Issa-Onilu: Violent protest was sponsored | NOA engaged grassroots during demonstrations

Lanre Issa-Onilu, director-general of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), says the ongoing protest would have turned out “worse” if the agency did not engage people at the grassroots.

Speaking in an interview on Channels Television on Wednesday, Issa-Onilu said some persons took advantage of the protest to create chaos.

The NOA DG said the protest was the result of “three decades of inaction” from leadership and the led.

Issa-Onilu said Nigerians have lost hope in the country because “hope has not been communicated” in the last three decades.

He added that the administration of President Bola Tinubu is working hard to ensure that the situation changes.

“There are people who are genuinely complaining and there are people who are taking advantage of that situation to create chaos in the country for whatever reasons, not because of hunger,” he said.

“That is why it is not organic. You will know that some people are actively pressing some buttons to ensure this happens. It was not an uprising by the people.”

Issa-Onilu said the agency is engaging Nigerians in all LGAs.

“Everything does not happen on TV. As I speak to you, we have offices in all LGAs. We are engaging people in real time, going to people’s homes, and meeting with stakeholders,” he said.

“We are doing all of that at the grassroots. This protest would have been worse if we were not engaging with people at the grassroots.”

Issa-Onilu said there is a need to promote the federal government’s efforts after the removal of petrol subsidy.

“Anybody who is making a demand that subsidy removal should be brought back is making an emotional demand, not an economic demand because you have to also prove that if it is brought back, it will solve the issue of poverty,” he said.

“So, what we should be doing is: How do we survive in spite of the removal? We need to promote all the efforts of this government to ensure that we survive without that subsidy.”