Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma has voiced sturdy opposition to the nationwide protest scheduled for August 1-14, labeling it as ill-timed and probably harmful.
The Governor acknowledged this whereas chatting with State Home correspondents after assembly with President Bola Tinubu alongside former senate president, Pius Anyim and his Ebonyi State counterpart Francis Nwifuru on the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Governor Uzodinma who’s the Chairman of the South East Governors’ Discussion board and Progressive Governors’ Discussion board, expressed severe considerations in regards to the timing and potential penalties of the proposed protests.
He highlighted the delicate nature of Nigeria’s present political local weather, warning that poorly managed protests may result in dire penalties.
Drawing parallels to the 2020 EndSARS protests which started peacefully however later turned violent, the governor warned of the danger of the deliberate August demonstrations being hijacked by legal components.
He urged residents to recollect the teachings from that have and to be cautious of making alternatives for related incidents.
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Uzodinma additionally questioned the motives and organisation behind the deliberate protests.
He stated, “Democracy is about opinion of the folks and the protest is allowed in a democratic setting. Each protest have to be fairly conceived to capable of make political sense.
“I feel it’s too early right now within the lifetime of this authorities for anyone to return out to say he desires to protest. To begin with, there haven’t been any engagement the place those that are sponsoring the protest was capable of inform us the explanations for the protests.
“Secondly, given the worldwide scenario at this time and the insecurity within the nation, we now have a really fragile political setting that if not managed and guarded very nicely, might collapse your entire nation.
“So those that are going to protest; what’s the motive for the protests? And in the event that they haven’t any motive for the protests, I feel I’ll advise well-meaning Nigerians, residents of this nation who’re making sacrifices, a few of us have paid the supreme value for the existence of this nation, we should always information our nation very jealously.
“I feel it’s incorrect time for anyone to do any protests, as a result of the implication of doing that if care shouldn’t be taken, is that it might be hijacked. Just like the ENDSARS expertise, the place criminals now hijacked an innocently conceived agitation by younger Nigerians.
“So that is one other form of temptation that I feel these behind the protests haven’t been capable of come out brazenly to say they’re behind it.
“There’s something that’s the motive that’s but to be unravelled. So, I feel that we aren’t in assist of the protests. We aren’t going to assist any protest that has no programmes, that isn’t mentioned, that no one is aware of what the issue is.
“Okay, if you’re protesting, what would you like authorities to do? As a result of the rationale for protests is that they need a problem to be addressed. What are the problems?
“So in my opinion, I feel there isn’t any have to overheat the polity, overheat the environment and put our folks ready that the hardship that’s occasioned by financial recession everywhere in the world is additional worsened. I counsel towards the protests.”