SGF, George Akume
By Jon Egie with agency report
In an effort to thwart the mass protest against hunger and bad governance scheduled to hold nationwide as from Thursday, August 1, 2024, the Federal Government has scheduled an emergency meeting for Wednesday (today) morning
The meeting will hold at the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, George Akume.
This is after President Bola Tinubu pleaded with the organisers to shelve the protests and give his administration more time to execute people-oriented programmes.
A circular shared with The PUNCH on Tuesday by sources with knowledge of the meeting indicated that all the ministers, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume and the Special Advisers to the President on Policy and Coordination, Hadiza Bala-Usman; Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga and former Minister of Youth and Sports, Sunday Dare, were among those invited for the meeting.
The circular, signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Affairs Office, Richard Pheelangwah, dated July 23, 2024, was titled, ‘Planned Nationwide Protest.’
It read, “I am directed to invite you to attend a meeting with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation on the above subject slated as follows: July 24, 2024, Time: 10 am prompt, Venue: Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation Conference Room.
“Attendance is mandatory. Please, accept the warm regards of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.”
The planned session is coming amid the clamour for nationwide protests from August 1 over the rising cost of living and the economic hardship in the country, which has been blamed on the removal of fuel subsidy, the floating of the naira and other economic reforms implemented by the Tinubu administration.
The planned demonstration, inspired by the recent Kenya protests, has gained traction on social media, where it is trending under the hashtags ‘EndBadGovernance,’ ‘TinubuMustGo’ and ‘#Revolution2024.’
However, the Presidency and the police authorities called on youths to abandon the plan, describing it as ill-advised.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, on Tuesday conveyed the President’s plea to Nigerians in an interview with State House correspondents, after a meeting with Tinubu.
He said, “On the issue of the planned protest, Mr President does not see any need for that. He asked them to shelve that plan and he has asked them to await the government’s response to all their pleas.
“So, there is no need for a strike. The young people out there should listen to the President and allow the President more time to see to the realisation of all the goodies he has for them.”
Idris said the President took the protesters’ grievances seriously and was committed to ensuring a better future for
Also, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, said Nigeria had yet to recover from the 2020 #EndSARS protests, which resulted in the destruction of lives and properties across the country.
Speaking during a meeting with commissioners of police in Abuja, on Tuesday, Egbetokun noted that the country has had its fair share of violent protests with unpleasant consequences.
The IG added that the last #EndSARS protests aggravated crime rates and insecurity in parts of the country.
He said, “It is important I address an issue of urgent national importance which appears to have gained some momentum, particularly on social media, in the past few weeks.
“Some groups of people, self-appointed crusaders and influencers, have been strategizing and mobilizing potential protesters to unleash terror in the land under the guise of replicating the recent Kenya protests.
“While the Force acknowledges the right to peaceful protest as enshrined in our constitution, we must ensure that these protests do not snowball into violence or disorder. As a nation, we have had more than our fair share of violent protests, with rather dastardly consequences.
“The last #EndSars protest led to the destruction of public assets, including police stations, courts, and transport infrastructure, and the loss of several lives.”
He added, “Tales of sorrow, tears, and blood followed what was supposedly intended to be a well-intentioned exercise. Rather than lead to any positive outcome, #EndSars merely aggravated crime rates and insecurity in several parts of the country.
“Indeed, we are yet to fully recover from the huge economic losses and deep-seated psychological and emotional trauma inflicted upon our people by these protests.”
He urged the citizens to jettison the proposed protest, adding that the police has the responsibility to protect the citizens and their properties.
Egbetokun said, “Hence, our position is that the proposed violent protests are ill-advised and should be jettisoned fortuitously. We have the responsibility to protect properties and everyone, irrespective of their race, colour, ethnicity, or tribe, who are lawfully embarking on their daily activities.
“We will therefore not sit back and fold our arms to watch violent activities unleash violence on our peaceful communities or destroy any of our national critical infrastructure and assets again.”
The IG stated that measures were in place to ensure that any hoodlums attempting to disguise themselves as protesters will be apprehended.
“We have mapped out plans to ensure that no individual or group succeeds in fostering a reign of terror and anarchy on other law-abiding and dissolving Nigerians.
Source: PUNCH
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