The First Lady of the Federation, Oluremi Tinubu has urged Nigerians to suspend the nationwide protest scheduled to begin tomorrow, August 1.
She cited the potential harm the protest would cause vulnerable Nigerians.
Tinubu shared her concerns while speaking with journalists at the State House, Abuja, after a meeting with wives of state governors and Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) Coordinators.
She urged Nigerians to engage themselves creatively and seize the numerous opportunities available in the country.
The First Lady said that those who choose to be destructive during the protests would face the law.
She urged the strike organizers to consider the welfare of Nigerians who are already facing challenges, even as she highlighted the efforts of the government to create a conducive atmosphere for all citizens.
According to her, “Lagos has not recovered from #EndSARS and it saddens our hearts and what people don’t realize is that when we’re drumming for things like that, we don’t know the backlash and what will happen after.
“All those things are very distracting and I will appeal to them to be patient, we didn’t come here playing, we came here to work because, one, I know we’ll leave this place one day and I want to go into a Nigeria that will not be a burden to me. I’ll be much older and I want to make sure that I take my rest in a very conducive and nice atmosphere and that’s what we’re doing.
“If they’re trying to be destructive, it’s left between them and the law, but I pray that they would reconsider and then don’t make life difficult for those who are still having quite a challenging life. That’s why we’re putting money into the hands of petty traders, giving them a grant of N50,000, it’s not a loan, just to help small businesses.
“We’ve done that in the past and I saw how well it went. They shouldn’t deprive all those people who depend on their daily living and then try to obstruct that. So I appeal to them and I hope they see reasons.”
She noted that the efforts of the administration since it resumed last year have created several opportunities that Nigerians can take advantage of, especially the newfound global respect, adding, however, that Nigerians must stand up to take advantage of the opportunities.
“This government has been working day and night to make sure that this country is put back on its feet. The respect we have now as Nigerians in the international community is higher than what we’ve had in the past.
“People want to do business with Nigeria legitimately now because they know all cards are on the table. They want to do business with Nigerians legitimately and that will create jobs. So our youth should try to engage themselves, be creative, and do more,” she added.