“Rights are only worth having if they are occasionally boisterous, often inconvenient and frequently tiresome.” Inigo Bing, The Ten Legal Cases That Made Modern Britain, 169 (2022).

Two years after his inauguration in October 2021 as chief judge of the high court of the federal capital territory (FCT), Husseini Baba Yusuf, decided in November 2023 that it was time to indulge in a sport of institutional mating games with the newly installed minister of the FCT, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike.

By a stroke of coincidence, both men are members of the Body of Benchers, which describes itself as “the legal body of practitioners of the highest distinction in the legal profession”.

To initiate the mating, the chief judge relocated to the office of the minister with the judges of the court where they proudly put their assets on display for the edification of the minister. At the meeting, he reminded the minister that “as a judiciary we are part of the government, and we expect that we should be able to do things that should make government work….”

The chief judge was desperate to let the minister know how ready he was to consummate this relationship.

To ensure that he got fullest Ministerial attentions, the chief judge made it known that he had instructed the administrative judges in charge of the various judicial divisions of the FCT high court that all cases involving the FCT “would only be assigned by the Chief Judge.”

The following quarter, when the FCT high court went into the market for judicial appointments, they allocated one out of the twelve new vacancies on offer to the FCT minister, to which he promptly deputed his sister-in-law.

As the new judges got inaugurated in July 2024, the minister quickly announced that the judges in the FCT will be proud beneficiaries of new housing development. The relationship between the chief judge and the minister had moved from intent to intercourse.

Things were going so well between the two institutional lovers that it was clear neither of them would knowingly allow any interloper to get in the way of their romance. When the #EndBadGovernance in Nigeria organisers threatened to intrude into this by making Abuja and the FCT a major theatre of their protest, it was time for the lovers to prove their commitment to one another.

On 31 July, the day before the scheduled commencement of the protest, most people turned in early in anticipation of the disruptions from what promised to be the mother of all protests. Even judicial business was not left out of the sense of apprehension.

It was in this uncertainty that the minister of the FCT decided to prove to the world the depth of the intimacy between him and the chief judge of the FCT.

On 31 July, he initiated proceedings without notice to the defendants (ex parte) asking the court of the chief judge to kettle within the confines of the Moshood Abiola Stadium any wannabe protesters who showed up in the FCT.

This was a poorly rationalised decision, suggesting an executive loss of nerve for many reasons.
First, the Moshood Abiola Stadium is at the neck of a funnel into the city from both southern Nigeria and from the international airport. It was not difficult to see that any significant demonstration would constitute an obstruction to in-coming traffic, if not a risk to travellers.

One conclusion from the proposal contained in the filing by the FCT Minister was that the FCT administration had decided to pass the most substantial burden of any risks from the protest to travellers into and out of the FCT, effectively making them expendable.

Second, in addition to making certain segments expendable, the FCT administration simultaneously also chose to indicate in this proposal that they were not amenable to according to any bandwidth to the protesters’ discontent. Banishing them to the vicinity of the Moshood Abiola Stadium was designed precisely to signal this.

Third, the kind of order that the minister sought from the FCT high court was a profound safety risk to both potential protesters and law enforcement officers, whom it required to enforce the cordon. This kind of policing arrangement had been considered and found unlawful in places with more capable policing, including in England.

Fourth, this was shameless evidence of an irresponsible FCT administration. A more responsible administration could easily have designated the stadium as a viewing centre for the Olympic Games and invited the excluded youth of the FCT to a different experience of what’s possible when government cares.

Even more curious than the nature of the orders that the minister sought was the identity of the parties against whom he sought them.

Omoyele Sowore, the lead defendant, was in New Jersey in the USA. Another leading defendant was called “Persons Unknown.”

Now, a basic rule of civil proceedings is that cases can only be instituted against natural or legal persons. “Persons Unknown”, like spirits or ghosts, does not have capacity to sue or be sued. This does not ordinarily require any particular depth of legal skill or insight to figure out except, of course, before an FCT high court caught in the throes of deep judicial passion with the FCT minister. In this particular case of the suit against “Persons Unknown”, the FCT minister retained the services of two senior advocates of Nigeria (SANs).

