President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appealed to Nigerians who plan to stage nationwide hunger protests to shelve the plan.
The appeal was made known by Information Minister Mohammed Idris, who briefed State House correspondents after a meeting with the President on Tuesday.
Idris said Tinubu urged the organisers of the protest to shelve the plan and await the President’s response to their complaints
He said, “On the issue of the planned protest, Mr. President does not see any need for that. He asked them to shelve that plan and he has asked them to await government’s response to all their pleas.
“So, there is no need for strike. The young people out there should listen to the President and allow the President more time to see to the realisation of all the goodies he has for them.”
The protest against economic hardship, which is gaining traction on social media, has been scheduled to hold across all states of the Federation as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, starting from August 1.
Prices of food and basic commodities have gone through the roof in the last months, as Nigerians battle one of the country’s worst inflation and economic crisis sparked by the government’s twin policies of petrol subsidy removal and unification of forex windows.
The Federal Government, through the National Orientation Agency (NOA), and the Nigeria Police Force as well as the House of Representatives have warned against the planned demonstration.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and embattled Senator Ali Ndume asked the President to address the demands of the displeased persons, who are mostly youths.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga on Saturday warned that the planned protest, if staged, could degenerate into the destruction of assets that trailed the EndSARS protest against police brutality and extrajudicial killings in October 2020.
Meanwhile, the convener of Country First Movement, Prof. Chris Nwokobia, has outlined what President Bola Tinubu ought to do to avert the planned nationwide protest fixed for Thursday, August 1, against prevailing hardship in the country.
Nwokobia said rather than resorting to brandishing treason allegations against some political figures in the country and lavishing funds to dissuade some groups, the President need to come to terms with the prevailing realities and address the situation pragmatically.
Speaking to the issue on Tuesday, while featuring on Arise TV Morning Show Programme. Nwokobia said rather than resorting to threats and efforts by “operators of state” who he said have been “spending money and calling conferences and throwing money at youth groups and cash thieves and asking them to disown and denounce the protestation”, the President should be responsive to the present realities.
He mentioned that such an approach to lavish money on groups would not prevent the protest, but would only further “deepen the resolve of those who want to protest.”
“It does not dissuade them”, he said, mentioning “Mr. President must begin to tell those who are using this to cash out, that you’re provoking the people who love their country.”
Speaking on what he would do to avert the protest if he were to be in the shoes of the President, Nwokobia said “I will speak to the Nigerian people and first of all lampoon spokespersons of state who are inciting conflict and anarchy, then I will talk to Nigerians and tell them I understand their pains. Then I will begin to cut the cost of governance and reduce the size of my cabinet.”
He said President Tinubu ought to move to the lawmakers of the National Assembly “and say to them you cannot be taking N29 million when Nigerians barely have food.”
“We must cut the cost of sustaining the National Assembly. We cannot continue to spend hundreds of billions on 469 members of the National Assembly every year,” he said.
