PROTESTS: I’ve DELIVERED YOUR MESSAGE TO PRESIDENT TINUBU, SPEAKER TELLS NIGERIAN YOUTHS 03-08-24
By Sadiq Aminu The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr. Tajudeen Abbas, urged Nigerians on the streets to suspend the ongoing nationwide protests, saying top officials of the government are currently discussing the issues affecting the country.
The Speaker stated this in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service.
Dr. Abbas said he has since reported the grievances and demands made by the youth to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, after his engagement with them at a town hall meeting on Wednesday.
He said after listening to their complaints and demands, he communicated same to President Tinubu with a view to finding solutions.
“We have already started reporting what we discussed with the youths to the President. He was okay with our discussion, and he was equally happy with what we did. He also assured that he would do his best to see that all the issues raised are well addressed one after the other.
“We’ll continue to engage with the President on every issue that we know will affect the lives of Nigerians so that necessary measures can be taken. I, therefore, call on all Nigerians, young and old, men and women, to be cautious. We shouldn’t allow the protests to cause destruction in our country,” the Speaker said.
Dr. Abbas explained that Nigerians have the right to peaceful protest, but history has shown that in most cases, even in advanced countries, unpatriotic elements hijack protests and cause destruction of lives and property.
The Speaker noted that the House is aware of the state of the nation, and that the Tinubu adminstration is working hard to address insecurity, inflation, and unemployment in the country, adding that Nigerians will soon start seeing positive changes.
He said some ministers from key sectors were part of the engagement, where they offered explanations to the youth on what the government was doing to address their plight.