The Coalition of Civil Society Groups for National Stability and Cohesion on Monday appealed to Nigerians aggrieved by the country’s current hardships to be patient with President Bola Tinubu’s administration as it seeks solutions to the challenging times.
Speaking at a joint news conference in Abuja, the Convener of Rising Up for a United Nigeria, Comrade Solomon Adodo, said that with a little more patience, the people would eventually smile.
The group expressed concern that the planned #EndBadGovernance protests could lead to anarchy, urging well-meaning Nigerians to support the administration in its quest to build a stable and united country.
According to the coalition, those behind the protests are faceless and have the intention to destabilize Nigeria.
It stated, “We must resist any attempt at throwing our country into turbulence or chaos. It will all look very idealistic and colorful on the surface, but the outcome is always dire, unsavory, and highly regrettable.”
It acknowledged that though Tinubu’s decision to remove the fuel subsidy brought pain to the people, the coalition assured that the President was working hard to cushion the effects of the hardship.
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The coalition spoke further, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a listening leader. Time and time again, he has reversed himself based on public opinion. He did so with the appointment of the Board of Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), governing councils of tertiary institutions, cybercrime protection levy, etc.
“Therefore, we must avoid the destructive protests being proposed by persons we do not know, do not understand their personal or group grievances, cannot reach out to for discussions, and do not appreciate their end game.
“It would be unreasonable for anyone to pretend that there are no issues. Mr. President himself has repeatedly acknowledged these issues and has been proactive in addressing them. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved centers for the conversion of petrol and diesel-powered vehicles to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) at no cost to the vehicle owners under the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (P-CNGi). The NNPC has assured that the refineries will soon commence optimal performance.
“Furthermore, Mr. President has established the Ministry of Livestock Development to tackle the perennial farmers and herders clashes which have hindered massive food production and animal husbandry. The government of Tinubu has just approved a minimum wage for workers in view of the realities of the times with a promise to review it after three years.
“The wage award is being paid to cushion the effect of the hardship. Fertilizer and other farm inputs are deliberately being distributed by the government to encourage farming. This is in addition to the massive distribution of grains across the country.
“Security agencies are aggressively clamping down on the bandits that terrorized communities and prevented farming activities. The student loan scheme is an initiative to help students pay their tuition without challenge. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a listening leader.
“Mr. President deserves our support at this critical time. We must stand by him while offering fair and constructive criticisms where necessary. It is not enough to lend ourselves to the grand designs of those whose interest is to destabilize and set the country ablaze. We must be watchful and protect our democracy and country. Consequently, we must all reject the protest as proposed.
“As an alternative, we should hold national rallies to support the government and peacefully make specific demands on issues and areas we demand action from the government. We have also opened up channels to further aggregate the innovative ideas of the young and middle-aged citizens as we work with Mr. President to drive our country to greater heights.”
The group advised security agencies to be on high alert, just as the members appealed to political, religious, and opinion leaders to prevail on their subjects not to participate in the protest.
Members of the coalition drawn from across the country include Danesi Momoh for Empowerment for Unemployed Youth Initiative; Igwe Ude-umanta for Guardians of Democracy and Development; Zainab Sule for Citizens Support for Transparency and Good Governance.