Fellow Nigerians,
It has become necessary for me to address you having heard from many concerned Nigerians and having concluded a meeting with all the Security Chiefs.
I must warn those who have hijacked and misdirected the initial, genuine and well-intended protest of some of our youths in parts of the country, against the excesses of some members of the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
On Monday 12th October, I acknowledged the genuine concerns and agitations of members of the public regarding the excessive use of force by some members of SARS.
The choice to demonstrate peacefully is a fundamental right of citizens as enshrined in Section 40 of our Constitution and other enactments; but this right to protest also imposes on the demonstrators the responsibility to respect the rights of other citizens, and the necessity to operate within the law.
As a democratic government, we listened to, and carefully evaluated the five-point demands of the protesters. And having accepted them, we immediately scrapped SARS, and put measures in place to address the other demands of our youth.
On approving the termination of SARS, I already made it clear that it was in line with our commitment to the implementation of extensive Police reforms.
Sadly, the promptness with which we have acted seemed to have been misconstrued as a sign of weakness and twisted by some for their selfish unpatriotic interests.
The result of this is clear to all observers: human lives have been lost; acts of sexual violence have been reported; two major correctional facilities were attacked and convicts freed; public and private properties completely destroyed or vandalised; the sanctity of the Palace of a peace-maker, the Oba of Lagos has been violated. So-called protesters have invaded an International Airport and in the process disrupted the travel plans of fellow Nigerians and our visitors.
All these executed in the name of the ENDSARS protests. I am indeed deeply pained that innocent lives have been lost. These tragedies are uncalled for and unnecessary.
Certainly, there is no way whatsoever to connect these bad acts to legitimate expressions of grievances of the youths of our country.
The spreading of deliberate falsehood and misinformation through the social media in particular, that this government is oblivious of the pains and plights of its citizens, is a ploy to mislead the unwary within and outside Nigeria into unfair judgement and disruptive behaviour.
On the contrary, both our deeds and words have shown how committed this administration has been to the well being and welfare of citizens, even with the steadily dwindling revenues, and the added responsibilities and restrictions due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Fellow Nigerians,
It has become necessary for me to address you having heard from many concerned Nigerians and having concluded a meeting with all the Security Chiefs.
— Muhammadu Buhari (@MBuhari) October 22, 2020
Government has put in place measures and initiatives principally targeted at youths, women and the most vulnerable groups in our society. These included our broad plan to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in the next 10 years; the creation of N75 billion National Youth Investment Fund to provide opportunities for the youths, and the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Survival Fund, through which government is:
a. paying 3-months salaries of the staff of 100,000 micro, small- and medium- enterprises
b. paying for the registration of 250,000 businesses at the Corporate Affairs Commission
c. giving a grant of N30,000 to 100,000 artisans
d. guaranteeing market for the products of traders
These are in addition to many other initiatives such as:
a. Farmermoni,
b. Tradermoni,
c. Marketmoni,
d. N-Power,
e. N-Tech and
f. N-Agro.
No Nigerian Government in the past has methodically and seriously approached poverty-alleviation like we have done.
With regard to the welfare of police personnel, the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission has been directed to expedite action on the finalization of the new salary structure of members of the Nigeria Police Force.
The emoluments of other paramilitary services are also being reviewed upwards.
In order to underscore the importance of education in preparing youths for the future, this administration has come up with a new salary structure and other incentives for our teachers.
Let me at this point re-affirm the Federal Government’s commitment to preserving the unity of this country.
We will continue to improve good governance and our democratic process, including through sustained engagement.
We shall continue to ensure that liberty and freedom, as well as the fundamental rights of all citizens, are protected.
But remember that government also has the obligation to protect lives and properties, as well as the right of citizens to go about their daily businesses freely and protected from acts of violence.
To our neighbours in particular, and members of the international community, many of whom have expressed concern about the ongoing development in Nigeria, we thank you and urge you all to seek to know all the facts available before taking a position or rushing to judgement and making hasty pronouncements.
In the circumstances, I would like to appeal to protesters to note and take advantage of the various well-thought-out initiatives of this administration designed to make their lives better and more meaningful, and resist the temptation of being used by some subversive elements to cause chaos with the aim of truncating our nascent democracy.
For you to do otherwise will amount to undermining national security and the law and order situation. Under no circumstances will this be tolerated.
I therefore call on our youths to discontinue the street protests and constructively engage government in finding solutions.
Your voice has been heard loud and clear and we are responding.
And I call on all Nigerians to go about their normal businesses, and enjoin security agencies to protect lives and properties of all law-abiding citizens without doing harm to those they are meant to protect.
Let me pay tribute to officers of the Nigeria Police Force who have tragically lost their lives in the line of duty.
I would like to thank those State Governors, traditional and religious leaders who have appealed for calm and restraint.
I also thank youth leaders who have restrained their followers from taking the law into their own hands.
This government respects and will continue to respect all the democratic rights and civil liberties of the people, but it will not allow anybody or groups to disrupt the peace of our nation.
Thank you all.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
All these are policy which I have not yet see in the society at large our president did not addressed the real issues bothering the mind of Nigerian youths nation wide.
Olodumare bless Nigeria …..May the ancestors bless the protesters
ASE O.
Olodumare bless our president.
This man thinks his speaking to his kids at home this is your address to the youth after all the damages you and your hausa Fulani cabinet have caused, his not even polite or shown any element of being touched very poor intro rude presentation and a total weaknesses in acknowledging the fact that he pushes the youth in vandalizing, for seven days they protested peacefully there where no lives loss even though the APC government uses their tugs to try and disrupt the protest; just as they did in Benin city using their tugs to invade the prison to make it look like the protesters did it, in all those seven days of peaceful protest you acted as if the youth are not important; as you had always called them LAZY, it was after your Boko Haram members among the military who always dance to your tunes was sent to kill innocent protesters of which you and your defense Minister and Tinebu was involved in the act thinking you can fool Nigerians and the world at large, the youth reacted out of anger and pains, how could you sent military against the youth? lives have been lost now you are coming out to make a lies speech; if not that Nanna Akufor Ado of Ghana pushed you hard you wouldn’t have address the nation because you and your cabinet know not what’s right from wrong it’s a pity that it’s all too late now it’s no longer #endsars or just a police reform but a national restructuring the people are demanding.
#reformNigeria we are tired of this your mouth mouth government oga Buhari.
President: Hausa Fulani
Senete president: Hausa
Defense Minister : Hausa
IG of police : Hausa
All the key ministers in Nigeria hausas
Na weatin self na only get Nigeria??
Buhari is not serious wallah
All this mention above a. paying 3-months salaries of the staff of 100,000 micro, small- and medium- enterprises
b. paying for the registration of 250,000 businesses at the Corporate Affairs Commission
c. giving a grant of N30,000 to 100,000 artisans
d. guaranteeing market for the products of traders
I personally want to know one of the poor youth who has beninfited from this if not the sons and daughters of our leaders and their family members, let us stop covering up writeups, i have never in my life right from the day one of my poor life received any pin from the state or federal, not even a free transportation to school, i want the youth to cool down let us just give the government months to see if their will be changes from now on, please I’m still calling on our leaders to try to have the fear of God
…And he said nothing concerning the blood bath at Lekki tollgate.
Oh! What a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive. I sorrow at Nigeria’s captive state. I weep for Nigeria.
#ThereWasACountry
#EndPoliceBrutality