A former lawmaker representing Ondo Central at the National Assembly, Senator Ayo Akinyelure has called on protesting youths across the country to end demonstrations over the harsh living conditions in Nigeria.
Akinyelure who stated this in a statement signed by him, appealed to the youths to refrain from being used by the sponsors of the protest and not allowing their protest to shut down the nation’s economy oxygen currently on the recovering mode.
The Senator pleaded with the protesters to retreat from the streets, stressing that they have made their point and the President Bola Tinubu led administration will attend to all the complaints of the youths.
He said the sponsors of the protest should not be allowed “to lead you to destroy our country, they all have their hidden agenda, most of their children are not in Nigeria, they are outside Nigeria schooling or working and enjoying their lives with money looted from Nigeria by them.
“Therefore, my advise is for all the youths, men and women of great intellect of our great country to stop this protest and chat a ways forward and not backward any longer.
“For seven days now the economy of the nation has gone down and over 80 percent of labour force abandoned their places of work both in private and public sectors of the economy in the name of National Protest. It is high time we all go back to work and shun protest.
“The prices of food items within the last seven days had increased by over 300 percent because of this protest, many of the down trodden masses property had been looted by some fraudulent protesters in the name of National protest against bad governance.
“The President of Nigeria in his wisdom had addressed the nation and had made it clear to all Nigerians what his government had in plan to resolve the issues in a systematic manner and approach to move the country forward.”
He called on the stakeholders in each state and specifically called on billionaires in each state to invest in agriculture or industry that can employ an average of 5,000 and 10,000 graduates from labour market
“This is doable, they all became billionaires from our collective national resources endowed by God to our country.
‘Billionaires in Nigeria are many, instead of using EFCC to be chasing them around, I will strongly advise the President to consult and forward an Executive Bill to the National Assembly to mandate billionaires in Nigeria known to have gotten government patronage to become billionaires, be mandated by an act of parliament to invest certain percentage of their billions to build factories or industries in any part of Nigeria or their home state.
“This can employ Nigerians like Dangote did, instead of change the billions made in Nigeria to dollars and transfer to other countries at the detriment of Nigerians wallowing in abject poverty in the mist of plenty natural resources endowed by God to Nigeria as a nation.
“This will go a long way to solve the problems of Nigeria to the greatest extent. Let our President come up with Executive bills that will enable known billionaires Nigerians invest in Power and industrial sectors of Nigerian economy to the benefit of all. Nigerians who had made fortunes in this country should be encouraged to invest in Nigeria through enabling act of parliament to be promulgated.
“The reasons many of them transfers money made in Nigeria legitimately or illegitimately to other economies is because of them been investigated for Corruptions by EFCC or ICPC because they can’t proof the source of their wealth.”
He, however, appealed to the youths that “continuation of destruction of lives and property, stealing and looting of innocent Nigerians properties in the name of protest is not the solution to present problems confronting our great nation.
“Mr President on his part should start the quick implementation of policies and programs that will address significantly most of the issues raised by the protesters and also look inward to make changes where absolutely necessary.
“I wish to appeal to all Nigerians to go back to work and believe in Mr President nationwide address delivered last Sunday irrespective of criticisms associated with it from various angles.
“The blank truth is that we don’t have any other country to call our own other than Nigeria our great country.
“We Nigerians should imbibe the spirit of praying for Nigeria on daily basis instead of causing it. An average American wakes up in the morning to pray’ God bless America and that is why America is great today.
“Nigeria is the best country all over the World, Accept so and pray for the country continuously by waking up to pray as follows: ‘God bless Nigeria and guide our leaders right’ with this prayer continuously by all Nigerians, we shall one day achieve the greatness and comfort attached to it by all an sundry for the benefit of generations yet unborn.
“The above message is a food for thought for all Nigerians, both youths and old engaged in national protest to shed their swords and go back to work while stakeholders are to commence dialogue with relevant arms of government to move forward our great country to greater heights of development and prosperity,” he said
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