The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Interior, Abdullahi Aliyu Ahmed, on Monday, appealed to Nigerian youths to suspend the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protests and embrace dialogue with the government for the improvement of the economy and national development programmes.
He noted that protests in Nigeria typically provide opportunities for thieves and other lawbreakers to exploit the situation without achieving the goals and intents of the people, which is why they must be immediately suspended.
In a statement given to journalists by his Special Assistant on Media, Sardauna Francis,the legislator claimed that episodes of looting and destruction of lives and property in several regions of the country prompted the demand for the youngsters to end the protest .
“In the light of reports of looting, destruction, and loss of lives in some parts of the country, I use this medium to beseech all our brothers and sisters to kindly withdraw from the protest and embrace dialogue as a more civilised alternative to drive our demands home for the collective well-being of all Nigerians,” he said.
Ahmed, who is a member representing Musawa/Matazu Federal Constituency of Katsina State, revealed that the voices of the demonstrators have been heard, and both states and Federal Governments have put in place various measures to address the nation’s challenges.
Ahmed said that the destruction, murder, and looting of both public and private property pose a major threat to the country’s economic growth and development, even if he acknowledged that Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution guarantees the right to peaceful protest.
However, he voiced concern that some criminals and dishonest people had taken over the protest, robbed, and destroyed important national economic assets, saying that these nefarious actions would make the nation’s difficulties worse.
The lawmaker said the halting of the leaderless and spontaneous protest would prevent criminal elements from further hijacking the process and causing disruptions to the relative peace in the country.
