Igbo leaders in Ajeromi/Ifelodun, Lagos State calls on citizens to shun planned nationwide protest
Igbo Leaders in Ajeromi/Ifelodun Local Government Area of Lagos State have called on their people not to participate in the planned nationwide protest commencing August 1, 2024.
The leaders made their position known at a press briefing in the area on Wednesday, July 31, 2024.
Hon. Chief (Mrs) Nkem Igwe, the Apex Leader of Ndigbo in APC in the LGA reiterated the call for their people in the local government not to join in the planned protest.
She said “The leadership of Ndigbo in APC, Ajeromi Ifelodun LGA, Lagos State has advised all members of Ndigbo in the LGA not to join in any protest that is coming up, they should exempt themselves from it, because what happened during the EndSARS period was not a good experience, lives were lost , buildings were razed down, hoodlums took advantage of the whole process.”
Hon. Igwe appealed to parents and guardians to advise their children to distance themselves from the planned protest.” After having a meeting with the leaders of Ndigbo, we advised them to caution their children and members to remain indoors during this period; we are not part of the protest.”
On her part, Hon Chief (Mrs) Ifeoma Anene, the deputy Leader Ajeromi Ifelodun LGA and councilor representing the good people of Ward I, in Ajeromi/Ifelodun LGA, as one of the Igbo leaders in the LGA, said “As one of the leaders of the good people of the LGA I want to say that none of us will partake in the planned nationwide pretest that is coming because the experience during the EndSARS in 2020 is still fresh in our memories and we don’t need it anymore.”
Hon. Anene who stated that adequate security measures have been put in place to secure people in the area by the Chairman of the local government, Hon. Fatai Ayoola, maintained that protest is good but decried a situation where hoodlums would hijack the process and cause mayhem in the area. “Protest is good, it is constitutional, but the mode and method by which people are hijacking it here is the reason we don’t want to partake in it. The last time in our local government, they burnt down the local government, almost 82 cars were burnt, and up till now we have not recovered from the shock of that EndSARS protest. So I am advising every Igbo in Ajeromi not to partake in the protest.
Chief Silas Ngozi Ogbonna, a 76 years old resident of Ajeromi/Ifelodun and leader, said “I don’t see any need for the protest, if you watch some of the videos in circulation, you see where the government has made provisions for food items, but you see our Nigerian people going to re-bag those things that have been written not for sale, and we try to blame the government for virtually everything. What is happening didn’t start today, it started from previous administrations. I am sure within the next two, three months the measures or actions put in place by the president since threat of this protest, I think Nigeria will bounce back.”
Speaking further he said “One good thing the present regime has done was to grant autonomy to the local governments so that statutory allocations would go directly into the coffers of the local government, and this will foster development across the local governments.”
Chief Ogbonna advised his people to shun the protest. “My candid advice is for my Igbo brothers and sisters to stay away from the planned protest. No need for the protest at all.”
