Ahead of nationwide protests set to begin on Thursday, August 1, the Nigerian government has once again called for restraint, urging citizens to abandon planned demonstrations and give the administration more time to implement necessary reforms.
During a ministerial press conference in Abuja, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, addressed concerns over the protest.
Speaking against the backdrop that “opposition elements are trying to destroy our country, just like they did to Lagos during ENDSARS”, he outlined various policies and decisions made by President Tinubu in the past year.
Idris highlighted several major achievements of the administration, including the recently implemented minimum wage increase. The new law sets the minimum wage at N70,000, up from the initial plan of N68,000, Idris attributed the change to the foresight of President Tinubu.
He also described the Supreme Court's decision on local government autonomy as an important step towards decentralisation of power.
Additionally, Idris noted that 14,000 metric tonnes of mixed grains from the strategic grain reserves have been distributed to states across the country, targeting the poor and vulnerable populations.
Secretary to the Federal Government George Akume urged citizens to prioritise peace and cooperation over protests. He said though sacrifices today are necessary for a better tomorrow, the current economic hardship is temporary and will soon give way to greater prosperity.
“Nothing good comes easy and the sacrifices of today are for a better tomorrow. As far as the current economic hardship is concerned, I believe that very soon we will all enjoy endless prosperity. We therefore appeal to Nigeria to abandon the call for protests against hunger and prioritise peace and progress.”
He said President Bola Tinubu acknowledged the right to peaceful protest and stressed the importance of exercising caution.
The SGF also expressed concern about the dangers associated with protests, saying demonstrations were susceptible to being hijacked by bandits and criminals, as was seen during the ENDSARS protests.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the government of President Bola Tinubu recognises the right to peaceful protest, caution must be our watchword.
Supporting the government’s appeal, Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economy, Wale Edun, also called for patience.
Edun stressed the importance of unity and understanding and urged Nigerians to give President Tinubu the opportunity to lead the country to a brighter future.
“What the president is saying now is that we must give ourselves this golden opportunity to take Nigeria forward,” Edun said. “We need to be patient with each other, and we need to listen to each other, because he is listening to Nigerians in his efforts to take us to a better future.”
Chioma Kalu
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