The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has reviewed the demands of the personalities behind the planned nationwide protest and concluded that most of them have been addressed, with the few remaining being given adequate attention.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris who stated this in Abuja, while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the meeting said on basis, the planners of the protest had lost their rights to protest.
“The position of the FEC is that there is really no need for the protests, because most of those things that the protesters are putting forward have already addressed or are being addressed by government and like we have said repeatedly, this is a listening government.
Indeed, the President is already protesting on their behalf by doing those things that they want a government to do, for example, the effort that government is making in ensuring that food is been made available”, he emphasised.
He made reference to the distribution of 20 trucks of rice, as well as other consumables sent to State Governments for onward distribution to the needy, “there is also rice that is being sold at about 50% of its cost, as we speak now. This rice has been taken to various centres across all the states of the federation, and is being sold at N40,000. Centres have been created for that purpose”, the minister disclosed.
While acknowledging that the palliatives would not be enough, but were necessary steps being made, the minister said more of such interventions were underway to make up for the demands.
He explained that appreciable funds had been pumped into the agriculture sector to ensure lasting food security, hoping that prices of food reduce during the harvests.
Mr Mohammed Idris said those were part of the measures taken, which the President and the Federal Executive Council believed would diffuse the urge for the protest.
The federal government has since made attempts to dissuade Nigerians from embarking on the protests highlighting the possibilities of it leaving negative impacts on the nation.
FRCN
