Lagos State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola on Tuesday received another set of prominent Nigerians protesting removal of fuel subsidy at Lagos House, Marina and admonished them to be orderly, civil and avoid damage to public properties in the course of venting their disapproval of the Federal Government’s policy.
Speaking while addressing the protesters led by social activist, Professor Pat Utomi and entrepreneur, Mr Fola Adeola, the Governor also charged those entrusted with the responsibility of securing the people to be more professional and make a distinction between those who are legitimately protesting and those who are rioting.
“Let me commend the spirit that all of us have demonstrated to express our displeasure at a policy that affects our lives. I also recognise that from time to time, we will have the need to be displeased about actions that government takes on our behalf. I also recognise that those who express their displeasure have a right to protest and are not rioters,” he said.
The Governor said he believes that “everybody who has a right to vote and those who do not have a right to vote have a right to complain and it is our responsibility and indeed our duty to listen to those complaints and to find ways to make them better.”
He gave a commitment that having listened to the complaints of the protesters, he would pass the message on to the President who has the power to make decision to answer to their complaints and reverse the complaints which is making all the protesters angry.
“Let me also say that as you are protesting here, other people are protesting in other parts of the country and other parts of the state. The Gani Fawehinmi Park where several hundreds of thousands protested yesterday was not an accident.
“It was a conscious policy of this government in recognition of the fact that people will have the need to publicly express their displeasure that we created the Park for those who are aggrieved to express their displeasure,” the Governor reiterated.
He added emphatically that it is about the economy of Nigeria and not just about oil alone.
Speaking earlier, the leader of the team and former Presidential aspirant, Professor Pat Utomi said with the protest against fuel subsidy removal, the Nigerian people across the country are saying it is time a change is made about how the people are governed.
“The Nigerian people are speaking out clearly. When we began going round Ikoyi this morning, somebody remarked that this is the first time a protest march will take place in Ikoyi. Many people came out and joined us.
“Until we got to this place (Lagos House, Marina) 90 percent of the marching people were the middle class people which shows the unity in this particular struggle,” Utomi explained.
Also speaking in an interview, former Vice Presidential Candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Mr Fola Adeola said the people are angry because of the sudden withdrawal of fuel subsidy, stating that there is no reason to embark on the action because the country belongs to everyone and not those in government alone.
He stressed that the government has a duty to engage the people by enunciating policies and carrying the people along, adding however that they have always been promising the people on several issues in the past without fulfilling them.
“Every time you have a crisis, it is the people that you run back to. You are always asking them to deny themselves of several necessities without you, the leaders showing any corresponding sign of frugality. Instead you continue to wallow in abundance. We have no reason to be where we are today,” Mr Adeola stated.-PUNCH
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