A former Minister of State for Defence and Foreign Affairs and a Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Musiliu Obanikoro has made an impassioned appeal to the youth to be patient with the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, urging them not to embark on the proposed nationwide protest.
In a statement he personally signed on Friday in Lagos, Obanikoro, who was also a former Nigerian Ambassador to Ghana, acknowledged the challenges facing the country and the frustration that has been building among young people. However, he urged the youth to trust in the government’s efforts to address their concerns and work towards a better future.
Obanikoro reiterated that the youth are the backbone of the nation and the driving force behind change. He acknowledged the high levels of discomfort the people are feeling, poverty, and inequality that have led to widespread discontent among young people, but assured the youth that the government is working tirelessly to create opportunities, improve infrastructure, and provide access to quality education, healthcare, and most importantly, food for all.
The statement reads in parts: “My dear young ones and all Nigerians, I appeal to you to be patient with President Tinubu to make things right. He inherited most of these challenges and change does not happen overnight. I can assure you that he and his team are committed to laying the foundation for a prosperous future, and we need your patience and understanding to achieve this goal.
“As a concerned leader and citizen, I recognize your constitutional rights to protest but want you to reconsider the planned protest against the government because of the level of insecurity in the country resulting from ethnic and religious conflicts. Furthermore, the possibility of those who doesnt mean well for the country to hijack the protest is real. I understand that frustrations and concerns about the country’s challenges are real, and I acknowledge the passion and energy that drives your desire for change.
“However, I urge you to consider the potential consequences of protests, including harm to well intentioned protesters, unrest, looting and other negative activities which the 5th Columnists may hide under to perpetrate.
“There are reasons for optimism. Government policies require time to manifest in our lives. His investments in infrastructure, healthcare, technology, education in the forms of student loans, fighting insecurities, ensuring stable power supply are evidence of government’s commitment to building a better future.
“Rather than embarking on protest which may eventually lead to wanton destroy of private and public property, I urged the youth to engage with the government and participate in the democratic process.
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