Youths in Anioma, Delta North Senatorial District, on Thursday said they will not participate in the planned nationwide protest scheduled for August 1.
The protest against economic hardship, which is gaining traction on social media, has been scheduled to be held across all states of the Federation as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, in August. The organisers of the protest have been faceless.
According to a statement jointly signed by the group’s National President, Comrade Nnamdi Ofonye and National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ekwukwo Elvis, “leading a protest at a time like this will be counterproductive and will instead jeopardize public peace.”
They argued that the motive behind the protest calling for the sack of President Bola Tinubu is politically motivated.
“The motive behind the protest that is hash tagged “Tinubu must go” is a red flag that it is politically motivated and has been hijacked by politicians which in the long run will not serve the interest of the people. Nigerians will rather wait for the next election cycle to take such actions through a democratic means if the need be,” the statement read.
“The forum emphasizes that while Nigerians, including the youths, have the inalienable right to a peaceful protest, historical records show that protests in the country often lead to unintended consequences as it has always been hijacked by hoodlums and unpatriotic groups in pursuit of selfish aggrandizement.
“The most recent, the EndSARS protest serves as a reminder of how such movements can be easily hijacked by miscreants, resulting in the loss of lives and the destruction of properties worth billions of Naira across all parts of the country.
“During that good intentioned but infamous protest, Anioma land witnessed massive loss of government and private infrastructures many of which have not been replaced till date despite the high level of infrastructural deficit across the country. Aside that, several lives were lost as others were maimed. We are not ready for such again at a time like this.”
See the full statement below:
NATIONWIDE PROTEST: ANIOMA YOUTH FORUM WORLDWIDE WILL NOT PARTICIPATE, APPEALS TO ANIOMA YOUTHS ACROSS THE COUNTRY NOT TO BE USED
..Urges Govt at all levels to urgently address hunger in the land
Rising from its National Executives meeting which held on Monday, 22nd July to discuss critical issues, the Anioma Youth Fontm Worldwide (AYF-W), the apex umbrella body representing all Anioma youths in the Delta North Senatorial District of Delta State, took note of the national mood, particularly regarding the calls for a nationwide protest against hardship, suffering, and perceived bad governance in the country and decided as follows:
While AYF-W acknowledges this reality on ground, we strongly believe that leading a protest at a time like this will be counterproductive and will instead jeopardize public peace. Also, the motive behind the protest that is hash tagged “Tinubu must go” is a red flag that it is politically motivated and has been hijacked by politicians which in the long run will not serve the interest of the people. Nigerians will rather wait for the next election cycle to take such actions through a democratic means if the need be.
The forum emphasizes that while Nigerians, including the youths, have the inalienable right to a peaceful protest, historical records show that protests in the country often lead to unintended consequences as it has always been hijacked by hoodlums and unpatriotic groups in pursuit of selfish aggrandizement. The most recent, the EndSARS protest serves as a reminder of how such movements can be easily hijacked by miscreants, resulting in the loss of lives and the destntction of properties worth billions of Naira across all parts of the country.
During that good intentioned but infamous protest, Anioma land witnessed massive loss of government and private infrastructures many of which have not been replaced till date despite the high level of infrastructural deficit across the country. Aside that, several lives were lost as others were maimed. We are not ready for such again at a time like this.
AYF-W believes that Nigerians, particularly the youth, can express their dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of the nation’s economy through other means that do not disrupt national stability. There is a need for accountability and good governance not only at the federal level but also at the state level, where state Governors and local government Chairmen should be held responsible for their roles in governance.
The forum therefore calls on all Anioma youths to shun the protest and at same, deny the proponents any parts of Anioma land for such actions that will definitely endanger the lives and properties of our people and by extension, threaten the peace and tranquility that exits across Anioma land. We owe it as a duty to protect the few government infrastructures cited in our land and will not give free way to anybody or group under any guise or disguise to destroy them. Never again
Consequently, Anioma youths are hereby appealed to in the interest of our people, to remain law-abiding citizens as we will join other citizens to seek and align with constructive ways to engage with and force the governments to live up to their constitutional responsibilities and better the lives of the people without further delay.
We therefore, charge state chapter executives across the country to adhere to this decision in the interest of their members.
In light of the above, we call on the Delta state police command and other sister security agencies in the state to up their intelligence and information gathering within this period and also ensure adequate security and protection of lives and properties in all parts of Anioma land.
Finally, AYF-W appeals to all levels of government—federal, state, and local, to urgently address the economic challenges facing the nation and to take decisive actions to alleviate the suffering of the populace. The Forum emphasizes that while the right to protest is fundamental, the current situation requires a more thoughtful and strategic approach to ensure lasting and meaningful change.
Com . Nnamdi O. Ofonye Comr. Ekwukwo Elvis
National President 25/07/24. National Publicity Secretary
