ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – In a bid to stave off the planned nationwide strike, President Bola Tinubu, yesterday met with All Progressives Congress (APC) governors and traditional rulers from across the country under the aegis of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN) led by the Sultan of Sokoto and the Ooni of Ife.
Also in attendance were Vice President Kashim Shettima, the Inspector General of Police, the National Security Adviser, several federal cabinet members, Chairmen of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and the Progressives Governors Forum.
The meeting with the APC governors followed the calling off of the National Executives Council meeting which was earlier billed to be held yesterday. Though details of the meeting which lasted over an hour was not disclosed, it may not be unconnected with the planned protest ocassioned by the harsh socio-economic situation and hunger in the country.
However, the traditional rulers who spoke to State House Correspondents after the meeting, called for dialogue between the Federal Government and youths planning to embark on protest.
Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ooni of Ife and Co-Chairman of the Council, said the Federal Executive Council briefed the traditional rulers properly on the plans of government and governance, achievements so far, and challenges, which had never happened before.
“As you know, we are closer to the people and know where they are having challenges. So, there is a proper bridging and closing of governance gaps between the governed and the people that are in charge of government.
“People that are out there to protest, it’s their civic right, but let them put a face to it and don’t let it be hijacked by people that have ulterior motives. That is our stand,” he said.
He said traditional rulers would not encourage people, especially the youth, to engage in wanton looting and to cause a breakdown of law and order.
“We are parents, we are traditional rulers, we are closer to them, we are going to go back home to continue to engage them.
“It is very difficult to build, but it is the easiest to destroy. We are all stakeholders of this country, we should be stronger as a nation together, than stronger individually.
“The President has said it and he will continue to say it, any leader that you don’t like, wait and vote him out. He is open to dialogue.”
He said that the traditional rulers were aware of the challenges confronting Nigerians.
“We know that, but are we going to destroy our nation by ourselves? Is that what we’re all after? We should talk to ourselves.
“The government, ably led by the President, is willing to engage and dialogue and bring governance very close to the people,” he said.
In his response, Emir of Zazzau, Ahmed Bamalli, urged citizens to remain calm and patient, emphasising the importance of heeding government guidance. He highlighted insecurity as a major issue, particularly in northern Nigeria, stating that resolving it would allow farmers to return to their farms, significantly alleviating hunger. He expressed concern over the protests, referencing global precedents where governments have fallen, but remained optimistic about Nigeria’s potential to regain its status as Africa’s leading nation
“The message we are taking back to our people is to be calm, exercise patience, to also listen to the words of wisdom coming from the Government.
“The President has given us the blueprint of what he has been doing over time and we are hopeful that by God’s grace it will be alright.
“Though we have made it very clear to him, the main problem in this country, especially the north is insecurity. If the security situation is addressed certainly people will go back to their farms and the issue of hunger will drastically reduce and disappear.”
Asked if the traditional rulers were worried about the protest, he repliedd: “There’s nobody that will not be worried about the protest, in any place in the world and we have seen what has happened in other climes and governments were brought down. As an ex-diplomat, I have seen what happened in other climes and that is why I am in the position to say what happened in other places. So we are calling on our people to exercise patience and to listen to the words of wisdom. We are very optimistic Nigeria will bounce back to its former position as the leading country in Africa.”
The Dein of Agbor, Benjamin Keagborekuzi, said the take home message, after hearing from the President directly, was that the government understood youths were the future of the country.
He said the government officials demonstrated that they had the youth in mind, and that they were the power and strength of the country. “We feel your pain, I’m a young person myself. It’s been 24 years I’ve been back and it’s been 24 years that I’ve started seeing the nation going in a very unpalatable direction. Let us not destroy our own country. I’ll ask you, think of Libya. Libya was a beautiful country, what has happened to Libya, we don’t want it to happen here. Let’s go home, let’s continue to strive for the best that we can and continue to work with the government to see if we can proffer some solutions.”
Igwe Samuel Ikechukwu Asadu, chairman South East Traditional Rulers Council and Chairman, Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council, commended President Tinubu and the Federal Executive Council for granting audience to the traditional rulers.
He said the President was passionate about the youth and was doing everything possible to bring succour to them in the face of the current harsh economic reality.
He stated that the President demonstrated clearly to the traditional rulers that the unity and peace of the country was uppermost in his heart, and was willing to engage the youth in dialogue.
Meanwhile, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has urged the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to provide security to safeguard the upcoming protest on August 1, over issues of bad governance and economic hardship.
Its President, Festus Osifo at a press briefing in Abuja, said that the Nigerian Police are mandated by the Police Act and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to provide sufficient security for protesters.
He said this was to ensure that the demonstration is peaceful and not disrupted by potential hoodlums seeking to exploit the situation.
Osifo however, clarified that the TUC would not be rallying its members to participate in the protest, as there is currently no identifiable leader or sponsor associated with the event.
He stated that if the TUC had been approached or invited to take part, it likely would have considered participating.
According to him, “When you are having a protest you need to sit down, have conversation, have meetings, you plan but as of today, nobody has reached out to us that they want to protest, nobody has asked for our collaboration so how do you expect us to participate in a protest when we don’t know who is organising it?
“We don’t even have any idea whatsoever what is going to happen and as an institution, we also know that we have various organs that we run some of those things with. The leadership never sat down one day on the phone to call for a strike or protest but instead, we called the organs’ meeting to do a review.
“The same way you saw it in the media is the way we have seen it. it’s something we don’t really know who is organising it, we don’t really know who is protesting but all we know is that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is very clear on the issue of protest and the ptolice Act also mandated the police that when there is a protest they should ensure there is law and order, they should ensure those that are protesting are also protected.
“That is why we are reminding them that provision in the Police Act and the provision in the Constitution should be respected. If they had contacted us maybe we would have called our organs meeting for us to review but as of today, there is clearly nothing to discuss, there is clearly nothing to review.”
Speaking on the state of the nation, Osifo criticised the condition of the Nigerian economy and highlighted the profound impact of these challenges on the populace.
“The Nigerian economy is passing through some herculean challenges,” he lamented.
He also decried the escalating cost of living worsened by fiscal and monetary policies. He blamed the floating of the Naira on its persistent depreciation, and subsequent hike in prices across essential commodities, including diesel.
The TUC President referenced a previous world press conference where comprehensive solutions were proposed to address these issues, stating that key among these was the urgent need to stabilise the exchange rate to alleviate economic pressures on imported goods, which form a significant part of Nigeria’s consumption.
Osifo also highlighted security concerns affecting agricultural activities, particularly in northern Nigeria, where farming communities face threats hindering their ability to cultivate crops. This insecurity, they argued, contributes to the high cost of food products nationwide.
Moreover, the TUC President reiterated calls for the government to waive import duties on machinery and other production inputs to stimulate local manufacturing and reduce dependency on foreign goods.
Regarding recent developments, including statements surrounding the Dangote refinery and upcoming protests, the TUC President urged government actors to prioritise constructive dialogue over public disputes. He stressed the need for a conducive environment for investment to foster economic growth.
Osifo further applauded the National Assembly’s swift passage of the National Minimum Wage Act, setting a new benchmark of 70,000 Naira per month. While acknowledging this progress, the labour leader urged state governments to promptly implement the new wage structure to improve the standard of living for workers across the country.
