The Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Business Development in Ebonyi, Chief Oguzokanu Nwali has urged the yoths of the state not to take part on the 1st August, 2024 nationwide hunger protest.
This was contained in a press release made available to reporters in Abakaliki the Ebonyi State capital by the Commissioner.
Chief Oguzor said it is the constitutional right of Nigerians to protest either to wakeup subconsciousness of government on areas the Citizens felt their leaders should pay more attention or where people are been marginalized and those in the position of Authority are paying deaf ear.
He expressed fear that the protest may be hijacked just the way the ENDSARS was done and hoodlums cashed into it and further affected the economy badly beyond repair which the Citizens are still battling to come out of the effects.
The release reads in part: "As the date for the planned nationwide protest in Nigeria is drawing close, I call on the residents and good people of Ebonyi state to stay aloof and never take to the street for any protest.
"Factually, it is a constitutional right of every citizen to protest when the need arises which must be peaceful with the knowledge of security agencies, but this planned 10 days protest that is said to begin from 1st August, 2024 might be hijacked by the enemies just as they hijacked End- SARS Protest and thus would trigger violence.
"In the light of this development, innocent people with genuine intentions to embark on a peaceful protest would become vulnerable to unwarranted attacks and harassments.
"Our poor people have always been the highest victims of every unrest or chaotic scenes anywhere in the country"
"There is hardship in the country which did not start today and on that regard, the masses have expressed their genuine grievances and it's my candid belief that our dear President, His Excellency, Ahmed Bola Tinubu will hearken to the voice of the masses"
"The hardship in the country is everywhere, but Ebonyi state because of good leadership of our state Governor, Rt Hon. Bldr Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru who has been matching words with actions and dwells on both rapid infrastructure and human capital development. The unassuming and compassionate governor has many times empowered many Ebonyi youths and women to alleviate hunger and hardship in the state.
"The policies and programmes of the Governor are also people-oriented which made the residents and people of Ebonyi state to be more advantaged than people in other state in the country.
"The adverse effects of "EndSars protest" was as a result of nationwide protest carried out by all sectors but was later tagged ''Igbo protest'', which is still fresh in our memory and we can't afford to watch our people embark on similar show of shame again which will not solve any problem but would eventually aggravate the economic quagmire with loss of lives, destruction of properties and destabilization of the country.
"Dear Ebonyians , let's remember that we have not in abundance federal infrastructure; those we have are self help by successive administrations ,If we go on rampage and destroy our own public structures, then we are doing harm to ourselves as no one will come to our rescue by supplying us the needed funds to rebuild our roads, banks, offices etc that would be destroyed.
"As Ndi Igbo, we have endured a whole lot of marginalization and we can't afford to subject our people to servitude or subjugation in our land. In all fairness, let's remember that we are first Ebonyians before being ndi Igbo and then Nigeria"
"Let us continue to support the government of our father, the father of modern Ebonyi State, and the 4th Executive Governor of the state, Rt Hon Chief Bldr Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru. If what we experience today in the area of HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT in Ebonyi has been there for the years of it's creation, I surely know that there would have been no cause for alarm"
But we cannot afford to allow a violence or destructive protest in our peaceful state," he said.
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