I Am Not Afraid of Protests,I'm Only Concerned About Possible Destruction of Public Properties By Thugs- Tinubu
As the Social Media Landscape in Nigeria Gets More Enmeshed in Pro-Protests and Anti-Protests Contents, With Many Critical Stakeholders Taking A Position on the Planned Nation-wide Protests Ahead of August 1st, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Says He is Not Afraid of Protests But He is Only Concerned About How Disgruntled Elements Could Hijack The Protests to Unleash Wanton Destructions on Innocent Citizens
By: Abdulwasiu Akintunde
The President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has disclose in his statement on Thursday that he is not afraid of protests, but he is concerned about sponsored thugs hijacking protests, causing violence and destruction of public property.
During a meeting with traditional rulers, led by the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, at the State House on Thursday, Tinubu emphasized that the plight of citizens remains a deep concern and will receive more attention.
“Nigeria is on the path of recovery. You have heard it from the Minister of Finance, Mr. Wale Edun. We are not afraid of protests,” Tinubu said.
However, he expressed concern about the potential damage that could follow protests, citing the disruption of the historic #EndSARS protest by state-sponsored thugs in 2020.
“Our concern is the ordinary people and the damages that will be done. Till today, I cannot forget the brand new 60 and 100-seater buses in Lagos that were burnt down, and we are now complaining of transportation. That is the problem,” Tinubu stated.
However, While economic experts and the International Monetary Fund have praised these measures as courageous reforms, the resultant spike in food prices has triggered calls for protests nationwide.
Tinubu’s economic policies, including the removal of the fuel subsidy and the decision to float the naira, have led to a surge in petrol prices from N145 to N710 per litre, and the naira has plunged to approximately N1,500 to the dollar.
In an effort to discourage Nigerians from participating in the protest, President Tinubu has engaged traditional rulers and clerics to dissuade citizens from protesting.
His administration has distributed trucks of rice to states to alleviate hunger and also increased the minimum wage to N70,000 since mobilization for the nationwide protest began.
He thanked the traditional rulers for talking to the citizens to shelve the August nationwide protests over economic hardships.
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