A former APGA governorship candidate in Abia, Dr. Alex Otti has appealed to youths protesting against Police brutality in the country to halt the ongoing protest and consider approaching the negotiation table.
He said this becomes important especially now that governments at all levels have signalled their willingness to negotiate with the protesters in a bid to find a lasting solution to their grievances.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Ferdinand Ekeoma, Otti a renowned financial expert and APC chieftain expressed regret that government authorities failed for years to intervene to stop those acts of violence and brutality perpetrated against innocent Nigerians by security agents for too long.
According to Otti, this culminated in the present anger and frustration being expressed by the protesters and made it clear that peaceful protest by citizens is one of the universally recognized democratic rights which cannot be taken away from citizens.
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“He condemned in unequivocal terms the shooting of unarmed and defenseless protesters by security agencies. According to him, there is no justification whatsoever, to respond to peaceful protest with live ammunition. He called on the Federal government to fish out all those involved in the shooting and prosecute them.
“He reminded the protesters that they have made a resounding and reverberating statement which has been applauded by citizens from within and outside the country but maintained that Nigeria’s economy is so fragile that if the protest becomes protracted, it could affect ordinary citizens very negatively since majority of them rely on their daily earnings to eke out a living, especially when citizens are also struggling to come out of the health and economic crisis created by the Coronavirus pandemic.
“He also condemned the alleged destruction and looting of private and public institutions by some persons in different cities, describing it as being inconsistent with the philosophy behind the protest. According to him “my understanding is that the protest was not initiated to unleash violence against fellow citizens, but to stop the ones being perpetrated by security agents” hence the need for protesters to conduct themselves with decorum and dignity so that they would not end up destroying institutions from which many citizens, including the youths earn a living, thereby losing the massive support of ordinary citizens.
“The ex-bank Chief called on government to take very urgent and decisive measures to ensure a successful dialogue and provide adequate compensation for the families of fallen citizens. He prayed for the repose of the souls of those who lost their lives in this incident while wishing the wounded, quick recovery” the statement read in part.
