President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday formally reacted to the planned nationwide protests by Nigerian youths with an appeal to the organisers to shelve their plans, assuring them that he has listened to their concerns and working diligently to address them.
The protest, billed to hold across the country from August 1 to 10, is said to be a way of registering the impact of food scarcity and the inability to afford common needs by the citizenry.
The President asked the youths to exercise patience as he’s already addressing the issues raised and assured them that government will promptly react to all their grievances.
Briefing newsmen after a routine meeting with the President at the State House, Abuja, Information and National Orientation Minister, Mohammed Idris, said “Mr President has asked me to again inform Nigerians that he listens to them especially the young people that are trying to protest.
Mr President listens to them he takes what they say seriously and he is working assiduously to ensure that this country is good not just for today but also for the future.
“In 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, he has listened to them like I said”.
The Minister further disclosed that intervention measures had been taken by the Bola Tinubu’s administration including the new minimum wage of N70, 000 already passed by the National Assembly, trucks of rice already dispatched to all the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory as well as the Student Loans Fund launched recently by the President.
His words: “A lot is happening, only today the National Assembly has expediously passed the bill on National minimum wage, you can see how the President is working it was transmitted only yesterday today it has been passed.
A lot of other interventions that the President has also put in place are also going to be looked at expediously in the interest of Nigerians 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 realization of all the goodies he has for them.
“Highlights of other policies to cushion the effect of hardship Nigerians are feeling in town. For example, you saw that the Federal Government approved grains and rice for state governments it was delivered to them expediously. Also, the federal government, like I said that time it is just the necessary first step, government is going to continue in that direction supporting them and assuring that whatever intervention the federal government has put in place go to those that should benefit, it is very important that is being put out.
“The Federal Government is looking at strategies that every intervention would go directly to those who benefit from those interventions not middle men intervening along the way.
“You heard about the student loans board launched by Mr President, Mr President is very passionate about the fact that everyone will have the opportunity to go to school.
It is no longer a time for all of us to stay back and see our able bodied young men and women that have passed the examinations to go to tertiary institutions that have not been able to do that because their parents are not able to pay for their fees, this is now a thing of the past, government is very very desirous to ensure that happens. You know the provision that was made to the NELFUND already we have in excess what is required today and the more that people are requiring that the more the President will also give.
Idris also disclosed that government will soon come up with a scheme that will accommodate all unemployed graduates nationwide while stressing the fact that President Tinubu was committed to running an inclusive government.
According to him: “There is also the intervention the President is making for young men and women who have finished school and who are yet to get employed post NYSC. For example, there is a scheme the government is perfecting now and that will be pushed very fast so that all those young men and women who have finished school, graduates of universities and polytechnics that are not able to get jobs, they will continue to be supported by the government until such a time that those jobs are offered to them.
“The whole idea is that no one is left behind, everybody will be, it is an all inclusive government and the President is determined to ensure that no one is left behind in this attempt to march Nigeria towards progress”.
Deji Elumoye
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