The governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, has once again expressed concerns that the planned national protest may escalate into violence, which could have disastrous consequences and be detrimental to society.
During a Tuesday morning broadcast to the people of Abia, Otti appealed to traditional rulers, leaders of religious organizations, and other community leaders to advise their people against resorting to violence.
Otti admitted that Nigerians are entitled to protest against unfavourable conditions but voiced worry that the protest’s original organizers’ good motives may be overshadowed if the protest is hijacked by hoodlums and people with malicious intentions to cause chaos.
The governor urged the youths of Abia to show restraint and communicate their demands to the leaders. He promised that his administration would take every measure to safeguard the people from harm and devastation.
“Today’s administration has invested in infrastructure in the state and such infrastructure should be protected from being destroyed by those who may want to hijack the protest in the state to cause mayhem.
“I urge Abians to have a high sense of peace and sustained development and not chaos”, He stated.
The governor also stated that certain economic policies implemented by the federal government, such as the removal of fuel subsidies, may not have produced the desired results as intended. However, he urged the youth to pursue peaceful methods to address their grievances rather than turning to violence.