The Nasarawa State House of Assembly (NSHA) has decided to pause its plenary sessions for the week, allowing members to go back to their respective constituencies to discourage residents from taking part in the upcoming 10-day nationwide protest scheduled to begin on August 1.
This resolution, which aims to uphold peace and support national progress, was declared by the Speaker, Danladi Jatau, following a motion put forward by Mohammed Garba Isimbabi, the representative of Gadabuke/Toto Constituency, during Monday’s plenary session in Lafia, the state capital.
Jatau emphasized the significance of dialogue and peaceful conflict resolution in addressing the country’s current challenges.
“Protest alone cannot solve the issues confronting our nation. What we need is dialogue and a peaceful approach to resolving these challenges,” he emphasized.
The Speaker encouraged his colleagues to interact with their constituents and persuade them to refrain from joining the protest, underscoring the essential role of peace in the development of Nasarawa State and Nigeria as a whole.
He also made a plea to the protest organizers to reconsider their plans for the greater good of national peace and development.
Jatau praised the efforts of his fellow members and lauded President Bola Tinubu and Governor Abdullahi Sule for their endeavors to alleviate the repercussions of the fuel subsidy removal on Nigerians.
Several lawmakers, including Peter Akwe, Onarigu Kana, Musa Abubakar Ibrahim, Solomon Akwashiki, Larry Ven-Bawa, Esson Mairiga, Hudu A Hudu, John Ovey, Daniel Ogah Ogazi, Ajegana Kudu, and Luka Zhekaba, expressed their unanimous support for this initiative.
They emphasized that the protest could potentially do more harm than good and called upon the government to focus on generating employment opportunities and empowering citizens to foster societal development.
When presenting the motion, Mohammed Garba Isimbabi urged the people of Nasarawa State to refrain from participating in the nationwide protest against bad governance.
Isimbabi highlighted that while peaceful protests are permitted by the constitution, there is a risk of such demonstrations being infiltrated by troublemakers.
“Mr. Speaker and Honourable Members, I have raised this concern regarding the planned nationwide protest on August 1, as we all know, past protests have been hijacked and manipulated by those with ill intentions towards the government,” he elaborated.
He called on stakeholders, as well as political and religious leaders, to discourage their communities from engaging in the protest.
He pointed out that Governor Sule has been engaging in dialogues with key stakeholders in the state regarding the protest, affirming the need for the legislature, being an institution closely connected to the people, to interact with their constituents on this issue.