Coalitions urge middle belt youths to shun planned nationwide protest

By Smaila Ogbaje

More than 200 coalitions of Middle Belt Youth Leaders and Middle Belt Ethnic Youth Leaders have called on the region’s youths to shun the planned nationwide protest.

The Leader of the coalition, Mr Nasiru Jagaba, who made the call, while addressing newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja, described it as “potentially volatile protest”.

Jagaba said, though the protest was aimed at bringing the attention of the government to the current economic hardship and high inflation in the country, it had a sinister motive.

He said that the planned protest appeared like it was stirred by the masses who had been hit the most by the worsening economic hardship.

He noted with concern that there were faceless groups of individuals championing it from behind the scenes with bad intentions.

According to him, these groups of individuals can go to any length to set the country on fire and make it ungovernable at the expense of lives and property of innocent citizens.

He said that they could do this because they did not get what they thought was their due in Bola Tinubu’s Presidency.

“While we agree that there is hardship, we believe that the present situation is an inherited challenge that should not be resolved at the expense of Middlebeltans.

“We, in the Middle Belt, believe these efforts to set the country aflame are not motivated by altruism but by their selfish ambition.

“We are aware that paid thugs and criminals have been armed to cause chaos and unrest and ultimately destroying lives and property.

“Consequently, we wish to state unequivocally that all ‘Middlebeltans’ should stay calm and stay away from this planned protest that will destabilise our peace.

“We will explore a better approach to communicate our thoughts on the current economic setback,” he said.

Jagaba said the rationale behind the call for the boycott was the security of the people of the Middle Belt, especially the rural dwellers who had been suffering from incessant attacks from militia groups.

He alleged that the planners of the protest were plotting to lay a military style siege on the FCT by blocking entrance/exit routes to the city within middle-belt region.

This, according to him, would create confrontation with security personnel or isolate and make the seat of government vulnerable to non-state actors.

He said that while the groups acknowledged Tinubu’s effort to address the challenges, they urged him to continue to be more equitable, particularly to middle belt ethnic nationalities.

“We give assurance that we will never partake in destroying this effort to recover Nigeria.

“Those planning the protest have humongous funds to mobilise, misinformed, and push innocent citizens to occupy the streets of Nigeria with hidden agenda to cause violence, destruction and disruption,” he said.

He, however, urged the president to get back with his team to craft sustainable ideas capable of making life livable for Nigerians across the country.

“If the present team is unable to deliver, the President should head-hunt those who can.

“We wish to also challenge President Bola Tinubu to cut back on expenditures on public office holders in consonance with the reality in our country,” he added.

Responding to questions, Mr Breat Kane, President of Middle Belt Youth Forum, said the region had always supported any protest that would improve governance and livelihood of the people.

Kane said their decision to stay away from the planned protest was based on national interest, adding that any protest that would inflict pains in their people would not be supported.

He said that the recent achievement of Tinubu in guaranteeing financial autonomy for local governments was a leap forward that should be commended.

The youth leader argued that it would be unwise for them not to take advantage of the victory for the local government to hold government accountable at the local level.

He urged all well-meaning Nigerians to give the president some benefits of doubt, adding that the group would continue to use other platforms other than protest in holding the government accountable. (NAN)

Edited by Isaac Aregbesola