Urging the Federal Government to engage in discussions with potential protesters to address underlying concerns, the minority caucus of the House of Representatives met in Abuja and emphasized the importance of finding sustainable solutions to the issues raised by the demonstrators.
During a special meeting and dinner on Monday night, the caucus reached this conclusion through a formal resolution.
In a statement released by the caucus’s media team on Wednesday, Chairman Kingsley Chinda encouraged organizers of the planned protest to reconsider their actions due to the prevailing security challenges in the nation.
He stated, “We call upon the government to initiate dialogue with the prospective protesters, paying attention to the key issues they are addressing and the urgent need for governmental intervention. It is vital that the authorities step in and work towards a peaceful resolution of these matters.
“We are advising against endorsing any protest actions as history has shown that even peaceful demonstrations have been disrupted by criminals. Given the volatile security situation in certain regions of the country, controlling large gatherings may be challenging. This could potentially be exploited by malicious elements to incite chaos,” he expressed.
He further urged the Federal Government to employ non-violent strategies in addressing the security crises within the nation.
“We acknowledge the prevailing insecurity in the land and urge the government to adopt a balanced approach to guarantee visible outcomes. It is imperative that all security officials fulfill their responsibilities to safeguard Nigerians,” he emphasized.
The caucus also emphasized the need for the government to promote self-reliance among citizens to address the economic hardships in the country.
“Our discussions also acknowledged the prevailing hunger in the nation, and we implore the government to focus not solely on providing relief materials but on establishing mechanisms for individuals to attain self-sufficiency,” he stated.
He highlighted that the dinner was organized as an appreciative gesture towards the caucus members for their unwavering support.
“Primarily, our gathering was arranged as an appreciation dinner to express our gratitude for the steadfast backing provided by our members,” he appended.