- By Halimah Olamide
Amidst tension over impending nationwide protests over the state of the economy in Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria, the ruling party has asked the masses to ignores calls on them to match to the streets in protests.
The All Progressive Congress, which took over the reign of federal rule in 2015 with the coming of President Muhammadu Buhari, has produced a second president in 2023, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Tinubu’s announcement of a removal of the oil subsidy on his inauguration day had precipitated a wave of repercussions in the economic indices.
Prices of goods and services have hiked astronomically with food disappearing from many family tables.
Agitators are calling for an end to the economic hardships. They have slated protests to commence on August 1. But the authorities are working to dissuade the masses from going on to the streets.
The APC, in its appeal to Nigerians, said its National Working Committee (NWC), met and agreed to ask Nigerians to shun the protests.
Sen. Surajudeen Basiru, the party’s National Secretary, said Nigerians should have confidence and belief in the ability of the present government to address the economic challenges facing the country.
“The APC has joined President Tinubu to passionately appeal to those who are planning protests to shelve their plans and have confidence and belief in the government to address most of the economic challenges facing the nation,” he said.
The APC national secretary noted that the Tinubu-led government met quite a number of challenges, especially economic challenges.
He added that the president was gradually implementing programmes and policies that would in the nearest future, bring succour and relief to the citizens.
Bashiru, however, said that most of the economic challenges confronting the country were global issues and could only be addressed after thorough brain-storming.
He said that some of the issues highlighted by those planning the protest were political, while others were constitutional matters.
He said that the issues could only be addressed through the amendment of the Constitution which was on-going at the National Assembly.
He, therefore, urged those planning the protests to have confidence in President Tinubu’s unrelentless efforts at repositioning the economy, assuring that the current challenges would soon come to pass.
Bashiru also urged parents and well-meaning Nigerians to monitor the movement of their children and wards, so that they would not be used to cause chaos in the country.
He said chairman of the party in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) had been called for an emergency meeting for further discussions on the issue