Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State was almost shouted down by graduands and guests on Sunday at the 22nd undergraduate and 13th postgraduate convocation ceremonies at Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, when he spoke against the planned nationwide protest by Nigerian youths.
Mr Abiodun, who spoke as a special guest at the ceremony, said the protest is being “sponsored by frustrated politicians who tried in the past and lost.”
The governor, therefore, appealed to Nigerian youths to embrace dialogue and shelve the protest, saying it could only lead to anarchy.
“I seize this opportunity to appeal to our youth to constructively engage with the government to find lasting solutions to Nigeria’s problems rather than engaging in protest that may start peacefully but usually gets hijacked and may lead to anarchy,” he said.
While the governor continued his speech, his voice was drowned by the noise of the graduating students, parents and other attending guests who rejected his stance.
The governor, while highlighting the interventions of the President Bola Tinubu’s administration such as the student loan payment, wage award and new minimum wage, among others, cited the violence that characterised similar protests staged in the past.
He said: “What have we ever gained from protests except losses in productivity, loss of lives, loss of private and government properties, looting and vandalisation of assets?
“We do not need protest, we must not gamble with anarchy. Please let us have a dialogue.”
Mr Abiodun’s speech is in reaction to the planned nationwide protest by some Nigerians to demand economic and political reforms.
The aggrieved Nigerians have been mobilising and organising on social media and many have temporarily adopted the #EndBadGovernance slogan.
However, the Nigerian government has been trying to stop the protests from holding, using several schemes, including meetings with traditional and religious leaders, as well as threats by security agencies to prevent the protests from happening or prevent them from turning violent if they hold.
The Nigerian military also opposed the protest, saying it has the potential of degenerating into anarchy and a reign of terror based on the situational analysis by the military high command.
However, in reaction to the governor’s message, one of the 160 graduating PhD students, 63-year-old Micheal Ajala who is also the president of the postgraduate class, urged the youths not to be silenced and rather speak up to call for good governance, especially at the state level.
He said: “This country is always shouting the name of our president, nobody is talking about the governors. We must query our governors and chairmen of councils, we must ask questions.
“We voted for them, they are responsible for us. Don’t stand on the sideline, be a true Nigeria. When you elect somebody to serve you, that person is supposed to be a servant”.
Mr Ajala’s statement was received with standing ovation from the crowd.
The governor of Ekiti State, Biodun Oyebanji, was also present at the ceremony.
Meanwhile, Mr Abiodun further noted that the current administration needs time to fully implement its policies and fulfill its promises.
“The government has only been in office for one year. Cutting off the head is not a solution to a headache,” he said.
“Inflation is worldwide, President Bola Tinubu had very little choices when he assumed office. He had to take the bull by the horns. He had to remove the subsidy, otherwise the situation would have been worse.”
He noted that the administration has initiated a lot of interventions to cushion the effect of inflation.
“Recently we have had the announcement of minimum wage and youth and vulnerable empowerment. Student Loans are being put in place. We provided food items as palliatives at subsidised prices among others.
“This current wave of inflation is biting everywhere – UK, US, Ghana and Egypt. So it is not peculiar to Nigeria alone,’ he said.
