By Hikmah Yunus.
In a unified stance, kakalistiq.com reports that the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) Eredo Branch has declared its opposition to the upcoming nationwide protest scheduled for August 1st, 2024.
At a press briefing held on Wednesday, July 31st, 2024, at the Eredo Local Community Development Area (LCDA) Secretariat, Comrade Oluwaseyi Abiodun, the NYCN Coordinator for Eredo, alongside key youth leaders, emphasized the importance of peace and dialogue over public demonstrations.
“Protest is not something that should be encouraged; as a matter of fact, it should be a last resort,” stated Comrade Oluwaseyi Abiodun, opening the briefing. He urged the organizers of the planned protest to collaborate with the government at various levels rather than take to the streets, citing the devastating consequences of the EndSARS protests in October 2020. “The EndSARS protest took a lot from the citizens, among which were the precious lives lost,” he said, stressing the irreversible damage caused by such actions.
Comrade Abiodun also referenced recent events in Kenya, where protests led to significant economic losses and disruption, only to end in dialogue. “The protest ended on the table of dialogue, and peace was restored, but the lives taken were never restored,” he noted, appealing to the protest organizers to reconsider their approach.
Acknowledging the current economic challenges, Comrade Abiodun also recognized the efforts of the government, particularly with the new minimum wage bill set to take effect soon. “We understand the happenings in the economy, but we do not want to be one-sided. The government of today is listening, and we encourage people to allow them to see what they can do,” he urged. He reaffirmed Eredo’s commitment to peace, stating, “We are not joining the protest. We want to remain the peace-loving community and people that we are.”
Supporting this stance, Comrade Ambassador Ibrahim Ogunbanwo, NYCN Lagos Treasurer, appreciated the NYCN executives for organizing the press briefing. He highlighted the importance of understanding the intentions and security implications of any protest before participating. “The people must consider the security before going out to protest,” he advised, emphasizing that energy should be redirected toward organizing constructive dialogues with stakeholders to meet their demands. He added that protesting would only provide the government with more opportunities to shift blame onto the public.
Comrade Asoro Abubakar, Vice Chairman of NYCN Lagos State East, echoed these sentiments, stressing the importance of public safety. “Protest is not an option for our demands,” he asserted, advocating for the use of the “3 C’s”—Consultation, Consolidation, and Confrontation—as a more effective approach. “History has not been kind to Lagos State; it’s not that Lagos is afraid of protests, but the last incident on October 20th, 2020, affected the public more because those public properties that were destroyed were created for the masses’ use,” he concluded, urging people to embrace dialogue over street protests.
Comrade Lamina Ahmed, the Chairman of the Local Community Youth in Eredo, assured that preventive measures, similar to those taken during previous protests, were in place to ensure peace during this period. He mentioned that Honorable Akingboye Ismail had kept them informed of his stance against the protest, further solidifying Eredo’s decision to abstain.
Adding to the discussion, Comrade Olufowobi shared that a meeting in Poka had reached the same conclusion as Eredo: they would not participate in the protest. He recounted the challenges faced during the last protest and how the Lagos State Government had commended Epe for maintaining peace. “We shouldn’t be the ones vandalizing our property,” he advised, seeking the cooperation of all youth in avoiding the protest.
Comrade Oluwaseyi Abiodun firmly stated, “The umbrella youth council in Epe dissociates itself from the protest. Eredo is known to be a peaceful community, and we will not allow anyone to bring imbalance to our peaceful community.
