SouthEast Governors Are Opposed To The Planned Nationwide Protest – Gov Uzodinma

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

Presents former Senate President/SGF, Pius Anyim, a new decamped from PDP to APC, to President Bola Tinubu

The Governor of Imo state and Chairman of the Southeast Governors Forum, Senator Hope Uzodimma, has said that the region is opposed to the planned nationwide protest .

He insisted that the protest being organized for Nigerians to register their displeasure with the harsh economic situation by some groups will be counterproductive.

Governor Uzodinma spoke on Wednesday July 24, 2024 at the Presidential Villa ,after leading his Ebonyi State counterpart, Francis Nwifuru and the recently decamped former Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim to a meeting with President Bola Tinubu.

The Imo State Governor noted that the planned protest will only succeed in over-heating the polity ,which is already fragile ,as well as subject the people to further hardship.

“In my view, I think there is no need to overheat our environment, and put our people in a position where the hardship that is occasioned by economic recession all over the world is further worsened. So, I advise against the protest” he stated

He expressed palpable fears that given the timing of the protest, hoodlums might hijack  the process just as it happened during the #EndSARS protest.

The Source reports that the organizers of the  protest, who have so far remained unknown, have scheduled August 1 ,2024 to kick start it .

According to Governor Uzodinma, the Southeast Governors have shown concern about the protest affecting the fragile polity, as well as the possibilities of it being hijacked by some forces to visit mayhem on innocent people.

He has, therefore, urged the organizers to engage the Government on the possibilities of sorting issues out without endangering the peace and stability of the country.

While acknowledging the inalienable rights of the people to express their feelings, he, however, cautioned that protests should have a clear cut objectives and reasonable conception.

The Chairman of the Southeast Governors Forum questioned the real motives behind the planned protest when the progenitors have continued to hide their identities and their reasons.

“Democracy is about the opinion of the people and  protests are allowed in a democratic setting. Every protest must be reasonably conceived to be able to make political sense.

“I think it is too early in the day in the life of this Government for anybody to come out and say he wants to protest .

“First of all ,there has not been any engagement where those who are sponsoring the protest were able to tell us the reasons for the protest .

“Secondly, given the global economic situation today and the insecurity in the country, we have a fragile political environment that if not managed and protected very well may collapse the entire country,” Governor Uzodinma noted.