Cheke Emmanuel 
…Reason Why Protest Didn’t Continue In Nasarawa
The Nasarawa state government has given reasons why the ongoing hardship protest could not hold sway in the state because the government has resolved some of the issues that led to the protests.
The government said timely distribution of palliatives, provision of various interventions shortly after the removal of fuel subsidy, prompt payment of wages of civil servants and other numerous skills acquisition training and youth and women empowerment have helped in no small measure in ameliorating the hardship being experienced by citizens of the state.
This was disclosed by the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Abdullahi Sule on Public Affairs, Peter Ahemba, during a visit to the office of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).Nasarawa state council, in Lafia, Yesterday.
He said that Nasarawa state did not witness the intensity of the ongoing hardship protest which suddenly turned violent, looting, and destruction of property in other states because the state had already resolved some of the issues being agitated by the protesters.
“The protest that was supposed to be about the feelings or the perceived hunger in the country turned out to be a looting spree, from what we witnessed in most states.
Thank God in Nasarawa State we didn’t record many incidents of mass protests and looting. Maybe it is because in State, His Excellency has addressed substantially, the issues that led to the nationwide protests, because in Nasarawa State most of the issues being agitated for, are actually issues that have been addressed through the instrumentality of the government of Engr. A. A Sule.
You are talking about hunger. That is one of those things that led to that protest. In Nasarawa state, the government of Engr. A. A Sule has been able to address that to a large extent through the implementation of certain palliatives that have now been able to address hardship in our communities. So, that accounts for the reason why we witnessed fewer protests in Nasarawa State.
“A lot of communities decided that they did not want to come out to protest because Engr. A A. Sule is already doing the needful, so there was no need to stage any protest.”
The Senior Special Assistant disclosed that the Nasarawa state government has agreed to pay the N70,000 minimum wage as approved and signed by President Bola Tinubu, saying modalities were being worked out to commence payment of the new minimum wage to civil servants in the state.
“The Federal government led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the sum of 70, 000 as a new minimum wage for workers. In Nasarawa, I can confirm to you that the government of His Excellency, Engineer A. A Sule is more than ready to pay 70,000 to workers of Nasarawa state.
“That one is not negotiable. His Excellency has made it clear that whatever was approved by the Federal government, his government is willing to pay. Now that 70, 000 has been approved, a bill sent to the National Assembly, passed and assented to by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency has no excuse whatsoever not to pay 70,000 minimum wage.
“The government is willing to pay that and modalities are being worked out to commence the payment of 70,000 to workers of Nasarawa state. That one, I can confirm to you authoritatively”
