ONG Seeks Dialogue over Nationwide Protest, Cautions Mobilisers on Dangers

ONG Seeks Dialogue over Nationwide Protest, Cautions Mobilisers on Dangers

The President of One Nigeria Group (ONG), a peace and unity Non-Governmental Organisation, Alhaji Muhammad Saleh Hassan, has called on the organisers of the planned nationwide hunger protests scheduled for August 1-10 to cancel the move, warning that it might degenerate into a state of anarchy and doom.

He also called on President Tinubu to engage the youths and other stakeholders in a dialogue to find lasting solutions to the economic and social challenges facing the nation.

Hassan, who is also the Chairman of Skymark Energy and Power, stated this in a statement released in Abuja.

According to him, the protests being claimed to be peaceful by the organisers, whose identities have yet to be confirmed, could be a harbinger of tears and sorrow as it has the likelihood of being hijacked by dissidents to unleash terror on the nation.

He urged Nigerians to rise against the protests, warning that they pose a threat to national peace and security.

Hassan appealed to the organisers to jettison the idea and engage the government in dialogue, stating that President Bola Tinubu has extended an olive branch and might be willing to meet with them to proffer solutions to the challenges facing the country.

The ONG president also called on traditional rulers, religious leaders, and other stakeholders to use their influence to persuade the youths to shelve the protest plans. He argued that the protest would be counterproductive and could derail the country’s progress.

“The doom that the protest may elicit on the country and the citizenry, including the organisers too, has the potentialities of setting the country back and derail it from the sociopolitical and economic development as well as growth that it has struggled and still struggling to achieve,” he said.

Hassan urged the youths to use their voting power to vote out the government if they are dissatisfied, rather than engaging in protests that could lead to chaos. He also highlighted the government’s recent efforts to address the challenges facing the country, such as the Dangote Refinery and the local government autonomy granted by the Supreme Court.

By PRNigeria