Delta State Council of Traditional Rulers has called on the organisers of the planned hunger protest to shelve their plan and “endeavour to interface with the leadership of the country for the overall good of the nation.”
The monarchs appealed for calm “to allow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the various state governors to fix Nigeria and guarantee sustainable economic growth.”
These were contained in a statement titled ‘Re: Protest Against Bad Governance from 1st to 10th August 2024: Delta Monarchs Sue for Peace and Patience,’ issued by the Delta State Council of Traditional Rulers, copies of which were made available to journalists in Warri on Tuesday.
The statement was jointly signed by His Majesty, Major Gen. Felix Mujakpero (retd), Orhue 1, the Orodje of Okpe and Chairman; His Majesty, Pere SP Luke, Kalanama VIII, Pere of Akugbene-Mein kingdom and first Vice Chairman; and Obi (Dr.) Henry Kikachukwu, Obi of Ubulu-Uno and second Vice Chairman respectively.
The monarchs, who affirmed the fact that it was “the constitutional right of citizens to protest peacefully in their demand for good governance whenever the need arises,” however, recalled the recent riotous upheavals in Kenya and Zimbabwe amongst others which, they said, “had left the traditional council with no option than to appeal to the good conscience of Nigerians and especially Deltans to shelve the planned nationwide protest.”
The Council of Traditional Rulers, while urging organizers of the planned nationwide hunger protest, particularly the youths, to shelve any intention of going ahead with the proposed nationwide protest slated for August 1st to 10th, stated that “they should rather embrace peace and endeavour to interface with the leadership of the country for the overall good of the nation.”
Observing that the country’s economy was going through tough and challenging times and hunger, unemployment and insecurity were rife in the land, the Council of Traditional Rulers pleaded with the organizers to “have a rethink in the overall interest of the nation,” and “call their followers to order, to avert hijack of the protest by hoodlums.”