We Will Not Participate In Planned Nationwide Protest, Urges Youth To Attend Ministry’s Engagement Summit -Kogi NYCN
By Abubakar Suleman
Youths in Kogi State on Tuesday 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, on 1st of August.
In a press briefing organised by the ministry of Youth and Sports Development in collaboration with Kogi youths and Students in Kogi State, at the NUJ Press Centre, Lokoja, the commissioner of the ministry, Hon. Monday Ayebe disclosed that the state Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo has graciously approved an engagement Youth summit to take place on the 1st of August, 2024 at Government House, Lokoja, calling on the youth to ensure they attend the proposed summit.
He said the youths, especially the students should shun the proposed national Protest saying it’s a plan by some decedents to distabilize and distract the good intention of the president.
According to him, “leading a protest at a time like this will be counterproductive and will instead jeopardize public peace”.
He argued that the motive behind the protest inciting the youth against the leaders and president was politically motivated, it will not serve the interest of the people, he said.
In his own remarks, the commissioner for Information and communications, Evangelist Kingsley Femi Fanwo noted that Gov. Ahmed Usman Ododo has prepared grounds for the teeming youths in the state, saying several agricultural and business opportunities have been provided for the youth, assuring that the younger ones would be adequately be engaged.
The chairman of National Youth Council Of Nigeria, NYCN, Comrade Benjamin Ojodale 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.
” NYCN 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 is politically motivated and has been hijacked by politicians which in the long run will not serve the interest of the people.
“We therefore calls on all the youths and students in Kogi state to shun the protest and at same, deny the proponents at any parts of Kogi state for such actions that will definitely endanger the lives and properties of our people and by extension, threaten the peace and tranquility that exists across the state. We owe it as a duty to protect the few government infrastructures cited in our state and will not give free way to anybody or group under any guise or disguise to destroy them”.
“We 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 the governments to live up to their constitutional responsibilities”.
