Isoko youths in Delta state have urged President Bola Tinubu to dialogue with the proposed nationwide protest organisers as well as reviewing some of his administration’s policies that are causing hardship to Nigerians.
The youths under the aegis of Isoko National Youth Assembly (INYA) Worldwide also appealed to the youths in the country and security agencies to avoid violent protests and destruction of national and state assets if the protest goes ahead due to failure to dialogue .
INYA ‘s President, Comrade Eniwake Orogun, a former President of Students Union Government, SUG, University of Benin, in a statement on Saturday, acknowledged the hardship in the land occasioned by hasty government policies.
The statement reads: “Today, we are at the edge as a nation, with all aspects of existence greatly troubled, from economy, security, socio-political and corporate existence coming under some form of distress and perplexity.
“It is said that light exists at the end of the tunnel but this particular tunnel seems too long that not even a flicker of light is in sight.
“It will be foolhardy to try to deny or explain the hardship which pervades the land, exacerbated by policies such as fuel subsidy removal, which many believe has produced the unintended outcome, or should we say, the exact intended outcome associated with wrong timing or hasty policy implementation, favorable only to some fifth columnists?
“Many are hungry, weak and beggarly. The hardship is palpable and succor seems far. The proposed protest is only a natural response which is the least the vast majority of those who live below the baseline can do at this material time.
“Regardless, this protest can be avoided. We call on the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to act as a matter of urgency by constructive engagement of critical stakeholders with a genuine view to providing short, medium and long term solutions to the myriad of problems facing the people.
“Revaluate its priorities and address head-on on issues such as inflation, insecurity and high cost of governance.
“Reconsider policies such as fuel subsidy removal, floating of the naira and liberalization of our economy which has never worked in Nigeria or any part of Africa and have proven to be very injurious to individuals, families, and businesses.
“Our leaders must learn from the 2011 Arab Spring and the recent not too good experience of the EndSARS protest from which Africa and Nigeria is yet to fully recover from and act in the best interest of the nation.”
The statement also counselled youths and other stakeholders saying: “however, if the protest must hold, hopefully it does not, let us be reminded that though our right to peaceful protest is inalienable and guaranteed by our constitution, we do not have the right to be destructive and violent. No one benefits from the destruction of national assets, if anything, it increases the suffering which the protest stands against.”
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