Former Minister of Information, Frank Nweke Jr, has outlined six critical steps for President Bola Tinubu to address the ongoing hunger protests across Nigeria.
Nweke urged the President to directly engage with citizens facing economic hardships and avoid using intermediaries. He called for an immediate investigation into the deaths of peaceful protesters at the hands of security forces.
The former APGA governorship candidate from Enugu emphasized the need for President Tinubu to reduce government spending and combat corruption. Nweke also stressed the importance of holding state governors accountable for their responsibilities.
On his X handle, Nweke Jr stated, “Speak with Nigerians directly. He must listen to and address Nigerians directly, not through tone-deaf surrogates.
“Demand an immediate investigation into the reported killings across the country and hold the security services accountable for the life of every Nigerian that has been cut short.
“Take immediate and definite steps that show a commitment to reducing the size and cost of governance, reviewing the salaries of public officials downwards, and going beyond lip service to combat corruption and profligacy in the government.
“Put the state governments on the line. Federal Accounts Allocations increased by 179% in the first five months of 2024 as a result of the unpopular subsidy removal.
“With some states receiving almost 100% more money, the president must call on state governments to deliver on their responsibilities and seek a structured partnership with citizens to hold state governments accountable.
“Following the ruling that it is unconstitutional for State governors to receive, tamper, or administer funds meant for Local Governments, the Federal Government must create an accountability and monitoring mechanism to hold Local Governments accountable for providing critical services to citizens.
“The president must continue to urge Nigerians to embrace constructive engagement, employing the services of eminent citizens to midwife national conversations between government and citizens about the state of the nation to arrive at a consensus on the way forward.”
