Abia State Governor Alex Otti has called on traditional rulers, religious leaders, and community leaders to counsel their communities against resorting to violence as youths across Nigeria prepare for the #EndBadGovernance protest set to begin on August 1, 2024.
In a statewide broadcast on Tuesday, Otti expressed concerns that the planned national protest could escalate into violence, potentially harming vulnerable individuals. While he acknowledged that Nigerians have the right to protest poor conditions, he warned that the positive intentions of the original organizers might be compromised if opportunists and hoodlums hijack the protests.
“Some economic policies of the federal government, including the removal of the fuel subsidy, may not yet have produced the desired results, but I urge our youths to express their grievances peacefully rather than resorting to violence,” Otti stated.
The governor urged Abia youths to exercise restraint and engage with leaders through a charter of demands. He promised that his administration would do everything possible to protect the people from harm and destruction. “What Abians need now is a strong sense of peace and sustained development, not chaos,” he emphasized.
Otti highlighted his administration’s significant investments in infrastructure in Aba and Umuahia and stressed the importance of protecting these developments from those who might incite mayhem. He also mentioned that Abia State civil servants had received the April tranche of the Wage Award, as promised by his administration.
“I plead with the people of Abia to shun violence,” Otti concluded, emphasizing the need for peace and development over disorder.
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