Headlines

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has described the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protests as “violent”, bemoaning the loss of lives, among whom are youth.

He promised that his administration would not “stand by idly and allow a few with a political agenda to tear the country apart”.

“My fellow Nigerians, I speak to you today with a heavy heart and a sense of responsibility, aware of the turmoil and violent protests unleashed in some of our states,” he began.

“I am especially pained by the loss of lives in Borno, Jigawa, Kano, Kaduna and other states, the destruction of public facilities in some states, and the wanton looting of supermarkets and shops, contrary to the promise of protest organisers that the protest would be peaceful across the country. The destruction of properties sets us back as a nation, as scarce resources will be again used to restore them.

“”I commiserate with the families and relations of those who have died in the protests. We must stop further bloodshed, violence and destruction. As President of this country, I must ensure public order. In line with my constitutional oath to protect the lives and property of every citizen, our government will not stand idly by and allow a few with a clear political agenda to tear this nation apart.”

The #EndBadGovernance protests began on August 1 and are scheduled to last until August 10.

My fellow Nigerians,
 

1. I speak to you today with a heavy heart and a sense of responsibility, aware of the turmoil and violent protests unleashed in some of our states.
    
2. Notably among the protesters were young Nigerians who desired a better and more progressive country where their dreams, hopes, and personal aspirations would be fulfilled.
    
3. I am especially pained by the loss of lives in Borno, Jigawa, Kano, Kaduna and other states, the destruction of public facilities in some states, and the wanton looting of supermarkets and shops, contrary to the promise of protest organisers that the protest would be peaceful across the country. The destruction of properties sets us back as a nation, as scarce resources will be again used to restore them.
    
4. I commiserate with the families and relations of those who have died in the protests. We must stop further bloodshed, violence and destruction.
    
5. As President of this country, I must ensure public order. In line with my constitutional oath to protect the lives and property of every citizen, our government will not stand idly by and allow a few with a clear political agenda to tear this nation apart.
    
6. Under the circumstances, I hereby enjoin protesters and the organisers to suspend any further protest and create room for dialogue, which I have always acceded to at the slightest opportunity. Nigeria requires all hands on deck and needs us all – regardless of age, party, tribe, religion or other divides, to work together in reshaping our destiny as a nation. To those who have taken undue advantage of this situation to threaten any section of this country, be warned: The law will catch up with you. There is no place for ethnic bigotry or such threats in the Nigeria we seek to build.
    
7. Our democracy progresses when the constitutional rights of every Nigerian are respected and protected. Our law enforcement agencies should continue to ensure the full protection of lives and properties of innocent citizens in a responsible manner.
    
8. My vision for our country is one of a just and prosperous nation where each person may enjoy the peace, freedom, and meaningful livelihood that only democratic good governance can provide – one that is open, transparent and accountable to the Nigerian people.
    9. For decades, our economy has remained anaemic and taken a dip because of many misalignments that have stunted our growth. Just over a year ago, our dear country, Nigeria, reached a point where we couldn’t afford to continue the use of temporary solutions to solve long-term problems for the sake of now and our unborn generations. I therefore took the painful yet necessary decision to remove fuel subsidies and abolish multiple foreign exchange systems which had constituted a noose around the economic jugular of our Nation and impeded our economic development and progress.
    
9. These actions blocked the greed and the profits that smugglers and rent-seekers made. They also blocked the undue subsidies we had extended to our neighbouring countries to the detriment of our people, rendering our economy prostrate. These decisions I made were necessary if we must reverse the decades of economic mismanagement that didn’t serve us well. Yes, I agree, the buck stops on my table. But I can assure you that I am focused fully on delivering the governance to the people – good governance for that matter.
10. In the past 14 months, our government has made significant strides in rebuilding the foundation of our economy to carry us into a future of plenty and abundance. On the fiscal side, aggregate government revenues have more than doubled, hitting over 9.1 trillion Naira in the first half of 2024 compared to the first half of 2023 due to our efforts at blocking leakages, introducing automationcitizens, to fund essential social services like education and healthcare. It has also led to our State, and Local Governments receiving the highest allocations ever in our country’s history from the Federation Account.
     
