The National President of the National Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Aminu Mu’azu Maifata, has appealed to Nigerians to refrain from taking part in the planned nationwide protests against the current economic difficulties in the country.
Maifata spoke with journalists on Friday in Abuja, where he appealed to Nigerians to be patient with President Bola Tinubu’s administration, as he believes their economic policies are beginning to show positive results.
He acknowledged that while protesting is a constitutional right, violent protests harm the economy. Instead, he called on Nigerians to support the government and its social investment programmes.
“Although protest is a constitutional right, violent protest has proven overtime to be detrimental to the economy. That is why I am calling on Nigerians to shun the planned protest and rally support for the current government as social investment Programmes are being rolled out,” he said.
Maifata stated that these programmes have short, medium, and long-term benefits and are already being implemented at the local level to help the people. He encouraged Nigerians to contribute positively to the country’s growth and development, warning that protests would only set the country back.
The ALGON president also mentioned the recent Supreme Court judgment granting full autonomy to local governments, which he believes will address many challenges, especially at the grassroots level, in the near future.
The protests are scheduled to take place from August 1 to August 10, 2024.
Tinubu says Nationwide protests a result of “political hate”
News Central reports that President Bola Tinubu has condemned the planned protests, and urged Nigerians to desist from throwing the country into anarchy.
President Tinubu cautioned against the actions of those sponsoring nationwide protests, stating that such individuals are prioritising their personal agendas over the welfare of the nation.
He warned against the dangers of political hate, emphasising that it could have catastrophic consequences for the country.
“The sponsors of protests do not love our country. They have no love for the nation. They do not understand citizenship. They have alternative passports. They are in different parts of the world, holding meetings virtually. We do not want to turn Nigeria into Sudan.
“We are talking about hunger, not burials. We have to be careful. We should be careful with premature politics, politics of hate, and anger. The internet has made it possible to hold meetings in artificial settings. They hold meetings and sponsor anger,” he said.