Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji has vowed that the breakdown of legislation and order won’t be tolerated within the state in the course of the proposed August 1 nationwide protests.
Addressing the folks of Ekiti State in a statewide broadcast on Wednesday, the Governor expressed concern that the deliberate protest has the potential to degenerate into violence and reverse his administration’s regular progress to shared prosperity.
Oyebanji disclosed that safety companies will probably be on excessive alert and won’t permit anyone to destroy Ekiti’s good picture as a peaceable and progressive State.
This got here because the State Command of the Nigeria Safety and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) stated no fewer than 900 of its personnel could be deployed to keep up legislation and different in the course of the protest.
Governor Oyebanji stated Nigeria and its folks can not afford “one other huge destruction of our financial base” as witnessed in the course of the #EndSARS protest that led to the destruction of many non-public and authorities infrastructures.
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He appealed to the residents of the state to not fall into the agenda of people “who may simply be focused on wreaking havoc whereas pretending to be preventing for the curiosity of the odd folks.”
Whereas contending that protest, violence and destruction of lives and property will be counterproductive, he stated “plenty of fifth columnists are attempting desperately to weaponise the present financial disaster for their very own damaging agenda.”
Recalling the havoc wreaked in Ekiti in the course of the #EndSARS protest of 2020, Governor Oyebanji disclosed that some public buildings, infrastructures and belongings are nonetheless in ruins almost 4 years after they had been savagely vandalized by protesters with authorities struggling to restore or change them.
The Governor appealed to oldsters, guardians, conventional rulers and spiritual leaders to enchantment to the youths to not submit themselves to these he known as “evil retailers who wish to use them to trigger violence in our state as protests can simply be hijacked by hoodlums.”
The state’s NSCDC Commandant, Mr Sunday Agboola who disclosed this stated Nigerians have the fitting to protest, however feared that it may very well be hijacked by hoodlums.
Agboola stated the organisation and different safety companies was working arduous to guard lives and property to make sure that folks go about their regular duties and that no person is molested or embarrassed, and that their rights weren’t infringed upon.
He stated, “We’re working with different safety companies in Ekiti State on this. The police, navy and others. From our finish, we’re going to deploy over 900 personnel to make sure that the rights of our folks, the federal government infrastructure, and all crucial nationwide belongings are protected.
“We’ve got been interesting to our folks together with conventional rulers, opinion and spiritual leaders, dad and mom ang guardians to no less than speak to their topics, followers, kids and wards to make sure that the protest doesn’t even maintain in any respect, as a result of Ekiti is a brand new state that’s simply creating and attempting to develop, and for them to destroy and vandalise something right here will retard the progress of the state.
“We’ve got been having conferences with all the safety companies to make sure that the rights of different residents aren’t violated. We’re conscious that the residents have the fitting to stage a peaceable protest, however we aren’t shying away from our personal duties too.
“The federal authorities is apprehensive in regards to the proposed protests as a result of they don’t desire a scenario whereby the protest will probably be hijacked by hoodlums, the place they are going to unleash mayhem, hardship, destruction, arson. Particularly contemplating, what occurred in the course of the 2020 #ENDSARS protest, we noticed how issues turned out. That’s the concern of the federal authorities. They don’t need such to repeat itself, that’s the reason we’re working arduous to make sure that the residents are protected. We’re even prepared to guard all federal crucial infrastructure and belongings within the state too. Our males have been deployed. I’ve spoken with the District Officers and Space Commanders to make sure lives and property of their domains are properly protected”.
He suggested the youths to permit peace to reign, present understanding to the federal authorities and guarantee folks’s rights weren’t violated and peacefully go about their each day routines.
“Our fathers and moms ought to be speaking to their kids to not violate the fitting of others, as a result of once they protest and the protest turned violent, it means everyone will undergo and it’s not our prayers that we should always add struggling in any guise to what we’re presently going by way of in our nation.
“So, let’s dialogue and make our grievances identified to the federal authorities. I’m positive they are going to hear and do the fitting factor for Nigeria will probably be nice,” Agboola stated.
