A CALL FOR PEACEFUL, LOGICAL AND PURPOSEFUL STRUGGLE
President Mohammodu Buhari as the commander in chief of the armed forces has been charged to give order to provide effective security for the country especially at this time of civil unrest across Nigeria.
Coalition of civil society in conjunction concerned youths in Osun State made the call in Osogbo at a press conference to address the state of the nation.
The group include, Nigerians For Good Governance; Justice Now Foundation; Oduduwa Youth Initiatives; Centre for Sustained Dialogue; Osun Youth Alternative; National Youth Democratic Network; Committee For the Defence of Human Rights; Independent Masses Forum; Social Development Monitoring Group, and World Institute for Peace
While the group asserted unequivocally their support for agitations of Nigerian youths and all the demands raised on the banner of EndSARS protest, it however condemned reported violence that has greeted it in virtually all States of the Federation.
We the Nigerian youths and members of Civil Society Coalition from Osun State wish to express our concern on the current EndSARS protest across Nigeria and our dear Osun State in particular.
“Let it be clearly understood that system failure and inability of the Government at all levels of the Nigeria political structure to meet daily yearnings and aspiration of Nigerians is responsible for the current outburst of mass anger of both young and old Nigerians being championed by the youths”.
“We accept the proposal of the Federal Government to initiate public panel of enquiry across the 36 States of Nigeria to look into various incidents of human right abuses at the behest of officers of the disbanded Special Anti Robbery Squad -SARS and other abuses by officers of the Nigerian Police Force in general”.
The group therefore call on all State Governors to ensure that such committee or panel is composed to include representatives of the youths, civil societies and other sections of the society to reflect democracy and integrity.
It also condemned planned deployment of military personnel to quell peaceful protest but rather advised that the military officers be deployed to combat insurgency to reclaim Nigeria territories under the control of Boko Haram.
“It is important to also state that we are not alien to the civil disobedience and protests to drive home demands and agitation of Nigerians and cannot keep quiet in the face of violence being recently imported into the EndSARS protest by some anarchists and vandals, who have been exploring the protest banner to unleash violence on the society with destruction of both public and private properties and looting as being witnessed in Osun and some other parts of Nigeria” the group stated.
“This is nothing but double jeopardy on the part of Nigerians who are equally being oppressed by the ruling class and few opportunists. It is pure anarchy to burn down the Nation without regard for the right of others whose sympathy resides with the protest. Panic being created from such acts is defeatist in nature and gives strength to argument for indispensability of the Nigerian Police. It is also a collective blackmail on Nigerian youths who genuinely want changes”.
The group therefore condemned rising scale of violence and criminality being experienced during EndSARS protest saying, it is pure distraction to derail the protest and shift its focus.
It also condemn in strong words the attack on Governors Gboyega Oyetola and Kayode Fayemi of Osun and Ekiti States, the looting at Osun Mall and extortion of money from commuter busses and private businesses.
It called on all concerned youths of Nigeria to join the effort to restore civility and orderliness to protests, resist anarchistic tendencies and restrain bad egg among the protesters.
“It is noteworthy that brandishing of dangerous weapons and other forms of violence experienced in some places across Nigeria is nothing but handiwork of counter revolutionary forces who must be disarmed with civility and candor of peace without deviation from the focus of our protest”.
“We call on President Muhammadu Buhari to expedite action toward addressing the demands of the #EndSARS protesters and do so with sincerity and expression that will reflect trust. Hunger, unemployment, poverty, dilapidated infrastructures and other negative indices of human development index must be urgently addressed to avert impending national outburst.
We wish to say that with the current situation in the Nation – factors for revolution are overripe and we will not shy away from advocating a peaceful one, devoid of bloodletting”.
The group therefore, called on all units of protest across Nigeria to institute a National Forum for aggregation of demands for the purpose of engagement and consultation.
“We call for democratically chosen representation into a National Action Council of Nigerian Youths or whatever nomenclature we may choose to fine-tune our demands and agenda for immediate action and future political engagements”.
