As the planned nationwide protest against economic hardship approaches, a coalition of two hundred middle-belt youth leaders and middle-belt ethnic youth leaders have distanced themselves from the protests alleging it can potentially cause unrest.
Mr. Nasiru Jagaba, the Middle Belt Youth Leader at a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, on behalf of the ethnic youth leaders comprising Gbagi, Tiv, Igala, Idoma, Ibira, Chukun, Berom, Amo, Atyap, Zuru, Zaar, Eggon, Alago, Baju, Jukun, Ngas, Nupe, and Chawai among other youth leaders said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is taken steps to address the prevailing hardships thus he should be supported.
“While we agree that there is hardship, we believe that the present situation is an inherited challenge that should not be resolved at the expense of Middlebeltans” because Abuja in the Middlebelt would be the epicenter of the protest.
“The planned protest appears like it is stirred by the masses who have been hit the most by the worsening economic hardship. Meanwhile, in a real sense, there are faceless groups of individuals championing the proposed nationwide protest from behind the scenes. These groups of individuals can go to any length to set the country on fire and to make the government ungovernable at the expense of lives and property of innocent citizens because they did not get what they thought was their due in a Tinubu Presidency” Mr. Jagaba indicated.
The group however challenged President Tinubu to cut back on expenditures on public office holders in consonance with the reality in our country even as he tasked him with equity.
“While we acknowledge President Tinubu’s effort to clean up the damage of the previous administration, we urge him to continue to be more equitable, particularly to Middle Belt Ethnic Nationalities. We assure you that we will never partake in destroying this effort to recover Nigeria” he assured.
The Youth Leader further indicated that “those planning the protest have humongous funds to mobilize, misinformed, and push innocent citizens to occupy the streets of Nigeria with hidden agenda to cause violence, destruction, and disruption.:
“Having said that, we exhort the President to get back with his team to craft sustainable ideas that are capable of making life live-able for Nigerians across the length and breadth of our country. If the present team is unable to deliver, the President should headhunt those who can” he called.
