- Lagos youths reject planned protest, says protest political
The Presidency on Sunday said Nigerians reserve the right to peaceful protest.
It also said President Bola Tinubu’s administration is poised to serve Nigerians, not “dominate” them.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, who spoke during a TVC interview programme, Politics on Sunday with Femi Akande, was addressing concerns about the government’s stance on peaceful protests planned for August 1-10.
He said, “Let me be clear: we are not in office to dominate our people; we are here to serve them”.
He emphasised that no organ of the administration “has the authority” to prevent Nigerians from protesting.
“No one in our administration has the authority to deny Nigerians their right to peaceful protest,” Ngelale said, acknowledging fears surrounding a potential hijack of the protests similar to the #EndSARS movement of 2020.
He also reassured citizens of Tinubu’s commitment to putting Nigeria on a sound economic footing, despite the liabilities inherited from the past administration.
Ngelale reasoned that though Nigerians are facing intense economic pressures, the administration is working in the short, medium and long terms to improve living standards.
However, he sued for patience saying development takes time and there is no magic wand to solve the country’s problems overnight.
The presidential spokesperson highlighted the FG efforts including single-digit interest rate credit facilities for over one million MSMEs, the reconstruction of seaports and roads nationwide, the Student Loan Scheme, the Consumer Credit Program, and the increase in the national minimum wage, stressing that some of these efforts may take time to yield tangible results.
“Right now you have over 300 roadways across all states of the Federation being reconstructed and that is not including the super-highway from Lagos to Calabar that’s under construction, the Badagry to Sokoto highway and many others. Not to talk of $1bn being right now expended on seaport reconstruction across the eastern and western seaports.
“There are several things that are going on now that create direct employment and set us up for a prosperous future where our infrastructure actually supports the foreign direct investment drive that this President is aggressively pursuing.
“But it is also incumbent upon our administration, not just at the federal level, but obviously incumbent on the state and local levels, to ensure that whatever policies are being implemented to create fiscal space for households, that these things are actually done, that we don’t have any kind of administrative incompetence, that we don’t have unnecessary bureaucratic delays,” he explained.
Citing several social investment programmes already in motion, Ngelale argued, “There’s no question about the fact that there is a lot of work that has to be done and there’s a lot of work that is being done, some of which is not going to have the bells and whistles of TV cameras and nobody’s going to be sitting in the office, for example of the CBN Governor, as he’s doing his paperwork which leads to the full payoff of $7bn worth of foreign exchange backlog.
“It has a massive impact on investor confidence, it has massive impact on the medium term kind of monetary space in the country, but that’s not something that people are necessarily going to be dancing and celebrating about. So there’s a lot going on.”
He described a recent Supreme Court judgment that granted local government councils fiscal autonomy as “restructuring in practice,” adding, “That is the kind of thing that Nigerians would need to give some time to see what the difference actually will translate into in terms of the impact on their livelihoods.”
Lagos youths reject planned protest, says protest political
Meanwhile, Lagos indigenous youths, under the Lagos Indigenous Youth Network, have voiced their opposition to the planned hunger protest slated for August 1, to 10 2024, stating they are unwilling to witness a repeat of the #EndSARS destruction in the state.
At a press conference held on Sunday, youth leaders from the five divisions of the state gathered at the statue of the three Wise Men in Ikeja, the state capital, to express their concerns, asserting that the protest appears to have political motivations rather than genuine concern for the public interest.
A leader in LIYN Mobolaji Ogunlende, speaking on behalf of the group, highlighted that intelligence reports suggest that the protest is politically driven.
“We are not against citizens constructively engaging their leaders when necessary.
“However, when such engagement turns into a platform for tension and warmongering, potentially aimed at settling political scores, it is time to exercise caution. This is what we are doing today,” Ogunlende said.
He further emphasised that the protest does not align with the interests of peace-loving and hardworking Lagosians.
“We do not support it. We say no to any protest in whatever guise or disguise. We are coming together to defend #OurLagos against any possible destruction by agents of violence masquerading as supporters of the people. Their only interest is their selfish interest,” Ogunlende stated.
The group called on all Lagosians, particularly parents, to discourage their children from participating in the protest.
“It is not a wise thing to do,” Ogunlende warned.
In a final appeal, the youths urged those behind the protest to reconsider their actions, asserting, “Lagos is working, and we stand with our dear President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He will address all grievances and ensure that all is well in our dear country, Nigeria.”
According to him, though the citizens have the right to protest there is no justification for Lagos State to be the focal point of such politically motivated protest aimed at destroying property.
He said the Lagos State Government should be encouraged to remain the pacesetter in the country, saying the state is paying above the minimum wage and this can be verified.
“Lagos does not owe workers Salaries. Lagos does not owe Pensioners. The only state to have cleared all pension backlog.
“Lagos does not discriminate between indigenes and non-indigenes. Its hospitality is second to none. Lagos provides free healthcare to expectant women.
“Lagos provides subsidised education to all residents, regardless of ethnicity,” he said.
Credit: Punch
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