The Minister of Steel Development, Shuaibu Audu, has urged Nigerians to halt their nationwide protest against President Bola Tinubu’s government.
Audu made the request in a statement released by his Special Assistant on Media, Lizzy Okoji, in Abuja yesterday.
The minister reassured Nigerians protesting increased economic hardship that Tinubu is working hard to address the country’s present difficulties.
Audu reaffirmed that the government is working diligently to restore the country’s steel industries and that the Tinubu administration aims to create 500,000 direct and indirect employment in the industry.
“I want to appeal to my fellow Nigerians to please suspend the nationwide protests against the current administration and let us resort to dialogue to address all our concerns and expectations from the President Tinubu-led administration.
“Mr President has shown countless times his concern for the plight of Nigerians, with the recent implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage for workers, driving the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) initiative with CNG vehicles to cushion the impact of the removal of fuel subsidy which will reduce the cost of transportation by at least 70 per cent.
“Responsive to the challenges of the masses in the face of the ongoing reforms, President Tinubu directed the disbursement of N50,000 uplift grants each to over 100,000 families per state for three months thereby impacting close to five million families nationwide.
“My colleague, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen Abubakar Kyari, under the direction of Mr President, has assured Nigerians that food prices will crash in 180 days, with strategic measures aimed at addressing the high food prices currently affecting the nation being implemented. 250,000 metric tonnes of wheat and 250,000 metric tonnes of maize are being imported, and these semi-processed commodities will be supplied to small-scale processors and millers across the country.
“Additionally, strengthening the health sector, Mr President has directed the redesign of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, which attracted 2.5 dollars in financing for the National Primary Health Care so that citizens could have access to better healthcare.
“I and my colleagues at the Cabinet level, under the visionary leadership of Mr President across all sectors, have been working relentlessly to implement various policies within our respective mandates for the actualization of the Renewed Hope Agenda to facilitate a better Nigeria for all. Many of these projects have already come to light.
“In the steel sector, the ongoing reforms to revive our steel plants will create over 500,000 direct and indirect jobs, while we attract Foreign Direct Investments as a means of growing and diversifying the economy,” Audu stated.
