Arewa Stakeholders Forum Urges Dialogue Over Nationwide Strike.

Nigerians have been advised not to participate in the August 1, 2024, nationwide strike by the Arewa Stakeholders Forum. Instead, the forum recommended ongoing conversation with the federal government and other relevant parties to address the difficulties facing the nation.

Following a closed-door meeting with stakeholders at the Arewa House Centre for Research and Historical Documentation, Kaduna, Prof. Shuiabu Aliyu released a statement urging Nigerians to seek conversation to resolve disputes. “We know the social challenges of hyperinflation, unemployment, and hunger currently bedeviling the masses of this country, but after our deliberations, we are urging Nigerians to please explore alternatives to protests,” it said.

Aliyu asserts that Nigerians ought to take a cue from the situations in Venezuela, Yemen, Syria, and Sudan, noting that the unfavorable effects of the planned demonstration could result in millions of people being displaced and many deaths, as was the case in Sudan. “Civil strikes are often hijacked by mischief makers bent on bringing down the ruling government either by opposition parties or foreign adversaries of the government in power. These strikes breed unrest which leads to death (loss of lives), destruction of economic activities, and natural resources. In the Sudan story, over 150,000 died, while over two million were displaced,” he said.