Arewa community reject #EndBadGovernance protests, warn of evil objectives
By Sodiq Adelakun
Northerners resident in Lagos under the aegis of “Arewa Community Traders in Lagos State” have distanced themselves from the proposed nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests slated to begin on the 1st of August 2024, citing sinister intentions on the part of organisers.
At a world press conference held at the Lagos Airport Hotels, Ikeja on Wednesday, the group expressed concerns about plans of “the faceless sponsors” who are hell-bent on achieving “their evil objectives through acts of brigandage and criminality under the guise of a rightful protest.
In a communique read by one of their leaders, Alhaji Sheu Usman, the briefing is “about the ongoing disturbing trend in Nigeria, where some group of unknown people are planning to embark on national protests from tomorrow, August 1.”
Noting that the state has served as home to them and numerous others from different parts of the world, the group vowed to resist any protest against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Lagos State.
“We are against any protests in Lagos State because we don’t want any destruction in the state. We are in support of peace in Lagos and Nigeria.” They said.
The group added that they were “fully aware that some politicians and their sponsors, under the guise of protesting against what they claim as hardship in Nigeria have ganged up to bring down the democratically elected government of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.” They, however, express worries about the plan of the sponsors of the protests, whom they said were “faceless.
While averring the right of citizens to peaceful protests as a way of pressing home their demands at the Arewa community and traders berated organisers of the planned protest for “the drums of war being beaten from various quarters in the country based on the demands of those championing the national protests, targeting Lagos State.”
The group said the destruction of the home state of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not be allowed by the Arewa Community and Traders in Lagos who are living in different parts of the State.
The statement reads:
“The Arewa Community and Traders in Lagos State are totally against the national protests and we are not going to be part of any plan to cause trouble in Lagos State.”
“We want to implore all our members not to take part in any protest being organised by faceless people. We don’t believe in the protests because we don’t think we need any national protests against the administration of President Bola Tinubu at the moment, especially when there are a lot of transformation and people-oriented policies being carried out by the President Bola Tinubu-led government.”
“We are not in support of the protest because we believe some fifth columnists, politicians and those who want to set Nigeria, particularly Lagos on fire, are behind the protests for selfish interests.”
“The images left behind after the EndSARS protest of 2020 are fresh in our memories. We don’t want a repeat of that bad event where many of our people lost properties worth billions of Naira.”
“We don’t want another mass destruction of public and private properties in Lagos State. We don’t want another destruction of public assets in Lagos State which is the commercial and economic centre of Nigeria.”
“As Arewa Community and Traders in Lagos State, we want to say unequivocally that we will stand against any protest against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Lagos State. We are against any protests in Lagos State because we don’t want any destruction in the state. We are in support of peace in Lagos and Nigeria.”
“Lagos State has been home to many of us for many years and we will not support any attempt to destroy the State in the name of protests by some faceless groups and individuals. We are against the protests and we want all our members not to participate in the national protests.”
