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The Secretary to the Lagos State Government, Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin, has called on Lagos residents to shun violent protest.
She said such could lead to loss of lives and property as seen during the 2020 #EndSARS protests.
The SSG gave this advice at a security meeting held in state Secretariat in Alausa, Lagos.
During the 2020 protest, youths demanded the dissolution of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad. Several public properties, including a Bus Rapid Transit terminal, were set ablaze by hoodlums, and many lives were reportedly lost.
Following the high cost of living and the abnormal hike in prices of food items, products and services, some Nigerians have planned another protest expected to commence on August 1, 2024 through August 10.
The protest tagged, 'End Bad Governance in Nigeria' is to draw the Federal Government’s attention to hardships being faced by citizens.
Following the development, Salu-Hundeyin advised residents not to allow violent demonstrations to disrupt the peace the state has been enjoying.
She said, “This is the state that does not owe any pensioner a Kobo. If you retire today, you should be expecting your pension immediately. The Lagos State Government is doing so much.”
“It is a legitimate right for citizens to protest; there’s nothing wrong with it. The only thing people should worry about is that we do not want violence because the nascent peace we enjoy in Nigeria now and the development we are seeing, particularly in Lagos State, should not be truncated.
“We do not want anything to tamper with all that the state is currently enjoying. During the last protest (EndSARS), we saw the destruction that happened. They have a right, but their rights should not be for destruction.”
The chairman of Scribe 57 and Ikeja SLG, Akeem Dauda, raised the same alarm and described the planned protest as “unnecessary,” noting that local people would be engaged to discourage participation.
“We have resolved that the protest is uncalled for and unnecessary based on what Lagos State, led by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has done since he became governor. We feel strongly about educating them on why the protest in Lagos is unnecessary."
