From Femi Folaranmi. Yenagoa
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil) Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, has urged the youths of Ijaw ethnic nationality and the Niger Delta region to shun tomorrow’s nationwide protest because hardship is not only peculiar to Nigeria.
Lokpobiri, while addressing the leaders of Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) and other youths leaders across the Niger Delta region on Wednesday at Ijaw House in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, stated that even United States of America, Europe, and all other countries in the world, have their own problems ranging from inflation, economic hardship, adding that protest is not a solution to any of those problem.
“It is important that I come here today to interact with you, and to tell you that we Ijaw people, we have always been the pacesetters, Niger Delta people have always been the pacesetters in this country, i came here today because of what is happening across the country.
“A faceless group calling for protest, across Nigeria, and that is what everybody is talking about today, what are the issues, the issues they are talking about have nothing to do with the present government, the demands to change the constitution has nothing to do with the President of Nigeria, but one salient issue they have always raise is that there is hardship in the country, and the president himself has acknowledged that there is hardship the country.
“When EndSARS came, properties were destroyed, people were killed, that wasn’t a solution to any problem, when you have a listening president, our own opinion is that let’s us have a sustainable engagement where you tell us where the issues are, and you give us time to be able respond and address those issues.
“The president acknowledges the problems that Nigerians are going through, but you must also understand that these problems are not peculiar to Nigeria, also, please, bear with us, you can’t solve problems that are endemic in just one year, we need time to be able to resolve the problems of Nigeria that have been here for years, but because we have a president who is proactive, who listens, he knows there is hunger in the land, so he sent palliatives to all the 36 states of Nigeria and Abuja, the president also acknowledges that times are hard, he introduced students loans scheme.
The leaders of Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) led by the Worldwide President, Jonathan Lokpobiri, promised to support the president and give him time to tackle Nigeria’s problems.