By Francesca Hangeior
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Osun State, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has urged the organisers of the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protest to listen to President Bola Tinubu and end the protest.
Oyintiloye said that since the President had acknowledged hearing their grievances, they should embrace dialogue as suggested.
The APC chieftain, speaking to newsmen on Sunday in Osogbo, said that the wanton destruction of property, looting, and killing of innocent Nigerians could not be justified in the name of a protest.
He noted that the reported killing of about 10 persons in Niger, Borno, Kano, and Kaduna during the protest was disheartening.
Oyintiloye, a member of the defunct APC Presidential Campaign Council, acknowledged that there is no doubt about the hunger in the country but stated that going violent against the government and the people was not the best way to address the present situation.
He said shutting down a fragile economy like Nigeria’s for 10 days would be counter-productive, resulting in more suffering for the masses.
The APC chieftain also expressed dismay at the destruction of the federal government’s multi-million naira digital innovation park in Kano, among other properties.
Oyintiloye, a former lawmaker, acknowledged the constitutional right to protest within fundamental human rights but stressed that the protest should be properly managed to avoid escalating into riots.
He said that the protest, which had resulted in killing, looting, and destruction, could no longer be described as a protest but a riot.
He added, “Such riot acts contravene section 71 of the Criminal Code Acts of Nigeria which explicitly states that ‘Any person who takes part in a riot is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment for three years.’
“Therefore, protesters must be careful not to allow their activities to be interpreted as a riot, which is a punishable offence.”
Oyintiloye noted that while the organisers of the protest might have genuine reasons for holding a peaceful protest, there were individuals, who could be described as enemies of the nation, who might want to use the protest to destabilise the government.
He appealed to the youths and the organisers to embrace dialogue, adding that President Bola Tinubu meant well for the country.
“I want to appeal to the youths and the organisers of the hunger protest to embrace dialogue and allow the President to do what is needed.
“Protest is a constitutional right, but killings, looting, and destruction of both government and private property are not permitted by the law.
“Let’s be cautious of the fact that there are some disgruntled individuals who are planning to use the protest to destabilise the government. We must not allow this.
“There is no doubt that there is hunger and poverty in the land, but we can rest assured that the President is doing his best to improve the economy, but this cannot be achieved within a year.
“Let’s give the President the chance to address the situation, and let’s embrace dialogue for the peace and stability of the country. The President has spoken; let’s listen to him and give the administration more time,” he said.
Oyintiloye commended the security agencies for their efforts in safeguarding lives and property during the protest and urged them to continue to be professional in the discharge of their duties.
He also appealed to the protesters not to provoke the security agencies, whose responsibility is maintaining law and order in society.