The Federal Government has scheduled an emergency meeting for Wednesday (today) morning in response to a planned nationwide protest slated for August 1.

This comes after President Bola Tinubu pleaded with the organisers to shelve the protests and give his administration more time to execute people-oriented programmes.

A circular shared with The PUNCH on Tuesday by sources with knowledge of the meeting indicated that all the ministers, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume and the Special Advisers to the President on Policy and Coordination, Hadiza Bala-Usman; Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga and former Minister of Youth and Sports, Sunday Dare, were among those invited for the meeting.

The circular, signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Affairs Office, Richard Pheelangwah, dated July 23, 2024, was titled, ‘Planned Nationwide Protest.’

It read, “I am directed to invite you to attend a meeting with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation on the above subject slated as follows: July 24, 2024, Time: 10 am prompt, Venue: Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation Conference Room.

“Attendance is mandatory. Please, accept the warm regards of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.”

The planned session is coming amid the clamour for nationwide protests from August 1 over the rising cost of living and the economic hardship in the country, which has blamed on the removal of fuel subsidy, the floating of the naira and other economic reforms implemented by the Tinubu administration.

The planned demonstration, inspired by the recent Kenya protests, has gained traction on social media, where it is trending under the hashtags ‘EndBadGovernance,’ ‘TinubuMustGo’ and ‘#Revolution2024.’

However, the Presidency and the police authorities called on youths to abandon the plan, describing it as ill-advised.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, on Tuesday conveyed the President’s plea to Nigerians in an interview with State House correspondents, after a meeting with Tinubu.

He said, “On the issue of the planned protest, Mr President does not see any need for that. He asked them to shelve that plan and he has asked them to await the government’s response to all their pleas.

“So, there is no need for a strike. The young people out there should listen to the President and allow the President more time to see to the realisation of all the goodies he has for them.”

Idris said the President took the protesters’ grievances seriously and was committed to ensuring a better future for Nigeria.

He mentioned the speedy passage of the National Minimum Wage Bill by the National Assembly and the recent approval and delivery of grains to state governments as evidence of the President’s commitment to the welfare of Nigerians. (Excerpted from a PUNCH report)

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