BY CHUWANG DUNGS
A former minister of labour and productivity, Joel Ikenya on Wednesday advised State governors to share the recently released palliative to the masses before the forthcoming August 1st planned national protest.
As part of efforts to cushion the effects of the high cost of living due to rising food prices, the federal government released a palliative measure of 20 trucks of 25 kg bags of rice to each state of the federation and the nation’s capital.
The palliatives, the government said, would be distributed to vulnerable Nigerians.
While speaking to DAYLIGHTREPORTERS in Jalingo the Taraba state capital, IKenya, warns that the planned protests could be hijacked by hoodlums with ulterior motives.
He then advised state governors to ensure the distribution of the rice they received from the Federal Government to avoid a repeat of what happened during the ENDSARS protest.
Mr Ikenya, also solicited the governors to ensure that the palliatives are channeled to those who are in need.
Ikenya, who was also a former senator representing Taraba South, then appealed to Nigerian youths to constructively engage the government in finding solutions to Nigeria’s problems, rather than engaging in protests that could cause more harm to the country.
He recalled the destruction of lives and properties occasioned by the EndSARS protests across the country in 2020, saying “protests could only escalate issues without finding solutions to them.”
“Let the governors ensure that the items sent to them from the Federal Government are equally distributed to the needy; that can discourage many youths from going to the streets that very day.
“Many youths are targeting to attack the warehouses where the palliatives are being kept. If by mistake the items are not distributed, it’s obvious that the event of ENDSARS would repeat itself.
“The President has already ensured that there is an inflow of food across the nation and the governors have no reason to withhold those items. The governors should be able to complement the efforts of Mr. President by making the food items available to the needy,” Mr Ikenya said.
When contacted, the Taraba State Commissioner for Special Duties and Social Development, Saviour Noku, told our correspondent that the palliatives allocated to the state by the federal government are yet to be delivered .
