The President of the Association of Nigeria University Lecturers in Diaspora, United Kingdom, Abdullahi Akeem-Ahmad has urged Nigerians to exercise restraint and support the President Bola Tinubu-led administration’s efforts to address the country’s challenges.
Speaking to one of our correspondents in Kaduna on Wednesday, Ahmed emphasised the importance of balancing the hunger protest scheduled for August 1-10, with the rule of law.
“Protest and the rule of law are integral to democracy, but protests should be conducted within legal bounds to protect participants and prevent chaos,” he said.
Ahmed, who’s also the Coordinator of the Campaign for Democracy in Diaspora UK, acknowledged the country’s difficulties but attributed them to past administrations, urging Nigerians to give the current administration a chance to fix the country.
He also warned against politicians using protests for personal gain, saying, “Nigeria’s youth should wise up and not be used to balance evil accounts.”
According to him, the #EndBadGovernance protest should be carried out within the confines of the law that exists within a particular environment or space where the protest is to take place.
This, he argued, was required to protect the protesters against any form of “intrusion, infiltration, violation by miscreants, hijacker’s, hoodlums or thugs of some aggrieved politicians seeking vendetta to create a state of anarchy or chaos to achieve political goals.”
Ahmed said, “Protest and rule of law are bundled in democracy, they add colour to beautify democracy in any clime around the world while democracy itself is not an end but a means to an end. Democracy guarantees freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
“This is equally guaranteed by the UN charter on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which Nigeria is a signatory.
“Protest should be carried out within the confines of the law that exists within a particular environment or space which the protest is to take place, this is done to protect the protesters against any form of intrusion, infiltration, violation by miscreants, hijacker’s, hoodlums or thugs of some aggrieved politicians seeking vendetta to create a state of anarchy or chaos to achieve political goals.
“One thing is certain no responsible government will fold his hands and watch some unscrupulous elements under the guise of protest to cause mayhem and disaffection in the land and consequently leading to a change of government.
“This is unacceptable and uncalled for now that president Bola Ahmed Tinubu is daily working hard trying to get the country back on track from the looting of our commonwealth and wanton mismanagement of our diversity by the previous administration.”
He added, “This is a trying period in the anal history of our dear country Nigeria that requires all hands to be on deck and support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his bid and aspirations to rescue the country from total collapse.
“The problems and challenges Nigeria is facing today are created by previous governments so please let’s give the current administration the chance to fix the country and make it a better place for everyone to be proud of again.
“Our youth should exercise restraint and show more understanding of the current situation in the country, be more patriotic and never be allowed to be used by politicians that never meant well for the country to use their loots to influence them to the streets to cause mayhem and arson while their children are schooling in choice schools abroad.”