A former Inspector General of Police, IGP Mike Okiro, Tuesday, advised the organisers of the planned nationwide protest to shelve their plan and engage in dialogue with the federal government.
Okiro, who made the call in Abuja, said constitutionally, Nigerians have the right to protest against bad governance and leadership.
Some organisers are gearing up for a nationwide peaceful protest slated for August 1 to 10, demanding effective leadership and a reduced cost of living among others.
He said there is no doubt that Nigerians were passing through some challenges, adding that it is easier to destroy but difficult to rebuild.
“The situation we are in now did not come overnight, it came over a period of time. Can we rebuild in one year what has been destroyed over time?
“The problem with protest is that, no matter how the organisers will go about it, there is bound to be loss of lives, destruction of properties and hardship.
“My advice to Nigerians as much as they have the right to protest, is that they should allow the government some time to ameliorate the hardship.
“What we ought to do is to allow government to put structures in place to alleviate the suffering of the masses. Government should come up with policies that will help develop the country,” he said.
The former chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) added that the current government inherited some challenges and it is working towards solving them.
He said President Bola Tinubu is an achiever, adding that if he is given the time, he can turn things around.
“There is a saying that nothing good comes easy. The current government inherited some challenges and needs to take some harsh decisions to solve them,” he said. (NAN)