ABUJA – Information Minister Mohammed Idris, briefing selected State House correspondents after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday, conveyed the President’s appeal to the organisers of the planned nationwide protest against economic hardship to postpone their demonstration and await the government’s response to their grievances.
“The issue of the planned protest, Mr President does not see any need for that. He’s asked them to shelve that plan. He’s asked them to await the government’s response to all their pleas,” the minister said.
Scheduled for August, the protest against economic hardship, which has gained significant traction on social media, is set to take place across all states of the Federation, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. The organisers of the protest have remained anonymous.
In recent months, prices of food and basic commodities have skyrocketed, plunging Nigerians into one of the country’s worst inflation crises, exacerbated by the government’s policies of petrol subsidy removal and forex window unification.
The Federal Government, through the National Orientation Agency (NOA), the Nigeria Police Force, and the House of Representatives, has warned against the planned demonstration. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Senator Ali Ndume have urged the President to address the demands of the dissatisfied citizens, predominantly youths.
Meanwhile, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga warned on Saturday that the protest, if staged, could lead to a repeat of the destruction of assets seen during the EndSARS protests against police brutality in October 2020.
Senate Receives President Tinubu’s Amendment Request for ₦6.2tn Budget Increase
ABUJA – The Senate has received President Bola Tinubu’s request to amend the 2024 Appropriation Act and the 2023 Finance Act, proposing an increase of ₦6.2 trillion. The House of Representatives has also passed the minimum wage bill and the police act amendment bill, following the Senate’s lead.
President Tinubu’s request, outlined in a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio and read at plenary, seeks to amend the principal Act to allocate ₦3.2 trillion for Renewed Hope infrastructure projects and other critical infrastructure projects nationwide. Additionally, ₦3 trillion is requested to cover further recurrent expenditure requirements for the Federal Government’s operations, funded by expected revenue.
The proposed amendments to the Finance Act 2023 include imposing a one-time windfall tax on the foreign exchange gains realised by banks in their 2023 financial statements. The revenue generated from this tax will fund capital infrastructure development, education, healthcare access, and public welfare initiatives, essential components of the administration’s renewed hope agenda.
President Tinubu had signed the ₦28.7 trillion 2024 Appropriation Bill into law on January 1, 2024, and indicated plans to present the 2024 Supplementary Budget to the National Assembly on May 29, 2024.
