Ahead of the planned nationwide hunger protest in August, the Minister for Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has appealed to Nigerians to be patient with the Federal Government.
The minister made the plea on Wednesday after a meeting with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, Mohammed said the Federal Government was engaging with all stakeholders on the matter.
“You see, the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu believes in everyone’s freedom within the laws to do what he thinks is right for him. Therefore, the President is not an opponent of protest of any kind but the President is an opponent of violence and anything that will negatively hamper the wellbeing of Nigerians,” the minister was quoted as saying in a statement by his spokesperson, Rabiu Ibrahim.
“He believes and he has always been saying that within the tenets of democracy, you have every right to do whatever you want to do provided that right does not infringe on another person’s right.
“Why everybody is very cautious and very weary of this national protest is because we have seen what has happened around the world. We know that it’s almost impossible to hold this protest and then have peace at the end of the day. We cannot do that because some people are waiting to take the laws into their own hands.”
He said while Nigerians have the constitutionally guaranteed right to protest, the government was aware some people were planning to hijack the demonstration to cause trouble.
“Your Excellency, recently we received some calls from some other religious organizations and other organizations asking us to join in preparation for a nationwide protest, which would start from 1st August 2024. We are here to let you know that we do not think the same. That we…
— Fed Min of Info & Nat’l Orien (@FMINONigeria) July 24, 2024
According to the minister, the President Bola Tinubu administration is equally committed to ensuring that these activities do not disrupt public order or violate the rights of others.
He argued that the President is fully aware of the genuine concerns and complaints expressed by Nigerians across the nation and he is actively working to implement effective policies aimed at alleviating the challenges faced by the citizenry and bringing relief to all Nigerians.
Shelve Protest
On his part, President Bola Tinubu urged Nigerians to shelve a planned ‘EndBadGovernance’ protest slated for next month.
Tinubu urged the protest organisers to shelve the plan and await his response to their complaints.
The president’s plea was contained in a message by the Information Minister who briefed journalists at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday.
“The issue of the planned protest, Mr President does not see any need for that. He’s asked them to shelve that plan. He’s asked them to await the government’s response to all their pleas,” the minister said.
‘Engage Them’
For the Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, the Federal Government should identify the leaders of the planned protest and dialogue with them instead of threats.
“So, this time around the government should try to identify the leaders of the movement and then engage them, and then the questions be raised. There are demands that are being made, and the government should address these demands,” he said on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
“Between now and the first of August is still a long way and I understand the government is going to address the nation.
It is also important for governors to really come out and let the people know what they are doing to address hardship in the country which nobody is denying.”
The protest against economic hardship, which is gaining traction on social media, has been scheduled to be held across all states of the Federation as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, in August. The organisers of the protest have been faceless.
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.
Angry youths have decided to embark on a nationwide protest over the hardship, poverty, and high cost of living among other economic indices. (Channels)
