LAGOS — DESPITE calls by President Bola Tinubu to suspend further protests in the country, the organisers of the #EndBadgovernance protest in Lagos and Osun states, yesterday, resumed peaceful demonstration. While the Lagos protesters converged on the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park in Ojota area, those in Osun State resumed at the convergence point at Freedom Park in Osogbo.
They, however, lampooned the President over his broadcast saying “The President cannot offer an olive branch while at the same time holding a dagger to our throat.”
Tinubu, in his State of the Nation broadcast, had acknowledged the protesters’ concerns and urged them to suspend further demonstrations and embrace dialogue.
Reacting to the broadcast, the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria Organising Committee, in a statement by Hassan Taiwo, Ayoyinka Oni, and Adegboyega Adeniji said they were disappointed over the President’s speech.
The statement reads: “We consider the President’s decision to address the nation an important victory for our movement.
“Without our courage and resolve to dare the odds, even this acknowledgement would not have happened. So far, we have demonstrated that a President is not greater than the rest of the country.
“In our view, the president cannot be approbating and reprobating simultaneously. The President cannot offer an olive branch while at the same time holding a dagger to our throat.” Meanwhile, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, who presided over the Executive Council Meeting, commended the protest organisers in Lagos for calling off the protest following the President’s broadcast. Addressing newsmen at the Lagos House, Ikeja, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, said: “There is peace in Lagos State as workers have fully resumed work.
“All is well in Lagos. Lagos is peaceful and that is what Lagosians want. Mr Governor has resumed the state business. Everyone is at his desk and members of the public are coming in to do business with the government.
“Lagos is the commercial centre of Nigeria and Lagosians can not allow it to go into chaos. We want to thank those protesting that they did well and have done good service to Lagos. All Lagosians should open and go about their businesses without any fear. Lagosians have chosen to be peaceful and shun anarchy.”
In Osun State, as the protest entered its fifth day, economic activities resumed as some banks offered skeletal services to their customers. Markets and shop owners resumed normal activities in major business districts, including Olaiya, Old-Garage, Oke-Fia, Igbonna, Ayetoro, Oja-Oba and Ilesa Garage Alekuwodo among others.
The protesters in their public awareness moved through Old-Garage, Ajegunle, Olonkoro, Igbonna, and Ayetoro to Stadium where the road was blocked for several hours.
The team returned to Olaiya through the routes where the procession terminated around 3 pm.
Speaking during the protest, the coordinator of the Coalition for Concern Nigeria Citizens, Mr Ajala Adetunji, clarified that the end of bad governance protest is not to witch-hunt any government but to fight bad policies.
He called on both state and federal governments to come out with sincere programmes to tackle the hardships in the country.
Commending the protesters for their peaceful conduct, Governor Ademola Adeleke, in a statement by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, said his administration is working hard to make life more meaningful for the masses. Adeleke said: “I charge them to sustain their upholding of peace. All their submissions will be duly received. We will attend to areas that affect us as a state government and we will take the rest to Mr President in Abuja. As Mr President is working hard at the national level, we are complimenting him as the government of the people, by the people and for the people.
“We are redoubling our efforts to address the yearnings and aspirations of our people. Within the government, we feel the pain being experienced by our people and we are working tirelessly to bring succour and good living.”
Meanwhile, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, yesterday, begged for the patience and understanding of Nigerians, saying that what the present administration needs is time and support for the impact of the current economic policies to be felt by all and sundry.
Abiodun also commended students and youths in the state for being law-abiding and for taking the path of constructive engagement to voice their discontent during the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests.
The governor, who spoke on Monday during the inauguration of the Governing Council of the Sikiru Adetona College of Education, Science and Technology, Ijebu-Ode, noted that although the current economic reality is not peculiar to Nigeria, governments at both the federal and state levels have heard the voices of the protesting Nigerian youths.He said: “Let me use this opportunity to appeal to and thank the youths and students of Ogun State for being law-abiding and for choosing constructive engagement to voice their discontent.
“We have heard your voices; your well-being and welfare are our priority. Both the state and the federal governments will work hand in glove and continue to be responsive to your demands.
“We only request more patience and understanding as the impact of the implementation of the policies to reposition the economy often takes a bit of time.”
Meanwhile, a former lawmaker, who represented Ondo Central Senatorial district, Senator Ayo Akinyelure, assured that notwithstanding the pains of the harsh economic realities, Nigerians will soon smile again.
Akinyelure, in a statement, noted that President Tinubu was working vigorously to put the nation’s economy in the right shape. He said: “Let me use this medium to assure you that very soon youth unemployment will be a thing of the past in Ondo State and in Nigeria in general.”
“The planned programmes of President Tinubu, when fully rolled out and implemented, I am sure the people of our great country will be celebrating him as a great leader of our time.
“We are working seriously to develop some youth empowerment programmes that will soon be unfolded in all the six geopolitical zones of our great Nation with the approval of the National Chairman of APC to make a big difference.”
Source: Vanguard