Ahead of the anticipated August 1 protest, a stakeholders forum in the Southeast region, South East Youth Development for Good Governance and Better Development (SEYDGGBD), has pleaded with youths from the zone to shun the planned protest.
The group, which comprises eminent citizens across different political parties, professionals, businessmen and women, students and Diasporans, said the real motive of the organisers of the protest and their identities are not known, hence the people of the region should be circumspect.
A statement made available to journalists in Abuja and signed by National Coordinator of the Forum, Honourable Henry Ejiofor, said the present administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has accorded South-East a sense of belonging through placement in strategic cabinet positions aside provision of social infrastructures.
Ejiofor recalled ongoing efforts to secure freedom for the leader of the proscribed Independent People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, by the governors and the Presidential Assent already given the South-East Development Commission Bill.
The Forum Coordinator also listed the recent developments in the South-east by both the federal and the state governments.
He said: “As a forum, we are making this national call to South East youths and others across Nigeria not to allow faceless individuals to use them.
“As a region, we are grateful to President Ahmed Bola Tinubu for signing South East Development Commission Bills, and also to South East leaders that facilitated the bill.
“We are out today to discourage the South easterners from involving themselves in the well-publicised nationwide protest for the major reason of the ongoing developmental strides that the present government has put in place, and the good work the present crop of Governors in the region are doing.”
Commenting on the economic situation in the country, the statement urged Nigerians to understand that President Tinubu needs more time for all his promising policies to come to fruition.
“We are discouraging our kinsmen against the protest because most of the sponsors are faceless and, quiet, unlike other protest that the organizers are known.
“Again, we do not know the real intention of the organizers, therefore, we will not support violent protest that can lead to the loss of lives of our hardworking brothers and sisters as a result of the protest.
“Also, aside from distracting the governments at all levels, this action will create more hunger while many people may lose their means of livelihood.”
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