Nigeria’s Oyo State Governor, Mr Seyi Makinde has appealed to protesting youth in the state over scarcity of new naira notes to be wary of hoodlums who might hijack the protests.
The Governor stated this in Iseyin where he’s rounding up a three-day stretch of campaigning in the four local governments in Iseyin Federal Constituency, urging the youths not to allow hoodlums hijack the protest from them and cause violence in the state.
He also urged them to demonstrate restraints over the biting hardship occasioned by the new naira redesign policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The governor called on the residents not to resort to violence, saying that the state would not like to lose any soul to the crisis.
Makinde said “As good as the Naira redesign policy is, its timing is completely wrong and that the state government has engaged the Federal Government on the matter.”
He further assured the state residents saying, “like I said earlier, peaceful protest is the right of everyone, but once it becomes violent and violates the peace of other people, it has become something else. And I can say that where the rights of protesters stop is where the right of some others begin. Yes, we have found ourselves in a very unfortunate situation, but violence will not solve the problem. So, I want to appeal to our people, because we don’t want to lose a single soul to this crisis. “Palliatives are going in Oyo State and there are few things we have promised to do on this.
We all have the opportunity to speak through our votes in 10 days time and it is someone who is alive that will enjoy what the new government will offer the people. So, please, I would like to urge the protesters to go back to their various homes. Once the protest turns into violence, the security personnel also have the right to protect the lives of other people. It is not as if those that are not protesting are happy about the situation we are faced with, but it is because there are several ways to address whatever issue we are contending with.” Makinde said.