11. We have also embarked on major infrastructure projects across the country. We are working to complete inherited projects critical to our economic prosperity, including roads, bridges, railways, power, and oil and gas developments. Notably, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and Sokoto-Badagry Highway projects will open up 16 connecting states, creating thousands of jobs and boosting economic output through trade, tourism and cultural integration
     
12. Our once-declining oil and gas industry is experiencing a resurgence on the back of the reforms I announced in May 2024 to address the gaps in the Petroleum Industry Act. Last month, we increased our oil production to 1.61million barrels per day, and our gas assets are receiving the attention they deserve. Investors are coming back, and we have already seen two Foreign Direct Investments signed of over half a billion dollars since then.
     
13. Fellow Nigerians, we are a country blessed with both oil and gas resources, but we met a country that had been dependent solely on oil-based petrol, neglecting its gas resources to power the economy. We were also using our hard-earned foreign exchange to pay for, and subsidise its use.

To address this, we immediately launched our Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (CNG) to power our transportation economy and bring costs down. This will save over two trillion Naira a month, being used to import PMS and AGO and free up our resources for more investment in healthcare and education.

17. To this end, we will be distributing a million kits of extremely low or no cost to commercial vehicles that transport people and goods and who currently consume 80% of the imported PMS and AGO.
     
18. We have started the distribution of conversion kits and setting up of conversion centres across the country in conjunction with the private sector. We believe that this CNG initiative will reduce transportation costs by approximately 60 per cent and help to curb inflation.
     
19. Our administration has shown its commitment to the youth by setting up the student loan scheme. To date, 45.6billion Naira has already been processed for payment to students and their respective institutions
20. I encourage more of our vibrant youth population to take advantage of this opportunity. We established the Consumer Credit Corporation with over N200billion to help Nigerians to acquire essential products without the need for immediate cash payments, making life easier for millions of households. This will consequently reduce corruption and eliminate cash and opaque transactions. This week, I ordered the release of an additional N50billion Naira each for NELFUND – the student loan, and Credit Corporation from the proceeds of crime recovered by the EFCC

21. Additionally, we have secured $620million under the Digital and Creative Enterprises (IDiCE) – a programme to empower our young people, creating millions of IT and technical jobs that will make them globally competitive. These programmes include the 3Million Technical Talents scheme. Unfortunately, one of the digital centres was vandalised during the protests in Kano. What a shame!
22. Also, more than N570 billion has been released to the 36 states to expand livelihood support to their citizens, while 600,000 nano-businesses have benefitted from our nano-grants. An additional 400,000 more nano-businesses are expected to benefit.
     
23. Furthermore, 75,000 beneficiaries have been processed to receive our N1million Micro and Small Business single-digit interest loans,  starting this month. We have also built 10 MSME hubs within the past year, created 240,000 jobs through them and 5 more hubs are in progress which will be ready by October this year.
24. Payments of N1billion each are also being made to large manufacturers under our single-digit loans to boost manufacturing output and stimulate growth.
     
25. I signed the National Minimum Wage into law last week, and the lowest-earning workers will now earn at least N70,000 a month.
26. Six months ago in Karsana, Abuja, I inaugurated the first phase of our ambitious housing initiative, the Renewed Hope City and Estate. This project is the first of six we have planned across the nation’s geopolitical zones. Each of these cities will include a minimum of 1,000 housing units, with Karsana itself set to deliver 3,212 units
     
27. In addition to these city projects, we are also launching the Renewed Hope Estates in every state, each comprising 500 housing units. Our goal is to complete a total of 100,000 housing units over the next three years. This initiative is not only about providing homes but also about creating thousands of jobs across the nation as well as stimulating economic growth.
28. We are providing incentives to farmers to increase food production at affordable prices. I have directed that tariffs and other import duties should be removed on rice, wheat, maize, sorghum, drugs, and other pharmaceutical and medical supplies for the next 6 months, in the first instance, to help drive down the prices.
     
