In face of the nationwide protest scheduled to commence on August 1, the Eburu of Iba, Oba Prof. Adekunle Adeogun-Okunoye Oyedeji II, has appealed Nigerians to exercise patience and show more understanding to the President Bola Tinubu-led government in its struggle to chart a new path for Nigerian ailing economy.
In a statement he signed, Oba Okunoye opined that governance is what he called a weaving tapestry of complex longitudinal activities requiring time to mature.
He said the government is still in its infancy, hence too early to evaluate its performance, saying that Nigeria is not an isolated case on the economic crunch being experienced globally.
“We compare well with other countries on all indices. Economy of most countries is facing greater challenges, and we are all witnessing the drama of electioneering in many western countries democracy.
We should hold our leadership to standards to which we all subscribed to. We all have right to vote and be voted for. The mechanisms to express our dissatisfaction against poor performance were clearly enshrined in our constitution. We are allowed to elect our governments every four years. We all agreed through representation to our constitution and laws and we must abide by the dictates of the constitution and follow the rule of the law,” he said.
The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Atiba University, Oyo admitted to the citizens right to express their grievances about specifics issues through protests but expressed his objection to another ‘EndSars’ protest, especially in the Yorubaland, stating it is out of order to destroy lives and property under the guise of protesting against hunger, when the nation is yet to fully recover from the effects of the ENDSARS riot.
The Eburu reiterated that the constitution permits protest through periodic elections. He, thus, urged Nigerians to explore legal and civil avenues, adding that no nation has completely eradicated hunger and poverty in general but calling the rich to be more compassionate with the downtrodden masses.
“It is time that we all come together to first investigate the root cause and find lasting solutions. How are we as individuals contributing and sustaining hunger and other problems in our country? Before we result into violence and likely politically motivated protest, have we asked all our elected officers at all levels pertinent questions? Even though, the president has the overall responsibility for national government but it is a shared responsibility among our elected and appointed ruling class. We should first engage them at local levels and express our concerns and grievances. Whereas, most of our concerns are not universal and not evenly distributed across the nation. But, we will all suffer the consequences of lawlessness and anarchy,” he said.
The traditional ruler lamented the degree of destruction recorded after the ENDSARS, particularly the burning of registries and important archival documents. He said the culprits would not understand the effects until they would need those vital documents that could assist their heritage and future generation.
He further said that elections have provided a legal platform for Nigerians to express their grievances according to the principle of democratic governance, affirming that Nigerian democracy is improving with the national assembly passing laws and engaging in active reforms of government businesses.
He called on the electorate to exercise their vote right against bad governance at the polls since they are all enfranchised under the rule of law. He cautioned them not to take law into their hands and throw the nation into chaos.
“I strongly appeal to us across demography to continue to be patient with our elected and appointed leaders , abide by the laws and regulations in our nation and uphold democratic principles while expressing our concerns and making our agitation known to constituted authority,” he appealed.
