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Ukorebi Esien | 20th July 2024
CALABAR - As the Federal Government continue to engage with stakeholders on the country's economic, social, and political challenges, it
has appealed to the organizers of the proposed nationwide protests to opt for dialogue rather than resorting to disorder.
In a press statement, the Director General of the National Orientation Agency, Mallam Lanre Issa Onilu, said the NOA's nationwide structure has successfully identified the sponsors of the proposed protests and the potential flashpoints. The government, he said, is prepared to take measures to prevent any violent occurrences in these identified locations.
Mallam Onilu reassured that the channels of communication with the government and its various arms remains open for dialogue. He emphasized that the NOA respects citizens' right to protest and associate freely, in line with democratic principles.
However, he expressed concern over the true intentions behind the protests. "The identities of many of the masterminds behind the protest have been identified, along with their collaborators residing abroad," he stated. "The government is taking necessary actions to stop their subversive plans."
Onilu further alleged that the motives of those behind the planned protests are not about governance or the state of the economy, but rather a decoy to destabilize the country, incite mayhem, and perpetrate violence for narrow political reasons. He warned that the protests aim to portray Nigeria as unstable to the international community, as part of a grand design to intimidate the government and seek patronage from larger sponsors.
The NOA is intensifying efforts in civil intelligence gathering and sensitizing community leaders, parents, and youths across the 774 local governments on the need for vigilance and collective preventive actions, Onilu added.
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