“For instance, the removal of fuel subsidies in Angola, Ethiopia, Kenya and Nigeria and the resulting social costs has led to social unrest driven by opposition to government policy.”
