A factional president of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU Youth Wing), Mr. Kelly Umukoro, has charged Urhobo youths to shun the ongoing nationwide protest and give President Ahmed Tinubu’s reform policies a chance.
He said the policies being initiated by the federal government needed time to work, adding that “policies take time to mature”.
Mr. Umukoro, who spoke in a telephone on Thursday, maintained that from experience protests were often hijacked by hoodlums leading to deaths and destruction of public assets.
He added that the #EndSars protests left a trail of destructions and avoidable deaths.
He noted that, though, protests are a legitimate means to express grievances over government policies, Nigerians “should also understand the need to give the federal government a chance.”
According to him, President Tinubu in the last one year in office has achieved much but stressed that “one year is insufficient time to roll back sixty years of economic decay.”
He said he was heartened by the promises made at the Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities Conference which held in Rivers state, adding that it is indicative that President Tinubu was a responsive leader.
He expressed optimism that the promises by the federal government at the Ethnic Nationalities Conference which includes fixing of the East/West road in six months, improving security and food security, will be met.
He said in the event that the protest continues, Urhobo youths must organise themselves in a peaceful manner rather than resort to violence.
Umukoro urged governments at all levels to ensure that promises made to Nigerians are kept, adding that leaders in the region have put their reputation and integrity on the line to defend it.
His words: “the promises made by the federal government have convinced me that the government of President Tinubu is responsive to the pains of Nigerians.
“Aside from the deft move in solving the NNPC/ Dangote imbroglio, I am heartened by the promise of N50,000 grant to 10,000 Niger Delta youths by the NDDC. I am also heartened by the promise to fix the East/ West road in six months. So, in the light of these promises, I urged Urhobo youths to shun the ongoing protests and engage government constructively.
Continuing, he said: “I don’t think there would be any need to continue the protest based on the assurances by federal government. So, I am calling on Urhobo youths to assure them that their right to protest is protected. However, I urge them to engage government constructively because the last #EndSars and #EndEFCC protests were unpleasant.”
