Don’t Engage In Protests Yet, Give Tinubu Time To Fix Inherited Challenges, Arewa Group Tells Nigerians

An amalgamation of pro-democracy groups from the 19 Northern states under the aegis of Arewa Initiative for Defence and Promotion of Democracy, on Thursday, declared that Nigerians should ignore ‘sponsored protests’ staged against the Federal Government in Kano and Minna recently.

The groups, under the chairmanship of Professor Shehu Abdullahi Ma’aji, said the harsh economic situation being faced by Nigerians was fallout of a comatose economy handed over to Tinubu by his predecessor.

Some Nigerians particularly in Minna, the capital of Niger State on Monday this week, took to the street, protesting against harsh economic situations in the country arising from astronomical increases in prices of commodities.

Prof Ma’aji, while addressing a press conference in Abuja on Thursday said pockets of protests staged in some states were uncalled for as President Bola Tinubu-led federal government is already addressing the problems.

He said an eight-month-old government is too early to be assessed, let alone criticized by people with ulterior motives.

Ma’aji urged Nigerians to be patient and show patriotism by cooperating with this administration in its bid to find solutions to the country’s twin problems of economy and insecurity.

According to him, the group after an extraordinary meeting held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, resolved that the North is solidly behind President Tinubu and will continue to support and cooperate with him for the actualisation of his Renewed Hope Agenda.

He said, “The current administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu inherited a lot of problems from the past administration of Muhammadu Buhari which it is currently trying to address.

“The solutions to the problems cannot be instantly solved but in a gradual pattern.

“Nigerians should show patriotism by cooperating with this administration in its bid to find solutions to the country’s problems such as inflation, corruption, insecurity – banditry and kidnapping that the country is currently facing.”

The group however added that is not averse to any form of legitimate protest to show grievances to government policy or programme provided it is done in good faith and under the laws.