Ahead of the planned August 1, 2024 nationwide protest, Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has sued for unity of purpose in tackling the prevailing economic hardship in the country, warning that the protest could escalate to destruction of lives and property.
Speaking to Government House Correspondents on arrival at the Victor Attah International Airport from Abuja where he attended the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) meeting, Governor Eno acknowledged the right of citizens to protest but cautioned against potential risks.
Recalling the ugly scenario which played out during the #EndSARS protest, he reasoned that protests could be hijacked by hoodlums with attendant negative consequences of deepening the country’s economic woes.
The Governor acknowledged that Federal and State governments are implementing measures to find plausible solutions to the current economic hardship and highlighted initiatives undertaken by his administration to alleviate the economic pressure on citizens to include; the distribution of palliatives, support for the elderly, issuance of food vouchers, job creation efforts, amongst others.
The State Chief Executive passionately appealed to Akwa Ibom residents to exercise restraint in the protest, assuring that his administration is working assiduously to implement measures to improve on their welfare.
“I would like to say that protest is the right of the people but we want to appeal to our people to let us give peace a chance.
“The truth is, when we do this protest, hoodlums and those who don’t see anything good in government will hijack it and then destroy government property. Once we destroy government property, they would be replaced and the hunger would deepen.
“We must not forget our experience from the #EndSARS protest where we lost a lot of things. So, I appeal to Akwa Ibom people not to resort to protest but to give peace a chance knowing that we are in this together, and together, we will find a common solution to this issues that have bedeviled us.
“We want to say that in Akwa Ibom, we have done and we are still doing our very best to address the hunger that is in the land. We have rolled out palliatives, and we are supporting the citizenry in many ways. We are supporting the elderly, we are giving food vouchers, we are trying to ensure that we create jobs for our people. Once government is on that path, which is the right path, we would overcome,” he cautioned.
Nationwide Protest: Gov Eno Sues For Calm
