The Senate on Wednesday urged Nigerians and promoters of the nationwide protests to shelve their plans in the interest of the nation.

The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, made the call during plenary after a closed-door session of the senators in Abuja.

Various groups in the country are planning to stage a nationwide protest from August 1 to 10 against the Bola Tinubu government following the rise in the cost of goods and services, poverty and hunger in the country.

Mr Akpabio said, “The Senate, in a closed session, deliberated on issues bordering on its workings in particular and the National Assembly in general. The Senate particularly reviewed the current situation regarding the impending protest slated for August 1 and accordingly urges that one year is not long enough to judge the present government.

“One year is not long enough for the policies being implemented by the current administration of President Bola Tinubu to yield the desired results. The Senate urges the protesters to give the government more time to address their demands, considering the measures being put in place to ameliorate the situation in the country.”

Mr Akpabio identified the measures to include: the signing of the National Minimum Wage Act; the sale of crude oil to local refiners in Naira; and the implementation of the Student Loan Act.

Others, he said, are the assent recently granted to the South-East and North-West Development Commissions bills passed by the National Assembly to further address developments at the grass-roots.

He said that the Senate was willing to legislate on matters that would bring about succour to Nigerians in general.

 (NAN)