President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reiterated his appeal for Nigerian youths to shelve the planned nationwide protest starting August 1.
He mentioned three main achievements by his administration which should assure the citizens that he is working towards addressing the reason for the protest.
Speaking when he received a delegation of Islamic leaders led by Sheikh Bala Lau, at the State House on Thursday, the president identified the commencement of the student loan scheme, as one factor tht should prevent them fromtaking to the streets.
Tinubu also said that the increase of minimum wage to N70,000 and the establishment of the consumer credit initiative are the other reasons.
He urged the those behind the upcoming protest not to ‘turn Nigeria into Sudan’. Tinubu said his government was reworking its social welfare scheme to reach every vulnerable Nigerian at the grassroots level.
He said; “We are reworking the social welfare scheme to reach the ward level, which is the closest to our people. We are going to ensure that we re-establish connection with the wards, again, so that we can give allowances to the p00r and the vulnerable.
“The student loans will pay for school fees. There will be monetary support for the education of our children. The consumer credit will support citizens to buy cars and houses, and they can repay gradually. We have increased the minimum wage by more than 100 percent”.
The National Assembly, had on Wednesday, July 24 passed the new Minimum Wage Act after Tinubu and Nigerian workers agreed on N70,000 over 100 percent increase from the previous N30,000.