Fittingly for a regime whose agents had expended their bigoted propaganda to demonise the Igbo nation over the protest, it seemed appropriate that the judge whom the chief judge of the FCT high court found to assign the case to was known as Chinedu Oriji. From its Igbo language origins, the name roughly translates into “God guides the eating of the yam.”

With little ado, this yam-eating court quickly granted all the orders sought, including “an order restraining the 1st-5th defendants from gathering or parading themselves along any roadway, street, offices and or public premises/property within the FCT between 1st-10th August 2024 or any other day thereafter pending the hearing and determination of” this case.

Instead, the Court required all intending protesters from anywhere within the 7,315 km² of the FCT to converge at the Stadium at the entrance into the city where they would be confined by an armed security cordon thrown at the instigation of the FCT minister and backed by the order from the judge called Oriji.

Even before the court rose for the day, the order was already in the public domain blaring from all government media. It read uncannily as if the order had been granted even before the case was filed. When the chief judge of the FCT high court promised to “do things that should make government work,” he meant just that.

In this case, however, it was doubtful whether the court was in fact making the government work or exposing it instead to irredeemable odium.

A proposition more suited to the mass slaughter of protesters would have been hard to invent. If the protesters had not defied the order in the full majesty of its impracticality, it would have been easy for the government to claim that any number of them trampled to death thereby were unknown.

The perpetrators would have been unknown too.

That would have been fitting for a protest whose leaders the government had judicially designated as “Persons Unknown.”

All that would have been both foreseeable and yet judicially authored.

A court alive to its duties would have spotted this and saved itself and its executive suitors the embarrassment of issuing such an order.

The only thing that mattered in this case, however, was how the FCT high court could prove to the FCT minister its rampant capacity for heedless intercourse with the executive. In this case, it was spared by the resilience of citizens.

Providence, surely, will not always this gladly suffer the excesses of judicial prostitution. The morale of this tale is simple – there must be more dignified ways to eat the judicial yam.

A lawyer and a teacher, Odinkalu can be reached at chidi.odinkalu@tufts.edu

The post In the matter of the yam-eating division of the FCT high court first appeared on The Times of Abuja.

On Tuesday, there was a report that a young reporter was allegedly shot dead by a soldier in Zaria, Kaduna state.

After the incident, the military authorities said the soldier responsible for the death of the 16-year-old protester has been arrested.

Reacting to the incident in a post on his X handle on Wednesday, Abubakar said he was happy that the Nigerian Army acknowledged the incident that happened in Zaria, leading to the death of a young protester.

He said it is crucial for security agents to always adhere to the rule of engagement during conflicts, adding that soldiers should not deployed to suppress civil rights protest.

“I am heartened by the acknowledgement made by the Nigerian Army regarding the tragic incident that resulted in the loss of a young protester’s life,” the former vice-president wrote.

“I also urge for thorough investigations into other instances of violence perpetrated by the military, police, and other security agencies during these protests, in the spirit of accountability.

“The decision to detain the soldier responsible for this unfortunate incident marks a commendable step towards accountability and preserving the rule of law.

“I have consistently advised the service chiefs and military commanders that the use of lethal force against peaceful protesters must not be authorized.

“Upholding the principle of accountability is paramount, and the actions taken by the Nigerian Army in apprehending and, hopefully, prosecuting the soldier responsible for this incident align with this fundamental principle.

“Even amidst conflicts, it is crucial to adhere to rules of engagement. Soldiers should not be deployed to suppress civil rights protests.”

The post Atiku: There must be probe of violence by security agents during #EndBadGovernance protest first appeared on The Times of Abuja.

In a statement on Wednesday, Inko-Tariah described as untrue and mischievous representations that Dokubo-Asari was against the #EndBadGovernance protest.

Inko-Tariah said mischief makers on social media cut, pasted, and edited a lengthy speech given by the Alabo Edi Abali of Kalabari Kingdom at a recent Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) event in Port Harcourt, Rivers capital, to provide it with a different connotation.

He added that Dokubo-Asari known for his lifelong dedication to fighting for the people “cannot change at this stage of his life”.

He highlighted Dokubo-Asari’s unwavering commitment to standing by the people and fighting for justice and equality throughout his career.

“Alhaji Mujahid Abubakar Dokubo-Asari has always been a champion for the rights of the marginalized communities in the Niger Delta and beyond,” the statement reads.

