Why nationwide protest organizers should choose dialogue, NOA advises

• The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has identified the sponsors behind the planned nationwide protests scheduled from August 1 to 10
• NOA Director-General Lanre Issa-Onilu claims that the protest organisers seek to destabilise Nigeria and portray the country as unstable
• To monitor the situation, the NOA has deployed 4,000 personnel nationwide and is working on civil intelligence gathering

FCT, Abuja - The National Orientation Agency (NOA) said it has identified the sponsors behind the planned nationwide protest.

Social media has been abuzz with reports of certain groups planning to organise nationwide protests from August 1 to 10 in response to the escalating cost of living and economic hardships.

NOA speaks on planned nationwide protests Photo credit: @LanreIssaOnilu/Stephen Jons
Source: UGC

Reacting in a statement, Paul Odenyi, the NOA’s deputy director of press, announced that the agency has “successfully” pinpointed the protest sponsors and potential hotspots for the demonstrations, as reported by TheCable.

He said:

“The identities of many of the brains behind the protest have been known, along with their collaborators who are safely residing abroad, and the government is taking necessary actions to stop their subversive plans."

NOA claims sinister intent behind planned nationwide protest

Odenyi quoted Lanre Issa-Onilu, the NOA’s dirNOA’s-generalo claimed that the protest organisers aim to “portray Nigeria as an unstable country to the international community.”

He said:

“The intentions of the elements behind the planned protest are not about governance or the state of the economy but a decoy to destabilise the country, cause mayhem, and carry out arson, killings, and maiming of innocent citizens for narrow political reasons."

Issa-Onilu encouraged the protest organisers to seek dialogue rather than resorting to unrest, as reported by Leadership.

Protest: NOA says it's sensitizing community leaders

Speaking on moves to forestall the planned protest, Odenyi said:

“The NOA is intensifying efforts in civil intelligence gathering and sensitisation of community leaders, parents, and youths across the 774 local governments on the need for vigilance and collective preventive actions.”

Subsequently, the NOA revealed that it has deployed 4,000 personnel across the country to monitor the activities of the group organising the protest.

Interestingly, some Northern Youths and Students in Kano announced their withdrawal from the planned nationwide mass protests against Nigeria'sNigeria’sNigeria’sng hardships.

Igbos cautioned against planned nationwide protests

In a related development, Legit.ng reported that a faction of the leading Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has announced that the Igbo people will not participate in the planned nationwide protests.

This was contained in a statement issued in Abakaliki, Ebonyi state, by Okechukwu Isiguzoro, the secretary general of the Chidi Ibeh-led faction, on Tuesday, July 16.

Source: Legit.ng