President Bola Ahmed Tinubu addressing Nigeria
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has weighed in on the planned nationwide protests, saying that sponsors of the demonstrations do not love the country.
The President stated this on Thursday at the Presidential Villa while receiving a delegation of Islamic leaders led by Sheikh Bala Lau.
Though he did not identify any sponsor, he said those championing the cause of the protests have alternative passports and hold meetings virtually across the world.
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“The sponsors of protests do not love our country. They have no love for the nation. They do not understand citizenship. They have alternative passports,” Tinubu was quoted as saying in a statement by presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale.
“They are in different parts of the world holding meetings virtually. We do not want to turn Nigeria into Sudan. We are talking about hunger, not burials. We have to be careful. We should be careful with premature politics; politics of hate, and anger.
“The internet has made it possible to hold meetings in artificial settings. They hold meetings and sponsor anger,” the President told the religious leaders.
President Tinubu argued that protests, fuelled by anger and hate, could degenerate into violence and set the country backward.
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During the meeting, the President allayed fears of manipulation by any interest group in the ongoing economic reforms.
He maintained that his campaign was self-sponsored, without strings, or indebtedness to any individual or institution.
“I have no cabal. I have no sponsors. The money I spent on the elections was my personal fortune. At some point, the odds were against me; banks were locked. But Allah, the Almighty God, said I will be the President. Mine is to now follow the leading and teaching of the Almighty God.
“One of the most potent elements of defence is a good conscience. It is also a defence against corruption.
“What should be uppermost in our minds is the future of our children. We have a lot to teach them on what it takes to be a good citizen and what it takes to be a responsible citizen,” the President stated.
Meanwhile, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has asked the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to provide security cover for the demonstrators.
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Briefing journalists on Thursday in Abuja, the TUC President, Festus Osifo, said the Police are mandated by the Police Act and the constitution to provide adequate security for protesters. He said adequate protection is necessary to ensure that the planned protest is not hijacked by hoodlums.
“As Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, we have been involved in several protests. We are also happy with some of the comments that we are hearing from different quarters assuring that when the protests do take place, these people will be protected,” he said.
“We don’t want a situation whereby the protest goes on and at the end of the day, it leads to violence. We want to hereby call on the Inspector General of Police and the entire security agencies to do everything possible to provide security for whoever intends to carry out protests so such protests do not degenerate into chaos.”
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