The chairman of the Board of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Chief Akin Ricketts, has condemned the burning of the agency’s headquarters in Marina, Lagos State by angry youths, reacting to the Tuesday night shooting of EndSARS protesters at Lekki Toll Gate, Lagos, by some men in military uniform.
The NPA headquarters, it would be recalled, was set on fire on Wednesday by some angry youths after #EndSARS protesters, singing the National Anthem and waving the Nigerian flags, were attacked with live ammunition.
The angry youths stormed the facility with dangerous weapons, petrol, used vehicle tyres, and lighters to carry out the arson on the property, which would have gone up in ruins, but for the timely intervention of the NPA fire-fighters who contained the inferno, the youths having fled on sighting the armed military men deployed to salvage the situation.
In a statement made available to newsmen in Benin on Thursday evening, Chief Ricketts, noted that while the youths “have the rights to protest, it has become obvious that the peaceful protest has been hijacked by criminal elements.”
The NPA Board Chairman cautioned that the destruction of a critical facility such as the NPA would affect the economic activities of the ports, adding that Nigeria being a largely import-dependent nation, the port was a critical aspect of the nation’s economy.
The negative development, he cautioned, would further degrade the country in the eyes of her international communities and trade partners.
Ricketts further noted that the Federal Government had made a firm commitment to addressing the issues of police brutality and good governance as demanded by the EndSARS protests and urged the youth to embrace dialogue as an option instead of taking to the destruction of critical government institutions, such as the NPA.
“We strongly condemn this act of burning the Marina headquarters of the NPA. The NPA plays a critical role as a Federal Government’s parastatal in the maritime industry. The NPA belongs to all Nigerians and as an import-dependent nation; it is the port that feeds the whole nation. If they start pulling down critical structures of this nature, where do they expect the government to get the funds to meet their demands?” he queried.
According to him, “we agree that the youth have their rights to protest but they should also see the need for dialogue. They should also note that the protest has been hijacked by criminal elements. The Federal Government has said they are going to attend to some of their demands, we are appealing to them to give a chance to the government.”
Ricketts further appealed to the protesting youths “not to allow hoodlums and criminal elements highjack the peaceful protest as intended, as the Federal Government is equally understanding. Let’s all give peace a chance.”
YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
Shooting Of #EndSARS Protesters Will Close Window To Peace, Obasanjo Warns Buhari
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has reacted to the recent shooting of unarmed #EndSARS protesters at Lekki tollgate, warning President Muhammadu Buhari that the shooting of protesters will close the window to peace.
Wale Oke Decries Lekki Killings, Says Incident May End Nigeria
The national deputy president of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) and presiding bishop of the Sword of the Spirit Ministries, Ibadan, Dr Wale Oke, has expressed sadness over the Tuesday killing…