“His focus has been on addressing systemic injustices and promoting peaceful resolutions to grievances.

“It is crucial to understand that his concerns lie not with the legitimate grievances of the protesters but with the dangers of anarchy and attempts to subvert the democratic process through unconstitutional means.”

The post Inko-Tariah: Dokubo-Asari not against protest, he’s a champion of the oppressed first appeared on The Times of Abuja.

In a statement, Mansir Hassan, the police spokesperson in Kaduna, said the suspects were arrested while displaying Russian and Chinese flags.

Hassan added that the suspects also engaged in the vandalisation of private and public properties.

“Among the damaged properties were a Hilux vehicle belonging to Kaduna State Vigilante Service (KADVS), a Toyota Yaris owned by a journalist, and the Zaria offices of the Kaduna State Traffic Law Enforcement Agency (KASTLEA), which was set on fire,” the statement reads.

“The police, in collaboration with other security agencies, intervened to restore order.

“During the confrontation, the suspects became hostile and resorted to using stones, catapults, and other weapons. The police managed to calm the situation with the minimal use of tear gas.

“In total, 39 suspects were arrested at the scene, including a tailor who was sewing the foreign flags for the group.”

The police spokesperson said 38 Russian flags, one Chinese flag, two catapults with a bag of stones, and various vandalised items were recovered from the suspects.

He added that Audu Ali Dabigi, the commissioner of police in Kaduna, commended the operatives for their efforts and urged the residents to obey the 24-hour curfew.

He warned that violators will be arrested and prosecuted under the law while appealing to citizens to cooperate with the police and other security agencies during this critical period.

“The curfew is in place to protect lives and property and ensure the swift restoration of peace in Kaduna state,” the commissioner said.

The post Police arrest 38 suspects, tailor sewing Russian, Chinese flags in Kaduna first appeared on The Times of Abuja.

Musa spoke in Abuja on Monday after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the State House.

“Initially, when the riot started, they said it was a peaceful riot, but we have realised that there are individuals that are willing to take advantage of it to cause mayhem,” the CDS said.

And we can see clearly what has happened since it has commenced. Criminals have taken over, a lot of looting taking place, stealing, and all sorts of things happening.

“And besides, all of us have seen it where foreign flags have been flown within the sovereignty of Nigeria, and that is totally unacceptable.

“We are warning in clear terms, and the President has also said we should convey this: that we will not accept anybody, any individual flying any foreign flag in Nigeria.

“That is a treasonable offense, and it will be viewed and treated as such. So, nobody shall allow himself to be used by any individual.

“Also, the issue of coups. Nigeria is a sovereign nation. Nigeria is a democratic nation. All security agencies are here to defend democracy and ensure that democracy continues to strive. We will not accept anyone pushing or taking any action, seemingly or for whatever reason, to want to push for any change of government.

“Democracy is what we stand for; democracy is what we will continue to defend.

“For those of them flying flags, and if you’ll see, a lot of them are kids being pushed to do that. We’re following up with those who are sponsoring them.

“Those are pushing them because, you know, the flies were also made. We have identified those areas, and we are going to take serious action against that.

“The President is clear in his instructions for us not to accept anyone that wants to disrupt the peace and tranquility of Nigeria.

“And we are all standing here together to show Nigerians that we’re working closely, we are working together with synergy to ensure that there’s still peace and tranquility in Nigeria, as we have assured Mr. President.

The post CDS: Flying foreign flags during #EndBadGovernance protest a treasonable offence first appeared on The Times of Abuja.

The secret police announced the arrest in a statement posted on its official X handle on Monday.

“The DSS can confirm that Adaramoye Michael (aka Michael Lenin) is not in its custody. Meanwhile, the Service has apprehended some tailors in Kano State responsible for making Russian flags being distributed in the area. Some of their sponsors have also been picked. Investigation is ongoing,” the statement reads.

Earlier, a tailor in the commercial city was arrested by police operatives on Monday.

The tailor, identified as Ahmed, was said to have some Russian flags at the time of his arrest.

Since the commencement of the #EndBadGovernance protest in many parts of the country on August 1, some protesters were seen in Kano waving Russian flags.

