OGUNLEYE ITUNU
Ahead of the planned August 1, 2024 nationwide protest, Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, calls for unity to address economic challenges, expressing concerns over potential risks to lives and property during the protest.
According to a statement on Saturday in Uyo, governor Eno spoke to his press corps on arrival at the Victor Attah International Airport from Abuja where he attended the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) meeting.
He acknowledged the right of citizens to protest but recalled the ugly scenario which played out during the #EndSARS protest, after it was hijacked by hoodlums.
He explained that both Federal and State governments were implementing measures to find plausible solutions to the current economic hardship, and highlighted the initiatives undertaken by his administration to alleviate the economic pressure on citizens.
His words, “I would like to say that protest is the right of the people but we want to appeal to our people to let us give peace a chance.
The truth is, when we do this protest, hoodlums and those who don’t see anything good in government will hijack it and then destroy government property.
“Once we destroy government property, they would be replaced and the hunger would deepen. We must not forget our experience from the #EndSARS protest where we lost a lot of things.
“So, I appeal to Akwa Ibom people not to resort to protest but to give peace a chance knowing that we are in this together, and together, we will find a common solution to this issues that have bedeviled us.
“We want to say that in Akwa Ibom, we have done and we are still doing our very best to address the hunger that is in the land. We have rolled out palliatives, and we are supporting the citizenry in many ways.
“We are supporting the elderly, we are giving food vouchers, we are trying to ensure that we create jobs for our people. Once government is on that path, which is the right path, we would overcome,”.
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