By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
Governor Seyi Makinde has tasked Nigerians to use their Permanent Voters Cards, (PVCs) and not violence to usher in a responsible government in the forthcoming general election.
The governor in a statewide broadcast on Friday night, lamented the hardship that the twin scarcity of Naira and fuel has brought upon Nigerians in the recent time.
According to Governor Makinde, Nigerians are getting pushed to the wall, hence the resolve to the protest, saying, ” when citizens get pushed to the wall, there is only so much that they can take”..
Emphasizing that Oyo State government was ready to do whatever it can to alleviate the suffering of the masses in and across the state, the governor frowned at the resort to violence protests by some residents of Ibadan earlier on Friday, saying, ” while citizens are free to express their feelings peacefully, government would not condone any resort to violence”.
“First, let me say that I understand the need for these protests. When citizens get pushed to the wall, there is only so much that they can take. “The continuous fuel scarcity and the scarcity of the naira have led to slow economic activities. I must repeat, I understand, and I feel your pain”, he said.
Governor Makinde added, ” I have always maintained that peaceful protests are fine. When things are not going how we want them to go, we have a right and even a responsibility to protest.”
“Let me also state that while we are protesting, we must remember how easily a peaceful protest can turn violent and lead to the loss of lives and property.”
Governor Makinde stressed that all the security agencies operating in the state are on high alert to avert any breakdown of law and order, saying, ” all the violence that erupted in parts of Ibadan (Friday) is condemnable and will not be tolerated”.
“Violence cannot and will not solve our problems, it only creates new ones. We have another opportunity in a few weeks to move this country in a new direction. Use your PVC, not violence. We must not allow elements within us who have other motives to take advantage of peaceful protests to perpetrate evil or push their agendas.
“I urge all law-abiding citizens and residents of the state to go about their lawful activities. All our security agencies are on high alert and so, peaceful residents of the state have no cause to fear”
The governor stressed further, ” as a palliative measure, I have directed that the Omituntun Mass Transit Buses should be deployed to more routes within the state for free. We are also working with Local Government Chairmen to see what immediate palliatives we can make available to the most vulnerable amongst us to alleviate the hardships that the twin scarcity of fuel and the naira have brought upon our people.”
“Once again, we have another opportunity to put an end to oppressive systems and that is through the ballot. For now, I urge everyone to remain calm as we are doing our best to mitigate the hardships.”
