Lagos Govt Affirms Citizens’ Right To Protest Amid Hardships

The Lagos State Government has affirmed that the upcoming nationwide protests scheduled for August are within citizens’ rights, emphasizing that there is nothing wrong with such demonstrations.

Naija News reports that the Secretary to the State Government, Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, made this statement on Tuesday during a meeting with the Secretaries to the Local Governments (SLGs).

However, she cautioned that protesters should ensure the demonstrations do not become violent or destructive.

Salu-Hundeyin stated that while protests are a legitimate right, she believes there is no need for such actions in Lagos, given the state’s efforts to support its citizens.

She said, “It is a legitimate right for citizens to protest, as there is nothing wrong in it, but people should be wary that it does not turn violent and destructive.

“Lagos State has done so much for its citizens that nobody in the state should stand up and say they are going to break anything.

“Sincerely, and I mean it; it is not because I am the Secretary of the State Government; I speak from my heart and God knows; there is no reason for anybody to cause any protests or riots or violence in Lagos State.”

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has scheduled an emergency meeting on Wednesday (today) morning to address the planned nationwide protest slated for August 1.

This comes after President Bola Tinubu pleaded with the organisers to shelve the protests and give his administration more time to execute people-oriented programmes.