Kwara groups dissociate selves from planned protest

Youth groups and professional associations in Kwara State on Friday dissociated themselves from the proposed national protest and demonstration, declaring that the protest will not solve any problem.

The groups, led by Alli Yusuf, spoke with journalists in Ilorin after meeting with state government officials on the national protest called for 1 August.

Mr Yusuf said although things are not easy economically in the country and across the universe, the situation could be salvaged with engagements and dialogues.

“We have expressed our grievances to the Kwara State Government on issues and challenges bothering the youth constituency and other segments of the society in Kwara and Nigeria as a whole. We just had a meeting with various groups. Since the government has promised to progressively address some of our grievances, we are saying no protest in Kwara State,” he told reporters in Ilorin shortly after meeting some government officials.

Present at the briefing were representatives of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), the National Association of Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (NARTEAN), the National Association of Students Union (NASU); Tricycle Owners Association of Nigeria (TOAN); Okada Rider Association of Nigeria (ORAN); and Marketers Association of Nigeria (MAN); among others.

Top government officials who had earlier met with the groups include the Commissioner for Youth Development, Ndanusa Usman; the General Manager of Kwara State Social Investment Programme (KWASSIP), Abdulwasiu Tejidini; and Permanent Secretary Ministry of Youth Development, Abdulrazaq Alabere, among others.

Mr Yusuf said Nigerians face many challenges, especially economic hardship, but warned that violence or protest could not be the solution.

“It is obvious that Nigerians are facing a lot of hardship presently which Kwarans are not excluded from. We agree with the fact that things are not easy, but we believe that you don’t attack violence with violence. There are ways of settling issues rather than violence or protest.

“Therefore, all the groups and associations present here today now agree that we will embark on consultation and dialogue with the state government rather than going for protest. We have agreed that we will not go on protest. We have had a meeting with government officials and our meeting continues.

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“I want to pledge that the name of Kwara State will not be changed from being a state of harmony and a peaceful state, and the peace will continue to reign. In protest, a lot of issues happen, and it is the youth that suffer the consequences most. Some lives have been lost to protests, while properties have also been lost because people will hijack protests,” the youth leader added.

The representative of NANS, Zone C, Adebayo Alasa, assured that student bodies in the zone would not be part of any protest.

“We have expressed our grievances to the government and we are very optimistic that the states (under their zone) will address all the challenges. We want to assert clearly that we dissociate ourselves from joining any protest in the nation,” Mr Alisa said.