The Federal Government has revealed why President Bola Tinubu never liked the idea of a nationwide protest.
Speaking to members of the Diplomatic Community in Abuja on Wednesday, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, pointed out that the Tinubu administration utilizes all available channels to communicate various opportunities and initiatives of the government to the public.
Idris pointed out that it was for this reason the Federal Government responded the way it did when the organizers issued a protest notice.
“Our view was and is that now is not the time for protests; instead our focus should be on allowing these various initiatives and interventions of the Government to manifest fully.
“Genuine reforms take some time, but are always guaranteed to deliver on what they promise.
“We mobilized to engage fully and freely with traditional rulers, religious leaders, youth groups, civil society organisations, etc., to appeal to them to shelve the planned protest and instead embrace dialogue.
“We also knew that a protest of this nature, lacking coherent demands or an organizational structure, was very likely to be hijacked by elements that do not have Nigeria’s interest at heart.
“Very sadly, that is what we have seen play out.
“Regrettably, what began as a peaceful protest in some States and the Federal Capital Territory, was soon hijacked by elements who infiltrated the protest and orchestrated violent activities that destroyed lives and properties.
“There were reports of arson, vandalism, looting, and clashes with law enforcement agents in several cities. Tragically, these incidents led to the loss of innocent lives and significant damage to properties.
“In response to these unforeseen events, the Federal Government acted swiftly to restore peace and order.
“It is important to emphasize that the security forces were instructed to exercise maximum restraint and adhere to international standards in managing civil protests.
“They have indeed put in a lot of work to ensure the safety of all law-abiding Nigerians, and to maintain order, in the last week. But they have also been decisive in their response to criminality, and it is important to separate these from their commendable approach to legitimate protests,” Idris said.
He reiterated that the Federal Government has launched an investigation into the violence that erupted during the protests, to identify and bring to justice all those responsible.
“We are committed to preventing the recurrence of such unfortunate incidents in the future,” he added.
“I want to assure you that the worst is over, and we can now as a nation march forward to enjoy the fruit of all the policy and programme interventions being implemented.”
