The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, met with ministers on Wednesday to address a planned nationwide hunger protest against economic hardship by youths.
The emergency meeting, held behind closed doors, included all over 40 ministers in President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet.
Among the ministers present are Nyesom Wike (Federal Capital Territory), Yusuf Tuggar (Foreign Affairs), Zephaniah Jisalo (Special Duties), Tahir Mamman (Education), Abubakar Bagudu (Budget and Planning), Wale Edun (Finance), Mohammed Idris (Information), Bello Muhammad (Defence), and David Umahi (Works).
Following the meeting, Information Minister Mohammed Idris briefed the media, urging Nigerians to give the government more time to address the country’s economic challenges. He assured the youth that the government has been engaging all concerned parties to resolve the issues in the nation’s interest and stated there was no need for the planned protest.
ALSO READ You can’t stop suffering Lagos people from complaining, protesting – Olumoro, UK
ALSO READ [OPINION] Calls for Change Grow Louder as Nigerians Plan Mass Protests
In a related development, President Bola Tinubu appealed to Nigerians on Tuesday to cancel the planned ‘EndBadGovernance’ protest scheduled for next month. The protest, aimed at addressing economic hardship, has been gaining traction on social media and is planned to be held across all states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, in August. The organizers of the protest have remained anonymous.
Nigerians have been grappling with one of the country’s worst periods of inflation and economic crisis, exacerbated by the government’s policies of removing petrol subsidies and unifying forex windows. Prices of food and basic commodities have soared in recent months, leading to widespread discontent and calls for protest.