     
29. I have been meeting with our Governors and key Ministers to accelerate food production. We have distributed fertilisers. Our target is to cultivate more than 10 million hectares of land to grow what we eat. The Federal Government will provide all necessary incentives for this initiative, whilst the states provide the land, which will put millions of our people to work and further increase food production. In the past few months, we have also ordered mechanized farming equipment such as tractors and planters, worth billions of Naira from the United States, Belarus, and Brazil. I can confirm to you that the equipment is on the way.
30. My dear Nigerians, especially our youth, I have heard you loud and clear. I understand the pain and frustration that drive these protests, and I want to assure you that our government is committed to listening and addressing the concerns of our citizens.
     
31. But we must not let violence and destruction tear our nation apart. We must work together to build a brighter future, where every Nigerian can live with dignity and prosperity.
32. The task before us is a collective one, and I am leading the charge as your President. A lot of work has gone into stabilising our economy and I must stay focused on ensuring that the benefits reach every single Nigerian as promised.
     
33. My administration is working very hard to improve and expand our national infrastructure and create more opportunities for our young people.
34. Let nobody misinform and miseducate you about your country or tell you that your government does not care about you. Although there have been many dashed hopes in the past, we are in a new era of Renewed Hope. We are working hard for you, and the results will soon be visible and concrete for everyone to see, feel, and enjoy.
35. Let us work together to build a brighter future for ourselves and for generations to come. Let us choose hope over fear, unity over division, and progress over stagnation. The economy is recovering; Please, don’t shut out its oxygen. Now that we have been enjoying democratic governance for 25 years, do not let the enemies of democracy use you to promote an unconstitutional agenda that will set us back on our democratic journey. FORWARD EVER, BACKWARD NEVER!
     
36. In conclusion, security operatives should continue to maintain peace, law, and order in our country following the necessary conventions on human rights, to which Nigeria is a signatory. The safety and security of all Nigerians are paramount.
     
37. Thank God — and Thank you for your attention, and may God continue to bless our great Nation. Thank you very much.

President Bola Tinubu will address the nation in a broadcast on Sunday, August 4, 2024, at 7:00 am.

Television, radio, and other electronic media outlets are enjoined to plug into the network services of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) for the broadcast.

The broadcast will be repeated on the network services of the NTA and the FRCN at 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm on the same day.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

August 3, 2024

The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has called for calm after protests in the state turned violent, resulting in the looting and vandalization of public and private properties.

While addressing newsmen on Friday, the Emir urged youths to desist from looting and vandalizing properties, stating that such actions are not in the interest of the people and the state.

He expressed sadness over the loss of lives and the destruction of important buildings, including the Kano Printing Press and the ICT Hub of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), which was due to be commissioned the following week.

The Emir emphasized that the destroyed properties belong to the people of Kano, and that the losses will have to be borne by the community. He noted that the Kano Printing Press, which was burnt down, was a valuable resource that could have been used for human development projects.

He also lamented the vandalization of the multi-million naira ICT Hub, which would have benefited the youths of Kano by providing training in computer appreciation and other skills.

The Emir appealed to the public to avoid buying stolen goods and encouraged those who had looted items to return them to their rightful owners.

Finally, he prayed for the repose of the souls of those who lost their lives and property during the protests.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, in a press conference in Abuja on Friday said that the Nigerian military may intervene to control looting and crisis in the ongoing hunger protest.

Musa said, “We are supporting the police all through. We are just on standby. The police are doing a good job; they are handling the situation for now.

“Unless it breaches beyond what they can handle, then the military will step in. The military is on standby and we are watching day and night.”

The CDS noted that while he’s aware of the “grievances” of the protesters on the challenging economic difficulties in the country, he urged them to show some understanding to the Federal Government.

Musa appealed to Nigerians to be united during these trying times and also cautioned against the vandalisation of property and looting.

“So, we want to call on all Nigerians to understand the government. If you have grievances, which I know people have, a lot of challenges here and there, and it is not only in Nigeria alone; everywhere in the world is facing one economic or security crisis or the other. And so, it is important to understand that we are not alone.

But what we can do is not allow criminals and individuals that have lost out to take advantage of this to destroy our country. We should realise that these destructions, monies have to be used to replace them so that we can move forward.

