” 10 Days of Rage”: 8 Key Highlights From President Tinubu’s Nationwide Broadcast
As predicted by the United Nations and CSOs, the ongoing ‘10 Days of Rage’ protest has been hijacked by individuals with ulterior motives. In Kano, Kaduna Borno and a couple of other states, the protest turned bloody.
As of Friday, August 2, 2024, reports say that 17 Nigerians have lost their lives in the protest among who were police, protesters and bystanders.
A number of businesses including the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Industrial Park have been looted by hoodlums amid the nationwide protest.
In quelling the tensions and destruction in the wake of the “10 Days of Rage” protest, President Tinubu spoke with the citizens particularly the aggrieved youths in 23 minutes live broadcast on Sunday, August 4, 2024. While Nigerians are lending their thoughts on the President’s patriotic broadcast, here are eight highlights from his speech.
1. Pained by the loss of lives amid the protest
‘’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.”
2. The President called for dialogue
“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.”
3. Ensure the safety of law-abiding citizens
“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.”
4. Economic reform
“For decades, our economy has remained anaemic 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.”
5. Fiscal improvement
‘’In the past 14 months 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.”
6. Debt Reduction
“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.”
7. Infrastructural development projects
“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.”
8. Empowerment programs for the youths
“Our administration has shown its commitment to the youth by setting up the student loan scheme. 45.6 billion Naira has already been processed, the Consumer Credit Corporation with over N200billion to help Nigerians to acquire essential products, we have secured $620million under the Digital and Creative Enterprises (IDiCE) to empower young people.”
‘ Experts Insights’
Experts have commended President Bola Tinubu for addressing Nigerians at this crucial moment adding that he has proven that he is a receptive leader. They also commended him for calling on the organisers of the protest for dialogue noting that the move is one of the tenets of democracy. They also urge the leaders of the protest to make themselves available for dialogue for the benefit of all the citizens of Nigeria.