The post DSS arrests ‘sponsors, tailors sewing Russian flags for protesters’ in Kano first appeared on The Times of Abuja.

In a statement on Sunday, Kachikwu said out of the 19 victims of the protests, no child of any politician or big man was killed, urging those who are aggrieved to wait for the next presidential election to end bad governance.

He also asked the opposition to proffer solutions to the problems of the country instead of instigating violence and seeking overthrow of the democratically elected administration of President Bola Tinubu.

However, Kachikwu advised Tinubu to be broadminded and consult widely instead of running the affairs of the nation alone, adding that it was time to stop blame game in the country.

“We can’t continue killing ourselves. Our streets flow with the blood of the innocent. Over 19 killed in this scam of a protest, all for what? No child of any politician or big man was killed. Just the poor, average Nigerian,” he said.

“Only their family members will cry and mourn for them quietly while those who have made billions from this scam laugh to the bank.

“We are witnessing unprecedented hardship right now. The poor can barely eat a meal in two days. Most of us can no longer afford the necessities.

“The population of the poor is increasing by the minute. We as leaders need to come to a table of equity, justice and fairness to address the plight of the downtrodden immediately.

“It is not Tinubu’s problem alone and Tinubu must stop acting like he can do it all by himself. He must show leadership and reach out across party lines to get the best and the brightest to a solution roundtable. God himself reconciled all men to him through his son Jesus Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.

“If God knows to reconcile us to him, who are you not to reconcile the aggrieved to you? (2 Corinthians 5:18-19) Our nation needs healing and for this to happen, all Nigerians must come to equity with clean hands and sincerity of purpose.

“We don’t burn our houses because we want to kill rats and cockroaches: sometimes we just need to make our houses clean so that rats and cockroaches will leave on their own. My earnest prayer is that Nigeria will soon work for every one of us.”

Kachikwu also faulted the opposition for indulging in abusing Tinubu instead of proffering solutions to the nation’s problems.

He warned against attempting to remove a democratically elected government through the back door

“What of those who lost elections but like President Trump they won’t accept the result and move on? This is not a progressive attitude. We can’t burn down our country over elections that have been won and lost,” he added.

“The job of the opposition now is to oppose and propose but what we are doing is only opposing without providing any solutions to our problems. Watch any advanced democracy and see how the opposition behaves.

“They have their stand and solution on all issues, and they will debate you night and day but here all we want to do is abuse Tinubu without offering any concrete solutions. This is not leadership.

“Nigerians lost a golden opportunity by not insisting on credible debates. Joe Biden has pulled out of the race because a single debate spotlighted his deficiencies but here in Nigeria we don’t care.

“President Buhari fumbled in all the debates, but he won two elections. His government set us back three decades, but yet we didn’t protest bad governance when he was President.

“We protested SARS arresting so called Yahoo boys and our youths on trumped up charges. Who are we deceiving? For how long will we keep on being mediocre about our civic duties?

“If you hate Tinubu so much, then pressure the National Assembly to remove him or wait till the next elections but heating up the body polity for the last one year and attempting to remove a democratically elected government through the back door is no different from a coup.”

On the way forward, he said Nigerians should return to God to reverse the course in the country.

“My dear Nigerians we must reverse the course. For too long we have followed politicians, men of God, entertainers or anything that is the latest fad but never have we as a people agreed to follow God. Who then is our role model of leadership? We can’t continue this blame and hate game,” he said.

Concerning the removal of the petrol subsidy, he said Tinubu should have a rethink of the policy of his administration on it.

He said the problem of subsidy was the fraud associated with the scheme and asked the government to prosecute all those who abused the scheme no matter how highly placed in society

He also recommended that the government should rejig the scheme and make it fraud proof.

He said: “Look at the vexatious issue of subsidy removal. Some sections of the media are now saying all the Presidential candidates agreed that subsidy had to go. This is not true,” he said.

“God did not make a mistake by depositing oil in our land. The problem of subsidy was the fraud associated with the scheme.

“I said that we should prosecute all those who abused the scheme no matter how highly placed in society and at the same time rejig the scheme and make it fraud proof. I also said we should suspend it for a few months while all these takes place.

“Why should over 200 million Nigerians suffer because of the crime of less than a thousand people? This doesn’t make sense.

