Political Economist, Prof. Pat Utomi has reacted to the panic expressed by the federal government over the planned protest against hunger and hardship.

Speaking on Friday, Utomi described the panic by the state actors on the planned protest from August 1, as worrisome.

Utomi, who said the protest is normal and part of the democratic process noted that under military rule, “it was routine for us.”

He said: “For us to now get all wound up that some unknown people are planning a protest shows that something has gone fundamentally wrong with the nature of the connection between the state and society.”

Utomi made the comments while addressing the press at an unveiling of ‘The New Tribe.’

According to him, ‘The New Tribe’ is a social group by citizens committed to personal integrity, social justice and sacrificial service to advance the common good of Nigeria over emotions of ethnicity and faith as often weaponized by political actors.

In his speech, he said: “The state of the motherland is certainly worrisome, so worrisome that notice by some not known people about impending protests have set off panic, threats, bullying and scapegoating resulting in prefabricated falsehoods by agents of the state.

“MAN and the chambers of Commerce are up in arms with the direction of interest rates as monetary authorities struggle to contain inflation with high interest rates and insecurity continues.

“In this season of the unmasking of yesterday’s pretenders and the shrinking of the club of truthsayers and those who truly believe in a just society it is not difficult to tell that the state of the motherland is of grave ill health.

“Surely values shape human progress and values seem to have taken flight from our current landscape and citizens have an obligation to seek restoration,” Utomi lamented.

The political economist said: “It is for the correction of this unfortunate outcome of our current experience that The New Tribe has been birthed.

“It is a coming together of citizens committed to personal integrity, a culture of merit and social justice, sacrificial service to advance the common good, the work ethic and making production an anchor of economic engagement and favour reason and rational disposition over emotions of ethnicity and faith often weaponized by political actors.

“The structure of the new tribe which is a nonpartisan but not an apolitical social movement is built on 14 cohorts of social action and seven cohorts of organization.

The new tribe due to be formally unveiled on October 1 has been much active since its portal went live on May 1.

“The most active cohorts as of now are the Health care cohort, the Ubuntu community cohort, the public accountability cohort, the Infrastructure and economic growth cohort and elections cohort.”