A pro-democracy and good governance group, Nigeria First Project Initiative, has called on Nigerian youths to abandon plans to hold nationwide protest come August 1, in the interest of peace and unity of the country.
The group made the call in a press release co-signed on Friday by It’s National Coordinator, Hamza Umar-Saulawa and its Director, Research and Documentation, Bishir Dauda.
According to the group, Nigerian youth should not revolt against their country by disobeying learned ulama and religious leaders, revered monarchs and council of elders who have already spoken against any street protest.
The statement read: “Nigeria First Project Initiative is a civil society organization that promotes Democracy, good governance, respect for human rights, patriotism, national consciousness ,peace and unity.
“This organization wishes to call on all the Nigerian youth ,who are the great stakeholders in the Nigerian project to shun the upcoming nationwide protest.
“The Nigerian youth should not revolt against their country. You should not disobey our learned ulama and religious leaders, revered monarchs and council of elders who have already spoken wisely against any street protest Nigerians are cultured people.
“We, Nigerians, are religious people,we are known globally, as people of culture. Respecting religious ,traditional and constituted authority is part and parcel of our rich culture.
“Thus, since nearly all our elders and leaders from their wisdom, and years of accumulated experience, have spoken,even begged us not proceed with the street demonstration,even if it is within our constitutional rights,going against their exhortation is tantamount to desecration of our sacred values and customs.
“Nigerian youth should not mimick Kenyan protesters because the contexts in the two countries historically and contemporarily are not the same. Therefore,it is incorrect to expect a caricature intervention to work for us.
“In addition,let us manage our emotions intelligently . Let us listen to our elders, and act in accordance with their wise counsel, and indeed let us give the president the benefit of doubt .
“The president has just clocked only one year in office. He has inherited a bleeding nation ,a battered economy a magician cannot repair in one year. Even if the protest is done ,it will not produce miraculous results .
“Nation building is a process . So we urge the youth to come to grips with this reality, and allow the leaders at various levels to work .
We should avoid taken extreme measures that may undermine not only the dispensation but the country as a whole.”
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