Ahead of the August 1 planned nationwide protest tagged #Endbadgovernance, the South-South Zonal Organising Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Dr Blessing Agbomhere, has appealed to Nigerians, especially the youth, to perish the idea of a protest, adding that it would create more problems than it is meant to solve.
In a press statement yesterday, Agbomhere stated that a protest coming a year into President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration would be the greatest injustice to a political officeholder who has a four-year mandate to deliver on his promise of renewed hope to Nigerians in an already battered economy.
“When a seed is planted, it has to die first before it germinates, grows, and bears fruit for Harvest. The planting season is the most hectic time in the life of a farmer because that is the season he has to put the seed in the ground in expectation of a bumper harvest ahead. This is exactly the situation in the country with the current administration, which is toiling day and night to ensure that it provides a better life for all Nigerians.
“Bringing economic prosperity to Nigeria is never going to be an easy task and that is why it is necessary to give President Tinubu more time, seeing that some of the complaints raised for the protest such as galloping inflation and high fuel price are global phenomena that are not peculiar to Nigeria alone,” Agbomhere said.
The former governorship aspirant in Edo State also harped on the need for Nigerians to hold their state governors accountable especially those from the Niger Delta region, insisting that the penchant to always lay the blame of maladministration on the government at the centre is like an Ostrich burying it’s head in the sand in a bid to hide from danger.
Agbomhere also advised all political office holders from the Niger Delta region such as the ministers, lawmakers, heads of boards and parastatals to live above board while discharging their duties, as President Tinubu cannot be everywhere at the same time monitoring the affairs of governance. “I’d like to make it clear that we know all those that are instigating this talk of protest, they are individuals who lost elections in the past and rather than waiting for the next election cycle, are going ahead with this devilish attempt at bringing down a democratically elected government. Hopefully, in due time, we will expose all of them,” he said.
Agbomhere said; “Those threatening to burn down Nigeria shall not succeed. We will not allow them to burn down our beloved nation, no one group has a monopoly of violence. At this juncture, I want to make a passionate appeal to Alhaji Aliko Dangote to desist from his recent attacks on the government of President Bola Tinubu. It is a known fact that Nigeria has been fair to Dangote, Nigeria has helped him and he has profited from Nigeria, even at the detriment of other manufacturers, entrepreneurs and the Nigerian buying and consuming public. He must therefore stop forthwith from inciting Nigerians against the Bola Ahmed Tinubu led administration, now.
“Going forward, I want to once again warn the Executive Vice President, Upstream of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan that her attempt to rubbish the government of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu through the sponsorship and incitement of opposition parties against the government under which she is serving just because she wants to replace Mele Kolo Kyari, the current Group Chief Executive Officer of the NNPCL is being keenly observed and we assure her that we have taken note and would be applying the necessary sanction soon. The ruling APC can no longer accommodate saboteurs in its government at this time of unprecedented public scrutiny, ” Agbomhere concluded.