The Ijaw National Congress, INC, a socio-cultural organization of Ijaw people worldwide has expressed satisfaction with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's courage to address Nigerians amidst the ongoing nationwide hunger protest.
Professor Benjamin Okaba, President of INC said that the mere fact that the President braced all odds to address the nation "has its own import even though many people would have loved such action to be taken earlier than today (Sunday)".
Professor Okaba however called on the protesters to back down from their action and give the federal government some more time for the programs and policies the President promised in his speech to yield some fruits.
Speaking during a telephone phone interview on Sunday shortly after President Tinubu's address to the nation, the INC President said "coming out to address Nigerians at this critical time has its own import. He said his government is taking steps to address those issues that drove the protest.
"The speech was okay. But we have not seen any decline in the upward movement of prices of commodities. We expected the fuel price to be brought down to at least N300 per litre. Prices of food items are just going higher every day. These and more are the reasons behind the protest.
"We have seen fourteen months of this government. Like the President said, he wants to engage key stakeholders on the way forward. I will like to advise that the President should not only engage his friends or party members. He should also engage even the opposition so that we can get fresh ideas from them to move the country forward".
The INC President warned that if the protest should continue beyond this stage, it may possibly breeds anarchy. "I will want the protesters to withdraw from the streets and go home. Any protest beyond this point will lead to anarchy and that will be too bad for us as a country".
While pleading with the protesters to back down, Professor Okaba also expressed optimism to see the cost of fuel, cost of governance and cost of foodstuff brought down by the government, adding that austerity should start from the government officials who rub-off their wealth on the faces of poor Nigerians through extravagant lifestyle.
