Hours to the commencement of the planned August 1 nationwide protest, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Wednesday told Lagosians who have intention of joining the protest to restrict their activities to designated protest grounds in the state.
Governor Sanwo-Olu stated this in a state-wide broadcast on the planned protest that is scheduled to kick off, Thursday, August 1.
The State High Court had on Tuesday granted an order restricting the activities of the protesters to the Gani Fawehinmi Park in Ojota and Peace Park located at Ketu.
The Governor maintained that protest is not the solution to the challenges facing the country.
He said, “It is pertinent to ask, is protest the practical catalyst for progress the nation requires at this time? Will such a protest suddenly ensure that all of our challenges disappear in ten days? Will the protest suddenly ensure the prices of food stuff drop by the 11th day? Will shutting down the economy for 10 days inspire economic growth we earnestly desire?
“I hold the strong view that a protest at this time will do none of these things for us as a nation. Rather, it would roll back the modest gains that we have made in various facets of our socio-economic life as a people.
“Are there challenges in our land? Yes. Is the government addressing them? Yes. So much is being done in many sectors to alleviate the pains of the people and prepare the path to lasting prosperity.
“Are quick fixes options available to the government? I doubt that”, the governor affirmed.
While admitting that peaceful protests are fundamental rights protected by the country’s constitution, the governor however said vowing to sack an elected government in 10 days by means of protest is alien to the constitution.
Appealing to the intended protesters, he said:” To the organisers of the protest, I repeat, while your intention may be noble, do not substitute your intentions with the motives of other forces. Your gathering is all they perhaps require to perpetrate their acts. After all, there cannot be fifth columnists if there are no columns. If your protest gathering becomes a column, then there can be fifth columnists.
“I appeal to you all that we reflect on our past experiences during the tragic events of the #EndSARS protest in 2020. What began as a peaceful demonstration was, unfortunately, hijacked by elements with devilish intentions. They unleashed an unprecedented war on our state. We saw the destruction of valuable properties, the disruption of businesses, and sadly, the loss of lives in several parts of our dear state. These events left deep scars on our state and hurt our psyche.
‘We are yet to fully recover from the mindless destruction of some symbols of our rich and enviable heritage,” Sanwo-Olu recalled.