#EndBadGovernance: NOA Begs Organisers, Youths to Shelve Protest
National Orientation Agency, NOA, has appealed to Nigerians to cancel the planned nationwide protest in the interest of all.
The Director of the Agency in Oyo State, Dr Olukemi Afolayan made the appeal while featuring on a Radio Programme in Ibadan, on the topic, “The Wages of Protest”
Dr. Afolayan who maintained that, though the Nigerian Constitution permits rights to Peaceful protests, said, peaceful protest could be hijacked by hoodlums and turned to crisis that could escalate beyond expectations of the Protesters.
She reminded Nigerians about some individuals, groups’ properties and even public infrastructure that were destroyed during the EndSARS nationwide crises of 2020 noting that taxpayers money that was supposed be channelled to building important amenities went down the drain.
Dr. Afolayan enjoined youths to shelve their planned nationwide protest slated for August, saying Government is not unaware of the challenges the country is facing and have been rolling out policies and programmes to ameliorate the suffering of the people.
The NOA Director advised the aggrieved youths to embrace dialogue as a path to peace and meaningfully engage the government over their grievances, rather than heating up the tensed atmosphere in the Country.
“While Nigerians truly have a constitutional right for peaceful protest, experience had shown that it does not always end as intended, hence the need for a rethink”
Dr. Afolayan also mentioned some of the palliatives rolled out by the Federal Government towards cushioning the economic hardship in the Country, to include, Approval of Students’ Loan, Provision of CNG buses, Distribution of grains including trucks of rice to States across the Federation.
She urged parents to sensitise their children on the need to be patriotic and always toe the path of peace .
