Senator Ndume Urges Tinubu to Engage Youth in Dialogue to Avert Nationwide Protest.
Ndume urged President Bola Tinubu to establish communication lines with the youths across the country to avert the nationwide protest due to economic hardship, which is scheduled for August 1. This, according to him, will have the effect of talking to protest organizers, releasing tension, hence halting the protests.
This advice is in tandem with the NLC, which equally called on Tinubu to discuss grievances with protest leaders.
NLC President Joe Ajaero cited the spiraling inflation, hike in food, and electricity tariff when he called on Tinubu to listen to the citizens of the country.
From our point of view, Senator Ndume's advice to President Tinubu to, as a matter of urgency, enter into dialogue with the youth before the proposed nationwide protests is a strategic and prudent approach.
All these economic challenges have put Nigerians into a tight situation, especially with high inflation rates, increasing costs for basic living, such as food and electricity.
Open dialogue can be meant to serve a number of ends: to give an avenue to the government to understand the specific grievances and demands of protesters, to show democratic principles at work, and probably to prevent situations before they boil over into general unrest.
This call, argued by Senator Ndume and even supported by the Nigeria Labour Congress, goes to prove that what is needed from leadership is basically empathy and active listening.
This would only heighten tensions and have worse economic and social consequences. It is, therefore, in the interest of the government not to further marginalize the protesters but to take the first step through engagement with the protest organizers to ensure that there is trust-building and the creation of an inclusive feeling in the political process.
This approach can eventually pave the way for more sustainable solutions to the underlying economic problems facing Nigeria.
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