- The group stated that the hike in electricity tariffs has compounded the challenges, straining the financial capacities of households and businesses alike.
- The devaluation of the naira has also been a major concern, diminishing the purchasing power of Nigerians and exacerbating poverty levels.
The Initiative for Good Leadership and Development, Gombe, has made a passionate appeal to the Federal Government to urgently address the current hardship facing the country.
In a press statement released Monday, Public Relations Officer of the group, Mr. Tasi’u Muhammad Pantami, highlighted the grave concerns over the economic, social, and security challenges currently facing Nigeria.
The group expressed deep concern over the trying moments Nigerians are going through, citing economic, social, and security challenges as reasons for their call to action.
The group is deeply concerned about the fact that the country is going through trying moments with people facing the harshest economic, social, and security challenges ever, which has led to the call for national protest to demand immediate intervention by the government to alleviate the suffering of the people.
The heightened suffering of the people leading to all forms of crimes and criminality is resultant from policies of the government that increased the price of fuel and electricity tariff, the devaluation of our currency, and soaring cost of governance.
The removal of fuel subsidy has occasioned a significant rise in the cost of living, placing an unbearable burden on the average Nigerian who has to daily eke out a living.
The increase in electricity tariff has further compounded the already odious challenges faced by Nigerians.
Electricity being an essential requirement for economic growth and development, therefore, upward review of tariff at this trying moment has inevitably further stained the financial capacity of the households and businesses alike.
Floating of the Nigerian currency by the government has led to significant devaluation of the Naira and the consequent diminishing of the purchasing power of the people.
The ever-soaring cost of governance amidst growing hunger and poverty is not only callous but an open invitation for the wrath of the people.
The prevailing insecurity affecting our communities and impeding farming and livestock production leading to food scarcity and intensifying poverty and hunger is a matter of great concern.
However, while we acknowledge that the people have the right to protest as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution as amended and taking cognizance of the fact that protests are essential ingredients of democracy
He noted that many of our leaders have at one time or the other in the immediate past participated in demonstrations against some of such unpopular policies, we however firmly believe that urgent intervention by the government is highly essential to stem the looming catastrophe facing the country.
It is our fear that if care is not taken, the peaceful protest may be hijacked by those devastated by the economic hardships and who are possessed by explosive anger and frustrations that may lead them to unleash mayhem and are not even bothered to die in the process, as a revenge against the system.
In view of the above, we wish to implore the government to without any delay consider bringing down the price of fuel to the level before the removal of subsidy, returning electricity tariff to the free banding era, strengthening the purchasing power of the Naira, reducing the cost of governance through slashing the salaries and bogus allowances of the elected and appointed politicians while adjusting the salaries and allowances of workers to enhance productivity, adequately equipping and motivating our security forces to effectively tackle the security crises in the country, and initiating dialogue with those canvassing for the protest.
We also wish to call on our Muslim and Christian clerics, traditional leaders, people of conscience, state governors, federal and states legislators to add their voices to the call for the government to do the needful.
It is our belief that it is not late for the government to handle the untoward situation and bring solace to our people.
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