Mohammed Idris Malagi, the minister for Information and national orientation spoke on the reasons why the federal government is opposing the planned protest which has been reported to hold on the 1st August 2024.
He stated that although protesting is a constitutionally given right for Nigerians, the government was aware that certain persons intended to use the rally as a cover to stir up disturbance.
Idris made this statement on Wednesday during a courtesy call with the Charismatic Bishop Conference at his Abuja office. He claimed that the administration of President Bola Tinubu recognizes the right of every Nigerian to participate in protests.
He asserted that the government is equally dedicated to making sure that these actions do not infringe upon the rights of others or disturb the peace in the community.
“You see, the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu believes in everyone’s freedom within the laws to do what he thinks is right for him. Therefore, the President is not an opponent of protest of any kind but the President is an opponent of violence and anything that will negatively hamper the wellbeing of Nigerians. He believes and he has always been saying that within the tenets of democracy, you have every right to do whatever you want to do provided that right does not infringe on another person’s right.
“Why everybody is very cautious and very weary of this national protest is because we have seen what has happened around the world. We know that it’s almost impossible to hold this protest and then have peace at the end of the day. We cannot do that because some people are waiting to take the laws into their own hands,” the minister was quoted as saying in a statement by his spokesperson, Rabiu Ibrahim.
He claimed that Tinubu is cognizant of the legitimate worries and grievances voiced by Nigerians around the country and that he is actively striving to put into effect policies that will lessen the difficulties that the populace faces and provide assistance to every Nigerian.
According to the minister, Tinubu is developing a plan to provide stipends to all recent graduates of universities and polytechnics who are unemployed in the nation while they wait to be officially engaged in any industry.
“But beyond that, there is also another new policy that the President has formulated, which will begin to be seen very soon and that is that all young men and women who have finished universities and polytechnics and have certificates and have done their mandatory NYSC and have not been able to get jobs, will have something from the government to keep them afloat until the time they get jobs,” he said.
Archbishop Leonard Kawas, the president general of the Charismatic Bishops Conference, stated in his speech that some groups had approached them to participate in the protest, but he did not associate the conference with the upcoming nationwide demonstration.
“Your Excellency, we have been contacted by a few other religious and nonreligious organizations requesting our participation in the planning of a national demonstration that is scheduled to begin on August 1, 2024. We are here to inform you that our opinions are not the same as yours. that we’ve chosen to declare a ceasefire and go all out.
“We have decided to sue for peace and humbly request that our brothers and sisters who are aggrieved in one way or the other, that they should give us some time while we continue to communicate and negotiate with this government on areas that are pertinent to them,” he said.
Recall that from August 1 to August 10, 2024, some Nigerians organizing under the hashtag #EndbadgovernanceinNigeria# have promised to stage a demonstration in response to the country’s current economic woes.
