Exclusive: Sanwo-Olu meets right activists, Pan ethnic groups ahead of August protest

By Ologeh Joseph and Samuel Ogunsona

The Governor of Lagos State on Friday met with human right activists and members of Pan-Yoruba groups ahead of the August protests.

Irohinoodua was reliably informed that the meeting began at 4.45pm and ended at 8.40pm on Friday.

Contrary to reports that the meeting was postponed, it actually held. Representatives came from across the entire South West.

70 leaders of civil society and leaders of ethnic groups attended the meeting which held at the Governor’s Office in Lagos.

Representing the Lagos State Government was the Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu flanked by the Commissioner for Information, Mr Gbenga Omotoso and the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr Tayo Akinmade Ayinde.

Speaking at the event the Governor said he called the meeting to brief the strategic leaders of human right, faith and ethnic based groups to inform them of the policies of the Government and to share with them their ideas on how to transform the state to prosperity and ensure peace and harmony.

“I have organised these meetings in the past. It is a continuous process. In the past weeks I have been meeting with series of groups and organisations. By tomorrow, the meeting continues. Consultation is part of democracy which is exactly what we doing,” he told the audience which had earlier sang solidarity songs.

He said it was the tradition of the state government to hear from the people for effective feedback.

Speaking on behalf of Alliance of Yoruba Democratic Movements, (AYDM) a coalition of 130 Pan Yoruba and artisan groups, Mr Popoola Ajayi said the state government should realise the enormity of the economic and social crisis ravaging the country. He said Nigerians are hungry and angry. He said many people feel a sense of exclusion.

He said most local government Chairmen and other political leaders have failed to meet the aspirations of the people in their constituencies. He said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the State Governnor have also maintained undignified distance from Pan Yoruba groups and human right organisations across the country.

He said at the State and Federal levels, the authorities need to address the growing fears of Nigerians eventhough some of the challenges facing the country were inherited.

Participants also called for the release of any one connected with the 2020 ENDSARs protest. The Governor said his Government would look into their demands.

Comrade Edafe said the people of Lagos are not happy with the closure of some markets in the state and the methodology employed in the distribution of palliatives adding that only party members were given priorities.

A member of the Nigeran Human Rights Community, (NHRC) Deji Omotoyinbo said the government needed to address the problem of hunger and corruption which characterise the public and private sector. He also called on the Governor to launch a massive housing scheme to address shortages and challenges faced by a growing population in the midst of the stiff competition for scarce natural resources.

He Governor took notes and said he would address all the challenges said and take effective action.

Speaking on the August protest, the groups said protests were legitimate provided it did not involve violence.

The Governor, Irohinoodua learnt in response Governor said he had participated in protests in the past and was not against any legitimate protests. He said what he opposed was violence.

Edale said Nigerians cannot be stopped from protesting but that there was unity of purpose on the need to prevent violence and destruction of public property.

The leader of Oodua Peoples Congress, (OPC New Era) Mr Rasaq Arogundade said many people in Lagos are disenchanted with the high cost of living. He urged the Lagos State Government to invest more in agriculture even if it meant investing in land in other South West states.

He said the Pan Yoruba groups support legitimate protests but would rise up to resist any attempt to destroy properties in Lagos or any part of the South West.

The leader of Agbekoya, Chief Kunle Oshodi said his members would come out against any group that wishes to cause mayhem or violence in the entire South West.

“We are aware of people whose main aim is to ruin Yorubaland. We are students and teachers of protests in Yorubaland. It is our heritage. We are the grandmasters of protests and opposition. Any attempt to cause violence and destroy properties in Yorubaland will be fought physically and spiritually” he said

The AYDM leader said his members believe and support protests but would resist protests aimed at regime change and designed to destroy and ruin Yoruba territories.

He said the Governors in the South West should face governance while the people themselves have the natural right to defend their homeland from armed and unarmed groups whose main aim is to destroy Lagos or any Yoruba cities or communities.

He said kidnapping and terrorism was making incursion into Yoruba territories and that it would be “naive and even stupid” for anyone not to realise that violent protests may be employed to cause war in Yorubaland.

He recalled that during the ENDSARs protests, while many Yoruba supported the demand but were shocked that BRT buses,the Lagos High Court, the City Hall and the DNA laboratory in Lagos were set ablaze by a group with the specific agenda to destroy Yorubaland.

“We won’t allow this to happen. It won’t happen. People can protest. But we shall watch to confront and deal physically and spiritually with anarchists,” Popoola said.

The Vice President Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, (AYCF) Kudu Abubakar said Northern groups in the South West have held series of meetings to ensure their people are not involved in violence or destruction of property in the South West or anywhere in Nigeria.

“We support the AYDM position. We support protests but not violent protests” Abubakar said.

Others present were representatives of Voters’ Assembly, Oodua Nationalist Coalition, (ONAC) Igbo Development Union, (IDU), Ijaw National Congress, (INC), and other groups from across the State

A member of the Itsekiri National Congress, (INC) Sola Onuwa who attended the meeting later told Irohinoodua “We met with the Governor for hours. We had frank discussions to the extent that no one even remembered to request for water or food.”