Protest: We don’t want another round of violence in Plateau – Govt
The Plateau State government has cautioned residents of the state against participating in the planed nationwide protest. Speaking in Jos, the state capital, while addressing some youths, Secretary to the state government, Samuel Jatau, said the state has witnessed a lot of crises, adding that care ought to be taken to prevent Plateau from being […]
The Plateau State government has cautioned residents of the state against participating in the planed nationwide protest.
Speaking in Jos, the state capital, while addressing some youths, Secretary to the state government, Samuel Jatau, said the state has witnessed a lot of crises, adding that care ought to be taken to prevent Plateau from being plunged into another chaos.
He appealed to Nigerians to be patient with President Bola Tinubu’s administration, pointing out that it inherited a debt burden of over N75 trillion, and as such it requires the collective efforts to tackle the issue.
To the youths of Plateau, he urged them to jealousy guide the relative peace being enjoyed by not allowing criminal elements hibernating under the planned protest to highjack the protest.
“This government is just one year in office, this government came and inherited a rotting system in place, a system where the country was already debt-laden. By January 2023, our debt burden was already over N75 trillion naira as a country.
“For sure, food is expensive, and things are difficult… It will interest you to know that as a government official when we were buying fuel, I complain to my driver because the cost of fuel is high but the truth is that we must be patient.
“For us on the Plateau, we have put in some measures, for example the Metro Buses in town is to ease cost of transportation to our people that is why we are charging only N200 no matter the distance, from Bukuru to Taminus, from Farin Gada, Polo to Zawan same N200. We have the train shuttle is also to ease transportation.
“We have increased scholarship by over 300% as a government, we have slashed school fees to Plateau students in Tertiary Institutions by 50%, all is to reduced the pressure.
“We have bought over 200 trucks of fertilizer and we have given more than half of that as palliative to Plateau people, the rest was given as subsidize cost, so that we can increase and optimize food production as a state.”
In his remarks, Alex Audu, Chairman of the Nigerian Youth Council, Plateau State chapter, said they were against the protest and would not be part of it.
