FG Holds Emergency Meeting Amid Planned Nationwide Protest

The Federal Government has called an emergency meeting for Wednesday morning in response to a planned nationwide protest set for August 1.

This is coming after President Bola Tinubu pleaded with the organisers to shelve the protests and give his administration more time to execute people-oriented programmes.

A circular obtained by The PUNCH on Tuesday revealed that all ministers, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, and several Special Advisers to the President, including Hadiza Bala-Usman (Policy and Coordination), Bayo Onanuga (Information and Strategy), and former Minister of Youth and Sports, Sunday Dare, were invited to attend the emergency meeting.

The circular, signed by Richard Pheelangwah, the Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Affairs Office, and dated July 23, 2024, was titled ‘Planned Nationwide Protest.’

It read, “I am directed to invite you to attend a meeting with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation on the above subject slated as follows: July 24, 2024, Time: 10 am prompt, Venue: Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation Conference Room.

“Attendance is mandatory. Please, accept the warm regards of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.”

The planned session is coming amid the clamour for nationwide protests from August 1 over the rising cost of living and the economic hardship in the country, which has blamed on the removal of fuel subsidy, the floating of the naira and other economic reforms implemented by the Tinubu administration.

The planned demonstration, inspired by the recent Kenya protests, has gained traction on social media, where it is trending under the hashtags ‘EndBadGovernance,’ ‘TinubuMustGo’ and ‘#Revolution2024.’