Chairman of the Senate Committee on Privatisation, Orji Uzor Kalu, has urged young Nigerians to shelve the planned nationwide protest billed to commence on August 1.
In a Thursday statement, Kalu said the protest will negatively impact the economy.
“I am appealing to our youths to consider suspending the planned August protest to save possible damages and liabilities on the country’s infrastructure and private businesses,” he said.
Kalu, who was Governor of Abia State and immediate past Chief Whip of the Senate, said: He said: “I know that the times are very hard, but this is not the time to go and protest. Going on a protest might be good for democracy, but it is not expedient to our economic development. I want to appeal to CSOs, groups, youths and those who believe that what happened in Kenya can happen here, too.
“They should jettison such plans. Give President Bola Ahmed Tinubu more time. It is too early to judge what he us doing. There is no President anywhere that will be happy that the citizens are hungry.
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“I know President Tinubu himself and I know he knows what Nigerians are going through. He knows that things are not what they used to be. He is working on it, I am sure of that.
“My appeal may not be heavy, but I am urging labour unions and other CSOs not to damage our infrastructure. Replacing them is very heavy.
“Oil money is not like it used to be. I told you when you were about to go on a similar protest in 2020 that former President Muhammadu Buhari was not the owner of the country.
“Today, he’s in Daura. It is the same thing with President Tinubu. He is not the owner of the country. In eight years, Tinubu will be back in Lagos. Nigeria belongs to everyone of us. Let us give the President more time.
“I said before that wr should give him two to three years. What was destroyed in so many years cannot be repaired in one year.
“People like us who have built businesses have suffered losses in this country. We have suffered humiliation caused by government apparatus.”
