Shelve planned protest, Yoruba Diaspora group tells Nigerians

A Diaspora-based Yoruba socio-cultural organization, under the aegis of Yoruba Global Council (YGC), has appealed to Nigerians to call off their impending nationwide protest scheduled to commence on August 1, 2024, noting that this impending protest appeared poised to disrupt government activities at a delicate time.

YGC made this call at its monthly meeting held virtually, where over 60 members from Europe, North America, Africa and Asia were well represented.

General Secretary of the group, Prince Segun Akanni and it’s Director, Mobilization and Public Engagement, Otunba Tunji Akinyele, made this known in a statement jointly signed by them, copy of which was made available to newsmen on Tuesday, even as it noted that peaceful protest is a civic and constitutional right and a tool for citizens to demand better governance.

The Diaspora-based group argued that based on prevailing situation, it became imperative to appeal to Nigerians and those preparing for the protest to grant the government more time to enact changes and strive towards making Nigeria great again.

“In the light of this, YGC is appealing to Nigerians and those preparing for the protest to grant the government more time to enact changes and strive towards making Nigeria great again,” the group pleaded.

YGC reminded Nigerians of the adverse effects of protests, recalling in particular the #EndSARS episode which it said some unscrupulous elements exploited “to loot personal properties and vandalize government properties, such as burning down BRT buses in Lagos and vandalization of many government infrastructures across the country.”

The group, therefore, urged Nigerians to reconsider their planned protest in order to prevent a recurrence of such events, reiterating that while protest is a constitutional right, it should remain peaceful.

It warned that initiating conflict was easy, but managing its aftermath remained challenging, citing the ongoing situation in Kenya as an example where initial peaceful demonstrations escalated into violence, leading to appeals for government intervention to restore normalcy.

“We respectfully call on Nigerians to embrace dialogue, and encourage the government to engage the stakeholders, such as traditional leaders, religious leaders, political leaders and eminent personalities for a robust discussion to end the ongoing hardships faced by Nigerians.

“Development can only thrive in a peaceful environment, let us all be united and collectively tackle the prevailing economic hardship confronting Nigeria,” the group stated.

YGC, while urging for more efforts and measures to improve the current situation of Nigerians, expressed the belief that President Tinubu was committed to the ongoing reforms and should be supported by all well-meaning Nigerians, both at home and in diaspora.

“More efforts must be made and more measures should be taken to improve the current situation of Nigerians. We believe that President Tinubu is committed to the ongoing reforms and should be supported by all well-meaning Nigerians, both at home and in diaspora,” the group said.

Besides, YGC advised Tinubu’s administration to prioritize policies that positively impact the masses, just as it commended president’s bold steps over decision to fight for the financial autonomy of local governments in the country and urged him to allow the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct council elections instead of state governments.

The group also recommended organizing seminars for all the 774 local government chairmen in Abuja, “whereby Mr. President will educate them on integrity, dedication, and commitment to national development, and to warn against the mismanagement of public funds.”

The group emphasised the importance of local governments as the closest tier of government to the people and urged administrators at such level to make Nigeria proud.

In conclusion, YGC called for faith in the current administration, reminding citizens that “Rome was not built in a day” as, according to it, the system has deteriorated significantly.

The group further urged for patience and non-violence, saying that Nigerians should avoid being not to be swayed by external influences, while it equally emphasized the need to give President Tinubu more time to implement changes as, according to it, the current hardships are global and not unique to Nigeria.

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