President Muhammadu Buhari has given a marching order to members of his cabinet to relocate to their home states for the purpose of dousing the tension created by the #EndSARS protests and the destruction of property by hoodlums hiding under the protest.
The directive to the Ministers, newsmen learned, was given at last Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting presided over by the President at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The ministers were directed to meet with stakeholders to explain federal government’s efforts to meet the demands of the youths.
A source privy to the directive said that the cabinet members were told to “go to our states to solicit the support of political, traditional, religious and community leaders against the violence that emanated from #EndSARS protests.”
One of the Ministers had in a meeting with his state governor, said: “President Muhammadu Buhari is soliciting the support of all other political leaders in the state to properly address the people of the state on the need to dispel any rumour that is tantamount to creating disunity among Nigerians and also throw the nation into crisis.”
The Minister of State for Power, Prince Jedy Agba, who confirmed this to newsmen yesterday, said he had already scheduled a town hall meeting with his constituents to inform them efforts President Buhari-led government has made to carry the youths along.
Prince Agba, who could not enter his state, Cross River at the weekend because of the curfew imposed by the state government, pleaded with the protesting youths to shield their sword as the government has started the implementation of their demands.
Newsmen gathered that miscreants in Cross River have hijacked the peaceful protests and have started burning and looting property belonging to serving and past members of the National Assembly, political office holders and former governors.
The Minister said: “It was a marching order, I can’t enter Calabar now, it’s terrible, I arranged for a town hall meeting for tomorrow (Monday) and Tuesday but I can’t enter Calabar now, I have to wait before I go to Calabar, it’s dangerous to go now because they are burning houses, killing people.”
But another Minister told newsmen that it was not a directive rather a suggestion made during the FEC meeting.
The Minister said: “Well it is a suggestion, it’s not a directive. Many people bought it, but some governors said there was no need to come that they have declared curfew. Majority of people bought it.”
