By Abolade Oluwatobiloba
…Anyone Kicking Against Protest Is Our Enemy – Workers Reply
The National President of the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union IEDPU, Alhaji Abdulmumini Ayo Abdulmalik, has issued an appeal to the indigenes and residents of Ilorin Emirate, as well as all Nigerians, particularly the youth, to refrain from participating in physical demonstrations against the government.
In a press statement released on Monday in Ilorin, Alhaji Abdulmalik acknowledged the difficulties faced by many Nigerians but cautioned that physical demonstrations would only exacerbate the situation by disrupting economic activities.
Alhaji Abdulmalik emphasized the need for the government to reduce spending on non-essential governance and engage in consistent dialogue with the public, with a view to reducing the earnings of elected and appointed officials. He believed this would assuage the public.
He therefore called on community, opinion, and religious leaders, as well as well-meaning individuals, to join in appealing to the youth to give peace a chance and allow the government the opportunity to address the prevailing challenges.
Meanwhile, the All Workers Convergence (AWC), a coalition of Nigerian workers, has issued a statement declaring that anyone opposing the planned August 1 protest against hunger in the country is an enemy of the people. In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze, and released to the press on Monday, the AWC reiterated its commitment to the protest, which aims to draw attention to the widespread hunger and hardship faced by Nigerian workers and the general population.
The statement read, “This protest is a revolt against hunger and a rebellion against hardship. Our people are only trying to resist deprivation. This is a revolution towards the genuine transformation of Nigeria.
“Our people have suffered enough. Our people have made up their minds to arrest the situation. We are going ahead with the planned protest.
“Anybody against this call for protest is an enemy of the people. It is time to emancipate Nigeria from corruption, bad governance and exploitation. We call for synergy among all the organisers of this protest. We shall overcome. No retreat, no surrender.”