Planned hunger protest: Eschew violence, Governor Adeleke urges protesters
By John Dike
Ahead of the planned nationwide protests scheduled to commence between August 1 and 10 throughout Nigeria, Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has urged protesters to eschew violence before, during, and after the protests.
The governor also called on members of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Osun, as well as other stakeholders planning to take part in the protests, to avoid any acts capable of undermining the peace and security of Osun State.
Governor Adeleke acknowledged that the protesters have the inalienable right, as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to embark on a protest.
However, he frowned upon any actions that have the tendency to jeopardize the peace and tranquility of Osun State and its people.
Represented by the state Deputy Governor, Prince Kola Adewusi, alongside some members of the Osun State Executive Council, Governor Adeleke had a comprehensive citizen engagement dialogue with members of Civil Society Organizations and other groups throughout Osun State, who converged at the Finance Building, State Secretariat, Abeere, for the dialogue.
According to the governor, while at the meeting, which lasted over two hours, “the peace and harmony of Osun State should be of paramount interest to us during the planned protests.”
“My administration’s commitment at all times is to make Osun a reference point for other states in Nigeria. I, therefore, implore you to be law-abiding before, during, and after the upcoming nationwide protests, as no act of violence of any kind will be entertained by my administration in Osun State while carrying out your protests.”
“In Osun, we are known to be good and peaceful, and we should allow that to remain our pride as a state that is always ahead of others in all things that are good and developmental,” concluded Governor Adeleke through his Deputy, Prince Kola Adewusi.
Earlier in their remarks, Osun State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Umar Abba, and General Officer Commanding, Engineering Construction Regiment, Ede, Brigadier General Abdul Kareem Aliyu, equally admonished the protesters to be decorous while carrying out the protests in Osun State.
The G.O.C of E.C.R Ede, who pointed out that Osun is arguably the most peaceful state in Nigeria, also counseled the protesters not to compromise on this and other good attributes of the state by staging a violent protest.
In the same vein, all the service chiefs comprising the Nigeria Police, Army, DSS, Immigration, Correctional Centre, Civil Defence, Air Force, and Road Safety, among others at the meeting, were unanimous in their contributions to prevent the protests from devolving into hooliganism and other acts of lawlessness, stressing that anyone caught will face the consequences.
Members of Civil Society Organizations and other Non-Governmental Organizations, on whose premise the dialogue was called, in their remarks, commended Governor Ademola Adeleke and his administration for providing the forum for such a dialogue prior to the start of the nationwide protests throughout Nigeria on Thursday.
They all endorsed the need to abide by the terms of the agreements reached at the meeting, which primarily centered on achieving violence-free protests in Osun State during the upcoming nationwide protests.
Earlier in his address of welcome, Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, dismissed the notion in some quarters that Governor Adeleke called for the meeting to placate the CSOs and other comrades/activists to dissuade them from effectively participating in the protest.
Describing the allegations as completely baseless and mischievous, Oluomo Alimi commended the CSO members and other activists for their large turnout, saying they are genuine activists for being bold and courageous enough to attend the meeting despite pressures in some quarters to do otherwise.
The Information Commissioner maintained that the dialogue with them was borne out of Governor Adeleke’s good intentions to ensure that the planned protests remain free of violence and lawlessness in Osun State.
