4th August, 2024
By Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, said he reported the grievances and demands made by the youths participating in the ongoing nationwide EndBadGovernance protests to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Abbas said this was after after his engagement with the youths at a town hall meeting on Wednesday in Abuja, Musa Abdullahi Krishi, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Speaker quoted him as saying this while appealing for the suspension of the ongoing nationwide protests.
He said after listening to the complaints and demands of the youths at the town hall meeting, he communicated them to President Tinubu with a view to finding solutions.
“We have already started reporting what we discussed with the youths to the President. He was okay with our discussion, and he was equally happy with what we did. He also assured that he would do his best to see that all the issues raised are well addressed one after the other.
“We’ll continue to engage with the President on every issue that we know will affect the lives of Nigerians so that necessary measures can be taken. I, therefore, call on all Nigerians, young and old, men and women, to be cautious. We shouldn’t allow the protests to cause destruction in our country,” the Speaker said.
Abbas who was quoted as saying this is in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service added that top government officials are already discussing the demands made by the youths.
During the radio interview, Speaker Abbas recalled how he led the House to engage with leaders and representatives of various youth organisations at the National Assembly, noting that he had fruitful deliberations with over 25 youth groups.
He stated that Nigerians have the right to peaceful protest, but history has shown that in most cases, even in advanced countries, unpatriotic elements hijack protests and cause destruction of lives and property.
Speaker Abbas also noted that the House is aware of the state of the nation, and that the Tinubu administration is working hard to address insecurity, inflation, and unemployment in the country, adding that Nigerians will soon start seeing positive changes.
He said some ministers from key sectors were part of the engagement, where they offered explanations to the youth on what the government was doing to address their plight.
