Minister of Steel Development Urges Suspension of #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria Protest

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Minister of Steel Development, Shuaibu Audu

EMMYNET24 – The Minister of Steel Development, Shuaibu Audu, has called on Nigerians to suspend the nationwide protest tagged #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria, which is being held in response to hunger and poverty in the country.

In a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Mrs. Lizzy Okoji, on Saturday in Abuja, Shuaibu urged Nigerians to embrace dialogue to address their concerns.

The protest, which began on August 1 and is expected to end on August 10, was organized to highlight the challenges facing the country. The minister appealed to the public to trust in President Bola Tinubu’s administration, which he said is working diligently to address these issues.

"The policies and strategic plans of the current administration are aimed at driving Nigeria to economic prosperity, improved welfare, quality education, and strengthened health systems," Shuaibu stated.

He assured Nigerians that their desire for good governance would be achieved before the end of the current administration’s first tenure. He cited several initiatives by President Tinubu, including the implementation of a N70,000 minimum wage for workers and the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) initiative, which aims to reduce transportation costs by at least 70 percent.

"In response to the challenges of the masses in the face of the ongoing reforms, President Tinubu directed the disbursement of N50,000 uplift grants each to over 100,000 families per state for three months. This will impact close to 5,000,000 families nationwide," he added.

The minister also mentioned that 250,000 metric tonnes of wheat and 250,000 metric tonnes of maize are being imported to support small-scale processors and millers across the country. Furthermore, President Tinubu has directed the redesign of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund to facilitate access to quality and affordable healthcare services.

"In the steel sector, ongoing reforms to revive our steel plants will create over 500,000 direct and indirect jobs, while attracting Foreign Direct Investments to grow and diversify the economy," Shuaibu explained.

He urged Nigerians to end the protest, citing its hijacking by miscreants causing mayhem and a breakdown of law and order across the country. The minister commended the people of Kogi for not participating in the protest and for resorting to dialogue and collaborative efforts with the All Progressive Congress-led government of the state.

"These are strategic measures aimed at addressing the high food prices currently affecting the nation being implemented," Shuaibu concluded, calling for unity and cooperation in overcoming the nation’s challenges.