By Flowerbudnews
The Progressives Students Movement (PSM), a pan-African students movement, says it will be going ahead with its planned Nationwide Thank You Solidarity Rally over local government autonomy.
The President of PSM, Mr Bestman Okereafor, told newsmen in Enugu on Thursday that as progressives “we strongly believe the autonomy granted to local government means freedom from captivity and oppression”.
Okereafor noted that the autonomy granted to the local government would greatly help improve the grassroots economy in no distance time.
According to him, PSM also believes that it takes the will and courage of a determined and people-focused leadership of President Bola Tinubu to reverse the fortune of the council areas for greater posterity and economic liberation at the grassroots.
“The PSM planned peaceful Nationwide Thank You Solidarity Rally for President Bola Tinubu holds in August 2024 nationwide,’’ he said.
He also said that the over 100 per cent increment in wages of workers nationwide by President Tinubu would also help stabilise the economy at this critical time.
The PSM boss also appealed to state governors to comply with the new minimum wage to alleviate suffering of Nigeria workers at the state and local council levels.
In another development, the PSM boss called on the Chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum, Gov. Dapo Abiodun, to do more in averting the planned nationwide protest over economic hardship.
Okereafor said that the movement was still not unaware that Abiodun, who doubles as the Governor of Ogun State, held a meeting with some selected and one faced youths in Ogun State alone.
According to him, the said meeting excluded a very sensitive yet most important critical stakeholders in national development the students’ constituency at this important time.
“It is rather worrisome that the few selected youths rather than speak on the current issues, demand for empowerment of our youths, fix bad roads in the state among other challenges confronting the state, were busy negotiating for Commissioner for Youth slot.
“This is coming when his Excellency, President Bola Tinubu, has asked Nigerians to hold their various governors accountable for performance.
“At this critical time, state governors ought to be weary of the outcome of a nationwide protest,” he said.
The PSM boss noted that at this critical time, “we expect the southern governors’ forum chairman and other governors to have reached out to youth leaders across southern states for a possible meeting on chatting a way forward.
“Information at our disposal shows the “End Economic Hardship Protest” is currently gaining more popularity in Ogun State, and the entire Southern Nigeria because the Chairman was misled by some mischievous persons to meeting the set of youths he met.
“We call on Gov. Dapo Abiodun to as a matter of urgency right his wrongs because Ogun State and entire Southern Nigeria may be most hit should the nationwide protest continue as threatened,” he added.
