Ahead of the planned nationwide protest in August, the Minister for Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has appealed to Nigerians to be patient with the Federal Government.
The minister made the plea on Wednesday after a meeting with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, Mohammed said the Federal Government was engaging with all stakeholders on the matter.
“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,” the minister was quoted as saying in a statement by his spokesperson, Rabiu Ibrahim.
“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.”
He said while Nigerians have the constitutionally guaranteed right to protest, the government was aware some people were planning to hijack the demonstration to cause trouble.
“Your Excellency, recently we received some calls from some other religious organizations and other organizations asking us to join in preparation for a nationwide protest, which would start from 1st August 2024. We are here to let you know that we do not think the same. That we…
— Fed Min of Info & Nat’l Orien (@FMINONigeria) July 24, 2024
According to the minister, the President Bola Tinubu administration is equally committed to ensuring that these activities do not disrupt public order or violate the rights of others.
He argued that the President is fully aware of the genuine concerns and complaints expressed by Nigerians across the nation and he is actively working to implement effective policies aimed at alleviating the challenges faced by the citizenry and bringing relief to all Nigerians.
Shelve Protest
On his part, President Bola Tinubu urged Nigerians to shelve a planned ‘EndBadGovernance’ protest slated for next month.
Tinubu urged the protest organisers to shelve the plan and await his response to their complaints.
The president’s plea was contained in a message by the Information Minister who briefed journalists at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday.
“The issue of the planned protest, Mr President does not see any need for that. He’s asked them to shelve that plan. He’s asked them to await the government’s response to all their pleas,” the minister said.