Ogun State Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun has called on Nigerian youths not to allow themselves to be used by those he called confused movements sponsored by frustrated politicians who do not mean well for the nation.
Abiodun, who spoke at the 22nd undergraduate and 13th postgraduate convocation ceremonies of Babcock University in Ilishan Remo, Ikenne Local Government Area of the state, also admonished Nigerian youths to dialogue constructively with the government rather than engaging in any needless protest.
Noting that the country has not gained anything meaningful from protests in the past years, the Ogun State governor emphasized that no investor will ever be attracted to a nation that is under siege by protesters.
“Please, do not allow yourselves to be used by a so-called leaderless movement, sponsored by frustrated politicians who tried in the past and lost. We do not need protests. We must not gamble with our democracy. Let us dialogue”.
“This current wave of inflation is biting everywhere. It is in the UK, US, Ghana, and Egypt. So, it is not peculiar to Nigeria alone.
“I seize this opportunity to appeal to our youths to constructively engage with the government in finding lasting solutions to Nigeria’s problems, rather than engaging in protest that may start peacefully but usually get high jacked and may lead to anarchy.
“What have we ever gained from protests, except losses in productivity. Loss of lives, loss of private and government properties, looting and vandalisation of assets,” he said.
Abiodun added that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had to take bold and decisive steps to put the economy back on track, adding that the government has been in office for just one year.
“This administration has initiated a lot of interventions to cushion the effect of inflation. Recently, we’ve had the introduction of minimum wage. We’ve had a lot of empowerment. Student loans are in place. Agric and fertilizer input are being given to our farmers. Food palliatives have also been provided, amongst others,” he added.
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