The presidential candidate of the Labour Party’s in last year’s election, Mr. Peter Obi; and the Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti have expressed their views about the planned hardship protests by Nigerians beginning on 1st August.
The two leaders who addressed the press after a breakfast meeting held at Otti’s country home in Nvosi, Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area on Sunday, said such protests must be done within the ambit of the law.
While expressing worry that the protests might be hijacked by unpatriotic elements to create more problems than the reason for the protests, the governor said ”We have seen protests hijacked. My fears are that this one will also be hijacked”.
He advised the people of the state not to join the protests as, according to him, it might turn out to be more hurtful than the reasons for the protests people are calling for.
“Even when you write a letter it is a protest. You can sit down and write a letter of protest, you can call somebody and register your displeasure about what he is doing or how he is running the government. They are all protests and are allowed. But when you now go outside the law and begin to unleash mayhem and violence that is where it is not acceptable”, he said.
Otti explained that those not involved in the protest are also entitled to their freedom as it would be against the law to deny them that.
The governor, who agreed that there is hunger in the land occasioned by a bad economy, lamented that Nigerians are paying the price for bad governance that started many years ago.
He emphasised the need for Nigeria to transition into a productive economy and import less of what we consume.
On his part, Obi said the planned protest was caused by hunger and hopelessness among Nigerians. “On the issue of protest, within the Nigerian constitutions, protest is allowed. All I plead for is for those who are protesting to do so within the law and in a civil manner that allows us as a nation to show that we live within the law.
“Everybody knows that things are difficult and I always say that when they talk about the sponsors of protest, the sponsors are very simple, it is hunger, it is hopelessness among the youths. So, we all have to listen to what Nigerians are going through and I thank our Governor for doing so. It is critical and important”, Obi asserted.
He called on the security agencies to ensure that they manage the protests within the law and advised the government to engage with the protesters and dialogue with them towards addressing the reasons for the protests.
