Former women leader of All Progressives Congress (APC) and Executive Director of Business Development of Nigerian-Export Import Bank (NEXIM), Stella Okotete, has appealed to youths to rethink their decision to go on a protest.
In a statement yesterday, Okotete, a ministerial nominee last year, urged the people to be patient with President Bola Tinubu, adding the situation was not an isolated one but a global phenomenon.
She asserted that she is not unaware that the essence of the protest was to draw the government’s attention to suffering in the country, and even though the organisers may have good intentions, there are fifth columnists planning to turn it into a demonstration that may be uncontrollable.
Okotete assured that Tinubu is working hard to build a stronger economy to bring prosperity to all citizens.
The statement reads: “Dearest Young Nigerians, we are the pride of Africa; we are the present and future of Nigeria and we are the Nigeria the world celebratesls. I bring you greetings at this trying moment of our national life.
“As it stands, we are in a challenging situation all over the world. This situation has called for the concerns of great compatriots determined to push for urgent and drastic measures to address the difficult situation.
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“The fact remains that this difficulty is not an isolated one attributed to Nigeria alone.
“People all over the world are feeling the brunt of economic downturn and hardship. Expectedly, this setback has drawn reactions from people of other countries as well.
“In Britain, Germany, France and other European countries, there were protests to draw the government’s attention to the desperate situations, which have bedevilled the world.
“Kenyan citizens reacted to inability of the government to tackle rising cost of living and inflation.
“For weeks, Kenya economy was shut down and at its most fragile state, worse than before the protest started.
“Citizens lost friends and family, businesses lost goods and transactions attracting hunger, shortage in food supplies, lack of electricity as infrastructure was destroyed and leading to the loss of jobs.
“The cloud is gathering in Nigeria as we speak. As a young Nigerian myself, I understand your pain.
“Many countrymen are feeling the rising cost of living and are dissatisfied with the pace at which the government is responding.
“But the government is working hard to build a stronger economy that will bring prosperity to all citizens
“Certain persons have planned to stage a nationwide protest to draw the government’s attention to the suffering in our country.
“Those who planned this protest may have good intentions as civilized comrades.
“However, there are fifth columnists planning to turn it into a demonstration that may be uncontrollable.
“Recall that two major calamities hit our country three years ago: COVID-19 lockdown and Endsars protest.
“These two events affected our fragile economy that was recovering from recession.
“Production and supply of goods, particularly food, were distorted to the extent we are yet to recover.
“During Endsars, struggling businessmen and women lost a fortune to looting.
“Some persons also wanted to use it as an opportunity to launch their political agenda.
“Commuter buses, bus stations and government buildings, including court, were razed down. Private-owned properties were also destroyed in the name of a protest…’’