From Musa Muhammad Kutama, Calabar
…says the state is yet to recover from #EndSARS’ sorrow, misery
The Organised Labour and Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Cross River State have distanced themselves from the planned nationwide protest scheduled to flag off today.
The Labour and Interest groups in the state have warned that the sighted the protest is an act of saboteurs that will do more harm than good to the good people of Cross River State, and pledged that they have exonerated themselves from partaking they opted to instead resolve that they will embark on.
“Operation Protect” the South-South State from any action aimed at disrupting public peace as well as causing harm to either public or private property.
In disassociating themselves from the planned protest at a joint press conference in Calabar, the various interest groups, pledged their support for Governor Bassey Otu-led administration while stressing the need for dialogue, peaceful expressions of grievances and engagement with government and relevant authorities.
The protest, according to the State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Gregory Olayithey, said their decision to stay off the streets was based on the bad experience of the 2020 #EndSARS protests they had where goods and public infrastructures and private property worth billions of Naira were lost to hoodlums who hijacked the protest.
According to him things were tough for everyone, and protests should not be an option, added; “We, the workers in Cross River State, are not participating and are distancing ourselves from this protest. Cross River has been set back by about 25 years because of the #EndSARS protest of 2020.”
Comrade Gregory lamented that the State is yet to fully recover from the #EndSARS protest he directed all workers in the state to shun away any form of protest the Organised Labour has decided to embrace peace and dialogue rather than going the way of public protest.
At the media briefing with the NLC Chairman were the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Chairman; the Chairmen of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), the Cross River State chapter; the Market Women Association; the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN); Civil Society Network (CSN); and Unified Commercial Drivers Association (UCDA) among others.
The Coalition commended Governor Bassey Edet Otu for reinventing the state and vowed not to fold their arms and allow criminal elements to hide under the cloak of protest to destroy what has been achieved by the present administration in the past year.
Comrade Olayi said the Coalition cannot stay away distance your itself and watch “a group of faceless persons, who have refused to unveil their identity, come and destroy our state in the name of hardship protest.”
Further In remarks on the group’s position, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Chairman, Comrade Monday Ugbodum slammed organisers of the planned protest for lack of transparency in the arrangements, describing them as “faceless.”
A representative from the Coalition of the Civil Society Network (CSN), while acknowledging the rights of citizens to protest, warned against the destructive aftermath, concerning the #EndSARS protests.
Noted that “Protesters are driven by hunger, poverty, and hyperinflationary trends in the country”, he proposed that citizens’ protests should however take the “form of Town-Hall meetings.”
In his intervention, word during the briefings the Chairman of Youth Council of Nigeria (YCN), Cross River State Chapter, His Youthfulness Olay Emmanuel, State insisted that dialogue should always take precedence over protest in any engagement with constituted authorities.
“We acknowledge the challenges but have chosen dialogue as our approach. We have a governor who listens, and we cannot let a few dictate the outcome. We will document the issues young people face and present them to the government”, he posited.
On his part, Mr Nta Effiom Henshaw of the Unified Commercial Drivers Association (UCDA) said all well-meaning Cross Riverians and residents of the State should rally around the Prince Bassey Otu-led “People’s First” administration to shun the planned protest and work for the overall development and economic growth of the State.
Hear him; “We do not support any kind of protest. We remember the hardships of 2020 and cannot endure that again. We have only one state, and we must protect it.”
Other stakeholders at the joint media briefing are saying “No To Protests” in Cross River State, remaining committed to peace to reign in the state.
Our correspondent despite heavy downpours monitored strategic places in Calabar, the state capital reporting that people a moving around going to their daily schedule despite the morning showers of rainfall and security beefed in all the cranes of the state.
