Nigerians taking part in the current nationwide protests over the high cost of living have been urged by Ohaneze Ndigbo’s Youth Wing to go beyond reactive protests and take a more positive stance in interacting with the government.
President Bola Tinubu urged the demonstrators to end their protests in a broadcast on Sunday, August 4. He assured them that his administration was already taking action to address their issues and stated that he was open to have a conversation with them.
In response, Mazi Chukwuma Okpalaezeukwu, the acting national youth leader, stated that the nation’s long-standing maladministration’s cumulative impacts were what was causing the protests.
To secure their demands, he advised the populace to reconsider their approach and choose a more positive course of action.
He said: “After the Civil War, Ndigbo were made the promise of the three ‘R’ which were anticipated to help put the Civil War behind all of us.
“Today, the Southeast region and her people are known for their commerce, industry, and enterprise, because the people chose to be more responsive than reactive.
“The protest today is in reaction to the effects of the accumulated maladministration in Nigeria.
“Food insecurity was begotten by insecurity. For years now, our farmers do not go to farms, they do not produce food as usual and it is reflecting in the widespread hunger.
“But I am expecting Nigerians, especially the youths, having reacted through protests for these past days, and the president has come out to address the country, to now converge from reaction to response. Let us respond to our challenges and proffer solutions.
“Imagine the teeming youths that came out for this protest, being channeled to Agriculture and what can be achieved, just like what Gov Umaru Bago is doing in Niger State. It will turn things around, producing more food and addressing the challenge of food insecurity.
“Also, when we all come to blame the Federal Government while nobody is giving attention to the State and Local Governments, then we are not being fair.
“The government in Nigeria has three tiers and we must hold them to account across the tiers. That is why we commend the Federal Government and the State Governors for the LG autonomy which will go a long way to address so many issues ta the grassroots.”
