Discover why Nigeria does not need a nationwide protest now. Explore the current conditions and the potential impacts of protests.
Peaceful protests aimed at articulating essential requirements are safeguarded by the constitution of our country, which outlines procedures for expressing such rights and disagreements.
As our national ecosystem is recuperating from a catastrophic pandemic and the most severe economic downturn since the great depression, I strongly believe that protests and demonstrations are unnecessary, taking into account my sense of responsibility.
Given the seemingly difficult situation that our nation currently faces, as it confronts long-neglected issues in its 25 years of democratic rule, one would likely concur with my view that the federal government’s current structural reforms and various assistance measures are absolutely crucial to navigating these challenges successfully.
It is only through such actions that we can hope to extricate ourselves from dire circumstances.
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Upon being given the mandate to govern, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu accepted this with deep honor and immediately set out on a mission to rebuild our nation.
Under his leadership, significant progress has been made, including reducing external debt by $16 billion (18%), adding $4 billion to our reserves, paying off all backlogs owed to foreign airline operators for forest clearing fees and establishing local government autonomy aimed at bringing decision making closer to the people – one of which was achieved through a recent Supreme Court victory.
Other notable accomplishments include providing students loans for federal and state universities as well as extending relief in times of liquidity emergencies via palliatives sent through subnational governments following federation principles.
It is crucial to address the balance of trade deficits, low levels of manufacturing and production, as well as meet domestic demands by bridging these significant gaps. The government continues to bear the financial burden brought upon by erratic fluctuations in crude oil prices and petroleum product sector emergencies. By implementing solutions that support decentralised aggregation and small-medium enterprise production networks, it’s possible for nations like ours to earn foreign exchange while fulfilling tax obligations required paying back FG loans necessary for both recurrent expenditures capital costs too!
Considering the progress made and the noticeable signs of overcoming obstacles, I believe that moving forward with the planned August 1st protest would be premature, unproductive, disruptive and discouraging.
It is important to remember that there are individuals who view Nigeria’s current path towards economic recovery as a period of chaos, hopelessness, and uncertainty. These people spread false information for their own personal gain and influence. Their ultimate goal is to see the government fail in order to validate their misguided beliefs which leads them down a path where they exploit temporary struggles through artificial scarcity, unreasonable price increases, inflation rates surpassing 10%, etc., all while using our fellow Nigerians’ financial contributions to fuel these malicious intentions – after previously failing multiple times with sudden efforts aimed at disrupting federal governance structure.
Although double-digit food inflation is a challenge, it is hoped that governmental interventions will bring relief and improve the quality of life for our growing population.
However, we must not overlook how past traumatic events were exploited to generate turmoil. Billions of naira worth of property was ruined and jailbreaks became a routine occurrence during these detrimental acts. Consequently, numerous dangerous criminals who went on to become rapists, carjackers, kidnappers and killers re-entered society further aggravating the problems that this protest aims to resolve.
As the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), I appeal to all former agitators through this platform. Please refrain from participating in any protests, and do not allow yourselves to become political pawns or participate in destruction of government infrastructure.
To conclude, I recollect the words of Sextus Empiricus, a Greek philosopher from the third century who stated that although God’s mills may work slowly, their results are certain.
Initially, it must be stated that undergoing radical surgery to extract a cancerous growth is not an enjoyable experience. However, once the procedure is complete, there will inevitably be a marked improvement in the affected individual’s quality of life.
As we anticipate a brighter, more prosperous Nigeria in the future, this can serve as a revitalizing symbol of hope for us.
