Imo state Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma has advocated constant dialogue by the government with relevant Nigerian stakeholders, as a veritable means of averting any future disenchantment or protests.
According to him, if the organisers and participants of the recent protests were fully engaged and informed of the gains of the economic reforms by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, there would not have been any need for the protests.
Senator Uzodimma, who was speaking in Arise Television in an extensive interview, blamed lack of information on the real cause of the temporary economic hardship and efforts being made to address them, as the main reasons the protests took place.
Hear him: “I sincerely believe that there was no need for the protests. If Nigerians were better informed of the efforts made by the President to address the issues they were protesting, they would have stayed home.”
The governor noted that it was not just the duty of the President alone to offer such an explanation, adding that it involves all officials of the government at all tiers.
He said: “We have the Vice President, we have the Senate President, we have 360 House of Representatives members, who should have their Constituency offices and attract constituency projects, and we have 109 Senators and governors and commissioners, who collectively should offer explanation to Nigerians on what is happening in government”.
According to the Chairman, South East Governors’ Forum, such a dialogue with Nigerians would help to clear confusion and suspicion, as well as engender trust in government.
He explained that given our culture and tradition, there were means of exhaustively addressing grievances before they snowballed to violence and protests.
Senator Uzodimma said going forward, all the tiers of government should activate regular communication between them and ordinary Nigerians, on what the Federal Government is doing in terms of reviving the economy and ameliorating hardships.
He noted that the economic reforms embarked upon by President Tinubu have temporary consequential impacts, which, he said, will progressively ease off to a robust living condition for Nigerians.
“I have always said it, that what we are experiencing is like the pangs of labour which will soon bring joy as soon as the child is born,” he further said.
The governor however blamed what he described as leadership failure on the part of past administrations, as being responsible for the economic quagmire Nigerians found themselves, saying that it was only Tinubu that had the courage to stop the slide into anarchy.
He, therefore, pleaded with Nigerians to have faith in Tinubu and the government, saying that a country without a stable government was an open invitation to anarchy.
On why the people of the South East did not participate in the nationwide protests, Uzodimma attributed it to the grace of God, which opened the eyes of the people to the futility of the action.
He lamented that Igbo people had often borne the brunt of any kind of crisis in Nigeria, leading to their being killed and their property destroyed.
He said leaders in the Soufh East had also carried out enlightenment programmes, sensitizing the youths, on why they should shun the protests.
He disclosed that within the 14 months in office as President, South East people have felt the impact of Tinubu’s leadership, therefore, would continue to offer him the necessary supports to succeed.
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