Tinubu argued that he is already addressing most of the complaints of the intending protesters, especially those concerning youths
By Kehinde Okeowo
President Bola Tinubu has once again reiterated that the nationwide protest scheduled to begin on August 1 is unnecessarily.
He questioned the rationale for the demonstration, saying that he is already addressing most of the complaints of the intending protesters, especially those concerning youths.
Tinubu made this known through the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, who confirmed that the issue of the proposed protest came up for deliberations at the Federal Executive Council meeting.
According to him, the recent student loan policy of the federal government was targeted at the youth population, such that no Nigerian child who secures admission will drop out on account of fees.
He said: “The position of FEC is that most of the demands that the protesters are making are actually being addressed by the federal government and therefore it is the view of the government that there is really no need for the protests again because most of those things that the protesters are putting forward have already actually been addressed or are being addressed by government.
“Like we have said repeatedly, this is a listening government. The President has listened to the voices of all those who are planning this protest and the message is that there is no need for it.”
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The minister went on to say in an attempt to cushion the effect of hunger in the country, the FG sent bags of rice to various states to be distributed to Nigerians who are vulnerable.
He further added that the Tinubu-led administration is also investing massively in the “agricultural sector.”
Idris added, “The last council meeting here at the briefing, we announced that a number of trucks, 20 precisely, had been given to the state governors for onward distribution to those who actually are in need of them, the poorest of the poor in society and those who are actually in need, but government did not stop there.
“There is also rice that is being sold at about 50 per cent of its cost, a bag of rice is being sold as we speak now. This rice has been taken to various centres across all the states of the federation and is being sold at N40,000. Centres have been created, so that those who need this rice can go there and buy this rice at N40,000.
“In the first instance, about 10 trucks have been made available to each of these states and indeed, this is just to begin, I know that some of the comments you hear are that ‘it is never enough’.
“Government has not pretended that these supplies are indeed enough. But these are the necessary first steps that are being taken, and more such interventions are being made in the interim. Of course, this is, like I said, an interim measure because there is so much investment going into the agricultural sector.”