Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, on Wednesday, appealed to Nigerians, especially people of the state against falling into the agenda of those interested in wreaking havoc while pretending to be fighting for the interest of the ordinary people.
Oyebanji spoke in a Special State Broadcast, titled, ‘Need to uphold peace during the August 1 planned nationwide protest’ to the people of the state ahead of the planned nationwide protest.
The governor, who said that the strike had obvious potential to degenerate into violence and reverse the state’s steady progress to shared prosperity, reminded residents that Ekiti had not recovered from the violence and destruction of the 2020 EndSARS protest.
However, he appealed to Ekiti residents to go about their daily routine without any fear or hesitation.
According to him, nobody will be allowed to obstruct, intimidate, impede, or harass anyone in the name of protests in Ekiti.
Oyebanji said, “On our part, we want to assure our citizens that we are more than resolved to protect our state and to ensure no breakdown of laws and orders. The security agencies will be on high alert and will not allow anybody to bloodstain our immaculate name as a peaceful and progressive state.”
The governor appealed to parents and guardians, traditional rulers, and religious leaders “to appeal to the youths not to submit themselves to the evil merchants who want to use them to cause violence in our state as protests can easily be hijacked by hoodlums. No matter how peaceful a protest might seem at the beginning, no one can predict its eventual dynamics and its ending.”
He admitted that the Constitution granted citizens the right to freedom of expression, including the right to air their views freely.
“It is therefore expected that a protest will be conducted under a peaceful atmosphere without recourse to any violent disturbances to other citizens who also enjoy their inalienable right to unhindered movement and life,” the governor said.
Oyebanji said that violence would be “counterproductive now that everything is being done to re-set the economy to productivity through different fiscal and monetary measures that are already showing early indication of success and we cannot afford a rollback of the present gains.
“As a people, we cannot also afford another expensive destruction of our economic base as we did in 2020 during the #EndSARS protest that led to the destruction of many private and government infrastructures. Multimillion naira businesses were completely ruined and the owners destroyed forever.
“Till today, the Ekiti State Emergency Management Agency’s store room and other government institutions remain in ruins because of the arson and looting that were visited on the State by retrogressive elements masquerading as protesters.
“Many of our silos which serve as national strategic reservoirs for food and seedlings were burnt, looted, and vandalised. Government is still struggling with replacing or repairing these infrastructures, even in the face of scarce resources.”
PUNCH