Hunger protest: Lagos will continue to be peaceful — Commissioner

Lagos State Government has said that the state is peaceful and will continue to be so as Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu presided over the Executive Council (Exco) meeting, while full government activities resumed after four days of hunger protest across the country.

This was just as the state government expressed its appreciation to those who were protesting, saying that they had done well by disallowing people to come and introduce anarchy and violence into the exercise.

Activities at the Lagos State Government Secretariat, on Monday, were in full swing as government workers fully resumed duties at their various desks, while commuters were seen on streets doing one business or another as businesses equally resumed fully across the state.

Recall that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had on Sunday in a broadcast appealed to the protesters, calling for #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria to call off the protest to make, saying that his government was ready for dialogue.

The State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, who emerged from the Exco Chamber at the Lagos House, Ikeja to address newsmen, said there is peace in the state, with no problem as workers have fully resumed work.

The commissioner said members of the public were coming in and receiving service in the various government offices, reiterating that Lagos remained peaceful, and “will continue to be so because that is what lagosians want, that is what they are getting.”

Omotoso, while noting that Lagos is the heart of Nigeria business and commercial activities, said Lagosians cannot afford to let this state go into violence, expressing appreciation to those who were protesting for “disallowing people to come and introduce anarchy and violence into it.

“At the Excos Chamber at the Government House, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, conducted the business of the state, meeting with the executive council members.

“At the Secretariat, there is peace, as workers do their jobs peacefully as there is no problem anywhere.
Members of the public are coming in and are receiving services in the various offices.

“I will like to use this opportunity to say that Lagos is peaceful, will continue to be so because that is what Lagosians want, that is what they are getting.

“Lagos is the heart of Nigeria business and commercial activities. Lagosians cannot afford to let this state go into violence. So, it is based on this that I will like to thank those who are protesting that they did well and that by disallowing people to come and introduce anarchy and violence into it, they have done very well, they have done a very good service to Lagos and I know that Lagos will reward them for that.

“I will like to use this opportunity to tell our compatriots that all is well in Lagos and shall continue to be well. All these services we are rendering in the civil service, we will continue to render without any problem,” Omotoso said.

The commissioner, therefore, enjoined Lagosians to open their businesses, and go about their normal businesses without any form of fear, harassment or intimidation by anybody, insisting that Lagosians had chosen to be peaceful and embrace good governance, which Governor Sanwo-Olu had shown.

“I want Lagosians to open their businesses, go about their normal businesses without any form of fear or harassment or intimidation by anybody.

“Lagosians have chosen to be peaceful, they have chosen to shun anarchy, they have chosen to embrace good governance, which the governor has shown,” Omotoso said.

Speaking further, Omotoso said Lagosians were prepared dialogue and show understanding as against anarchy, noting that the three telephone lines rolled out on Sunday night by Governor Sanwo-Olu for people to call had received thousands of calls.

“I will like to use this opportunity to say that yesterday when the governor announced that there would be three telephone numbers for people to call, the three lines that were set up last night for residents to use for dialogue, I want to say that we have received thousands of calls. That means that Lagosians want to talk, they want to show understanding, they want to dialogue as against anarchy,” the commissioner said.

ALSO READ THESE TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE 

We won’t accept push to change govt — National Security Council