“The President believes that with subsidy gone there is more money for capital projects, but he forgets that in a corrupt society like ours that a lot of that money will be looted.

“We are all also calling on Tinubu, the States and Local Governments have been getting much more money and they are closer to the people. What are they doing? We don’t want to hear the truth.”

But Kachikwu urged Tinubu to give a broader perspective to all appointments in national interest.

He said the President should live up to his rating that he is different from ex-President Muhammadu Buhari.

“Tinubu won because most of those who voted believed in what he had to offer them. This is the simple truth,” he said.

“The funniest thing is that I believe that he could actually succeed if he stops acting like a cowboy. In some of his actions you can see he is a progressive at heart, but he keeps on scoring own goals with his Emilokan actions.

“The President must understand that he is not President Buhari. If President Buhari was appointing only Northerners into office, you can say he had 20 northern states he was sharing the offices to but President Tinubu has just six southwest states.

“It is the height of insensitivity and irresponsibility to be seen as appointing only Yoruba into office. As some Nigerians went out to protest, is it only Yoruba policemen and security agents who went you to secure our lives and property? The answer is no.”

The post Don’t instigate violence against Tinubu, wait till 2027 elections, Dumebi Kachikwu tells protesters first appeared on The Times of Abuja.

In a post shared on his X page, the former vice-president also condemned the use of live ammunition against the protesters in Abuja and Kano on Saturday.

“I vehemently condemn the heinous act of using live ammunition on citizens peacefully protesting against bad governance, as witnessed today in Kano and Abuja,” Abubakar wrote.

“This is utterly intolerable and reminiscent of the dark days of military dictatorship. It is crucial to remind the government and security agencies of their paramount duty to ensure a safe and secure environment where citizens can exercise their right to protest without fear.

“When security forces open fire on innocent protesters, they do nothing but exacerbate tensions, transforming peaceful demonstrations into chaos.

“I refuse to believe that inciting violence is the intention of our authorities. I urge the international community, including the United Nations and the International Criminal Court, to closely monitor the situation in Nigeria and hold its leadership and security apparatus accountable.

“I reaffirm my counsel to protesters to steadfastly exercise their right to peaceful protest and reject any form of violence.

“Those engaging in looting and the destruction of public and private property must be isolated and prosecuted according to the law.

“By indulging in such acts, they undermine the legitimate protests and play into the hands of those who oppose their right to protest.

“President Tinubu must demonstrate true leadership by immediately addressing and implementing the demands of the Nigerian people.”

The post Atiku to Tinubu: Demonstrate true leadership, address demands of Nigerians first appeared on The Times of Abuja.

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.

10. 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.

11. 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 automation and mobilising funding creatively without additional burden on the people.

Productivity is gradually increasing in the non-oil sector, reaching new levels and taking advantage of the opportunities in the current economic ambience

12. My dear brothers and sisters, we have come this far. Coming from a place where our country spent 97% of all our revenue on debt service; we have been able to reduce that to 68% in the last 13 months. We have also cleared legitimate outstanding foreign exchange obligations of about $5billion without any adverse impact on our programmes.

13. This has given us more financial freedom and the room to spend more money on you, our citizens, 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.

14. 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

15. 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.

16. 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. In addition, we have introduced the Skill-Up Artisans Programme (SUPA); the Nigerian Youth Academy (NIYA); and the National Youth Talent Export Programme (NATEP).

23. 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.

24.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.

25. Payments of N1billion each are also being made to large manufacturers under our single-digit loans to boost manufacturing output and stimulate growth.

26. I signed the National Minimum Wage into law last week, and the lowest-earning workers will now earn at least N70,000 a month.

27. 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.

28. 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.

29. 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.

30. 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.

32. 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.

33. 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.

34. 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.

35. My administration is working very hard to improve and expand our national infrastructure and create more opportunities for our young people.

36. 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.

37. 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!

38.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.

39. Thank God — and Thank you for your attention, and may God continue to bless our great Nation. Thank you very much.

The post FULL TEXT: Address of Tinubu’s nationwide broadcast first appeared on The Times of Abuja.

The president made the call in his nationwide broadcast on Sunday morning.

“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,” Tinubu said.

“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.”

The post Tinubu asks protesters to stop, warns troublemakers first appeared on The Times of Abuja.