Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State has cautioned that the planned nationwide protest on October 1 will lead to nothing but looting and vandalism of public properties.
It was said that the organisers of the #FearlessOctober1 protest have declared their determination to proceed with the demonstration, despite potential opposition from the police, Department of State Services, and the military.
Juwon Sanyaolu, National Coordinator of the Take It Back Movement, and Damilare Adenola, the group’s Director of Mobilisation, announced that the protest in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) would be held at Eagle Square, while the Lagos protest would take place at the Ikeja Under Bridge.
The organisers stressed that the protest aims to address the hardships caused by the removal of the fuel subsidy and the devaluation of the naira.
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Abiodun, however, explained the importance of engaging in constructive dialogue with the government rather than joining those inciting discord.
Speaking on Sunday during a Special Church Service commemorating the 64th National Day celebration at the Cathedral Church of St. Peter, Ake, Abeokuta, he urged resilience and faith.
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He said:
“Let us be resilient, let us continue to pray, let us persevere, and let us hold on to our faith in Almighty God.
“Let us not join those who continue to fan the flames of discord in our land, and those who are calling for protests, violence, and civil disobedience, which only leads to vandalism, looting, and destruction of public property.
“Let us engage constructively and work with the government, knowing that this administration is an inclusive one.”
The governor also disclosed his administration’s ongoing efforts to mitigate the current economic challenges.
These measures include the deployment of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses, the initiation of energy transition programmes with the launch of e-bikes.
Other initiative were the reduction of workdays for civil servants from five to three days, and the provision of free medical services for the poor and elderly, among other initiatives.
Abiodun further pledged that his administration would soon complete the farmers’ markets across the state’s four zones and that the state government’s Gateway Trading Company, which will sell food at wholesale prices, would soon commence operations.
