In the wake of President Bola Tinubu's recent address urging protesters to suspend their demonstrations and engage in dialogue, residents of Kano have voiced their support for this approach.
Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on August 4, 2024, several Kano residents emphasized the importance of dialogue as a means to resolve the ongoing issues.
Taiye Hassan, an entrepreneur, commended the president for his broadcast and urged the protesters to retreat, stating, "because the president has listened to your complaints." He highlighted the necessity for the youth to allow dialogue to take place, noting that "every dispute ends with dialogue and understanding."
Bala Muhammad, a businessman, described President Tinubu as humane and a true democrat, encouraging the protesters to accept the proposed dialogue for the nation's benefit. He also warned about the potential infiltration of the protests by individuals with sinister motives aiming to loot and vandalize property.
A’isha Ibrahim, a school teacher, praised the president's call for dialogue and appealed to the protesters to calm down, pointing out that the protest had been hijacked by hoodlums. She advised, "I want to use this medium to appeal to the president to match his words with action and dialogue with true protesters as promised."
Journalist Nura Imam echoed these sentiments, asserting that dialogue is the best and only option to settle any dispute or crisis. He acknowledged the economic pressures faced by Nigerians and urged the leaders of the protest to retreat since their voices had been heard.
Imam called for unity among the youths and cautioned them against being manipulated by selfish individuals to destroy their country, reminding them, "Remember, this is your country and you do not have any other country except Nigeria."
The residents' reactions come after three days of nationwide protests addressing concerns around rising costs of living, corruption, and unemployment.
Despite the peaceful nature of some protests, there have been reports of extra-judicial killings by security operatives, particularly in northern states like Borno, Jigawa, Kaduna, Niger, and Kano. Human rights group Amnesty International reported that 13 protesters had died, although the Nigerian police denied these claims.
President Tinubu, in his address, expressed condolences to the families of those who lost their lives during the protests and highlighted measures his government is taking to address the concerns raised, including the implementation of a new minimum wage and the allocation of funds to various economic initiatives.
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