Efforts have been made by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, to urge the organizers of the scheduled nationwide protest to engage in dialogue with the Federal Government in order to address the prevailing hardship in the country.
Various federal lawmakers, ministers, and high-ranking government officials have been appealing to the organizers to exercise patience with the government, emphasizing that the policies being put in place by the administration led by President Bola Tinubu are gradually yielding positive results.
During his speech at a townhall meeting with youth groups held at the National Assembly Complex on Wednesday, Abbas reiterated his belief in the importance of dialogue as opposed to protests in tackling the nation’s challenges.
He stated, “Your calls for an end to hunger, reduction in living costs, improvement in minimum wage, and enhancement of human capital development have been heard. These demands, though diverse, all converge on a powerful plea for an improved quality of life for all Nigerians.”
He further reassured the youth groups of the government’s commitment to address the challenges faced by the youths, stating, “The government is well aware of the concerns raised by our youths and has been actively working on multiple fronts to resolve them.”
Representatives of youth groups present at the event included Ngou Matthew from the North Central region and Mohammed Ahmed from the North East, among others.
In his remarks, Babajimi Benson, the lawmaker representing Ikorodu Federal Constituency, emphasized the importance of peaceful protests in a democratic setting.
While acknowledging the legitimacy of peaceful protests, he raised concerns based on credible intelligence reports indicating a potential threat of lawlessness if the protests proceed as planned.
Similarly, Kolawole Akinlayo, the lawmaker representing Moba/Ilejemeje/Ido Osi Federal Constituency in Ekiti State, urged Nigerians to support the Tinubu-led administration and exercise patience with the President’s initiatives, particularly those aimed at benefiting the youth.