Minister seeks suspension of hunger protest

The Minister of Steel Development, Shuaibu Audu, has appealed to Nigerians to suspend the nationwide protest tagged #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria against hunger and poverty.

Shuaibu made the call in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Mrs Lizzy Okoji, on Saturday in Abuja.

The protest, which commenced on August 1 and is expected to end by August 10, was organised in response to the challenges being faced in the country.

The minister urged Nigerians to embrace dialogue in addressing all their concerns regarding the difficulties being faced in the country.

He also urged them to trust President Bola Tinubu’s administration, which is working assiduously to address the challenges in the country.

The minister said the policies and strategic plans of the current administration were aimed at driving Nigeria to economic prosperity, improved welfare, quality education, and strengthened health systems.

He added that other policies were focused on improved social amenities, food security, and infrastructural development, among others.

The minister assured Nigerians that their desire for good governance would be achieved before the end of the current administration’s first tenure.

He said, “Mr President has shown countless times, his concern for the plight of Nigerians, with the recent implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage for workers.

“Driving the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) initiative with CNG vehicles to cushion the impact of the removal of fuel subsidy, which will reduce the cost of transportation by at least 70 per cent.

“In response to the challenges of the masses in the face of the ongoing reforms, President Tinubu directed the disbursement of N50,000 uplift grants each to over 100,000 families per state for three months.

“This will impact close to 5,000,000 families nationwide. My colleague, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, with the directive of Mr President, has assured Nigerians that food prices will crash in 180 days.

“These are strategic measures aimed at addressing the high food prices currently affecting the nation being implemented.”

Audu said that 250,000 metric tonnes of wheat and 250,000 metric tonnes of maize were being imported, which would be supplied to small-scale processors and millers across the country.

He further explained that, in strengthening the health sector, the president had directed the redesign of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, aimed at facilitating access to quality and affordable healthcare services.

“In the steel sector, the ongoing reforms to revive our steel plants will create over 500,000 direct and indirect jobs, while we attract Foreign Direct Investments as a means of growing and diversifying the economy,” he said.

The minister appealed to Nigerians to end the protest, citing its hijack by miscreants, who were already causing mayhem and a breakdown of law and order across the country.

He commended the people of Kogi for not participating in the protest, saying they, instead, resorted to dialogue and collaborative efforts with the All Progressive Congress-led government of the state.

NAN