Minister urges Nigerians to suspend protests, assures them of government’s commitment to change
Minister of Steel Development, Shuaibu Audu, has appealed to Nigerians to suspend the nationwide protests against the current government, assuring citizens that President Bola Tinubu is working hard to address the country’s challenges.
Audu made the appeal in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Lizzy Okoji, on Friday in Abuja, urging protesters to be patient and trust President Tinubu’s ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’.
He highlighted the President’s achievements, including:
- The recent implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage for workers
- The Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) initiative, which aims to reduce transportation costs by 70% following the fuel subsidy removal
- The disbursement of N50,000 uplift grants to over 100,000 families per state for three months, impacting close to 5 million families nationwide
- Strengthening the health sector through the redesign of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, which attracted $2.5 million in financing for the National Primary Health Care
- Revitalizing the steel sector, which will create over 500,000 direct and indirect jobs and attract Foreign Direct Investments to grow and diversify the economy
Additionally, Audu mentioned that the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, has assured that food prices will crash in 180 days, with strategic measures being implemented to address high food prices. These measures include:
- Importing 250,000 metric tonnes of wheat and 250,000 metric tonnes of maize
- Supplying semi-processed commodities to small-scale processors and millers across the country
Audu also warned Nigerians about intelligence reports from security agencies, indicating plans by miscreants to hijack the protests and cause mayhem, and appealed to citizens to shun the protests to avoid breakdown of law and order.
“I want to appeal to my fellow Nigerians to please suspend the nationwide protests against the current administration and let us resort to dialogue to address all our concerns and expectations from the President Tinubu-led administration,” Audu said.