“We know we are challenged as a nation but we know we will overcome working together as Nigerians… Let us avoid anything that will bring mayhem to our country,” he said.

He warned that the military will be professional in its conduct and ensure the prosecution of anyone caught looting and/or stealing, saying, “We will take action and the action we will take, we will take it professionally. Anyone that is caught will be taken to court and will be dealt with.

The Federal Government of Nigeria has reportedly begun the sale of bags of rice worth forty thousands naira to only public servants in the Federal Capital Territory.

According to a circular seen by LEADING REPORTERS today, each civil servant is entitled to one bag while two civil servants can share one accordingly.

Picture of the circular attached below:

48 hours after the demonstration of the #EndBadGovernance protest across the nation, President Bola Tinubu is yet to address the protesters.

According to report, over #500bn worth of properties were reported destroyed and 17 persons were allegedly killed by security personnel across the country.

The protesters listed 12 demands
which seeks to address various socio-economic and political issues plaguing the nation.

The demands include:
Revert petrol pump price to N100/litre, Combat insecurity and hunger
Close all IDP camps and resettle the campers, Total electoral reform
Independent probe into the electoral budget of N355 billion.

Immediate release of ENDSARS protesters still in detention
Implementation of living wage (minimum wage of N300k)
Compulsory free education from primary to secondary school.
Children of public school holders must attend public schools in the country.

Government must patronise made-in-Nigeria goods.
Transition to unicameral legislation.
Judicial and constitutional review among others.

Despite the protests which has gearnred reactions all over the country, the president has refused the address the nation as suggested by tweeps.

Turkey on Friday blocked access to the Instagram social media network, the national communications authority said without explanation.

This is coming after censorship accusations against the United States-based company by a high-ranking Turkish official.

The BTK communications authority said in a post on its website that “instagram.com has been blocked by a decision on the date of 02/08/2024,” without adding further details.

Many users living in Turkey complained on the X platform that they couldn’t refresh their Instagram feeds, an issue verified by AFP journalists.

The Turkish presidency’s communications director Fahrettin Altun on Wednesday hit out at Meta-owned Instagram, accusing the platform of “impeding people from publishing messages of condolence for the martyr Haniyeh.”

Ismail Haniyeh, the political chief of the armed Palestinian Islamist group Hamas and a close ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was killed in Tehran on Wednesday in an attack blamed on Israel.

“This is a very clear and obvious attempt at censure,” Altun said on X.

According to Turkish media, there are more than 50 million users signed up to Instagram in Turkey, out of a population of 85 million.

The decision sparked mockery on other social media networks such as X.

A meme showing a congested metro station with the tagline: “X when Turks wake up to find that Instagram is blocked,” began trending on the platform.

“Instagram is blocked in Turkey, life is over,” wrote user tweeting as #CringeOfMaster alongside a picture of a grieving man.

Others mockingly asked Instagram users where they could see their doctored images now.

This is not the first time that Turkish authorities have blocked access to social media sites.

Wikipedia was blocked between April 2017 and January 2020 over two articles that alleged a link between the presidency and extremism.

That caused shock in a country where Erdogan’s government is often accused of attacking civil freedoms due to the amount of online information that became inaccessible.

In April, Facebook owner, Meta, suspended its Threads social network in Turkey following a decision by authorities to prevent it from sharing information with Instagram.

Youths hiding under the guise of the #EndBadGovernace protest broke into the Digital park of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in Kano, vandalizing the property and carting away with millions worth of equipment, including computers and furniture.

This news was disclosed in an interview with Channels Television by Dr. Bosun Tijani, the minister of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy.

When asked to estimate the value of the vandalized facility and the looted equipment, the Minister stated that the loss to the attack runs into millions if not billions of Naira, as the property was damaged and about 150 laptops and desktops were stolen. 

He however, noted that a private company in Kano had indicated interest in renovating the vandalized facility.

The Minister, however, noted that the vandalization of the facility would not impede the future plans for the Kano ICT Park as the Ministry is already getting support to make sure the park is renovated for your use.