Gov. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State on Tuesday, said President Bola Tinubu’s administration had started addressing the reasons for the planned protests.
Yahaya stated this in Gombe while addressing youth groups who paid him a visit to inform him of their position not to participate in the planned protests.
He stated that there was no need for youths to engage in protest that could lead to violence, noting that the reforms being introduced by Tinubu were for the good of all Nigerians.
According to him, constructive engagement through dialogue remained key to presenting issues to government as against protest that has the propensity for violence.
He urged youths and Nigerians to be patient with the current administration.
He said in spite of the hard time, Tinubu’s administration was giving Nigerians the right leadership and making decisions for the good of Nigeria.
“No leader will encourage violence in society because if violence is allowed to happen, it means there will be no peace.
“Without peace, youths cannot go to schools as all schools and even markets will be closed.
“What is happening in Nigeria is a build-up of maladministration and miscalculations that took place over the past decades.
“It is we as leaders that must correct the mistake and move the country to the next level and that is why Tinubu introduced the students’ loan scheme to support students and parents,” Yahaya said.
The governor said his administration would support youths and small businesses through the Social Investment Bill which he said would be signed into law on Wednesday.
The Leader of the student groups, Alamin Mohammed, said they would not participate in the proposed protest.
Mohammed said they were convinced that Tinubu and Yahaya’s administrations had shown commitment to the plight of students through the Federal Government’s loan scheme and the state government’s scholarship scheme.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that earlier the governor convened an expanded security meeting in Gombe aimed at addressing the security threat of impending nationwide protests.
The meeting had in attendance heads of security agencies, local government chairmen, traditional rulers and religious leaders.
The governor also met with civil society organisations in the state and the leadership of various associations.
