The leadership of Ikorodu Chapter of National Youth Council of Nigeria has sensitised young persons with regards to the narrative surrounding the planned national protest and why they should be cautious with their actions for or against the protest.
Newsconnect reports that stakeholders in Ikorodu recently held a town hall meeting with security operatives and the Youth in attendance, but because youths weren’t given the privilege to express their grievances at the meeting, predicated why the youth council Ikorodu organised the sensitisation meeting to deliberate with young persons.
In an interview with Newsconnect correspondence and the Coordinator National Youth Council Ikorodu Comrade Basit Ogunsanmi talked about what predicated the meeting and action the meeting would take to ensure peace and tranquility in Ikorodu, Lagos and Nigeria at large.
In his words, he said;
“What predicated this meeting is that we had a town hall meeting and the hall was filled o the brim with the Police.
“I was like you said you want to speak with the youth and Community at large but we are seeing the security people all over.
“They didn’t even give the youth to talk about their grievances, and what they really want. They only came around and tell the youth all they want them to do and they leave.
“This is a platform for youth to express themselves since they didn’t get to do that at the town hall meeting which hosted bulk of police officers.
“We need to have structured Engagement with the youth,we will table what the youth want in Ikorodu , this is why we are here”.
The former Chairman of NYCN Lagos State Comrade Billiaminu Oba who was physically present at the meeting among other things also sensitised participants on the planned protest as their fundamental human rights and why it should not infringe on other people’s rights.
In his words, he said;
“We are here to rub minds together as young people on the current situation. Most of the positions we have shared here today is surely from the youth. As shown, most of us don’t have issues with the protest, because we are aware protest is our fundamental human rights at citizens, why we have reservations is the ugly experience antecedents in the past in Lagos when we have this kind of situation.
“Part of the of the issue we have is that protesting is not the problem, looking at the title it comes with “days of rage”. Rage means destruction, as a young people, as lagosian as indigenous youth, we feel there is a reason for caution.
“Yes protest is your fundamental human rights, however, your rights should not infringe on other people’s right. We are not against protesting, we don’t have issues with whoever wants to protest, what we are saying is dialogue first, constructive engagement first.
“Asiwaju Tinubu’s Administration is just one year, look at the effort he has made so far within a year, he has not even spent two years. He is not just working on long term plan alone, he has some short plans he has done.
“This for me is the reason why I want people to allow him, he has good intentions , he has good plans. This is a trying time, that will not last”. Oba asserted.
The Commissioner for Youth and Social Development Honourable Mobolaji Ogunlende virtually reiterated the positions of the youth leaders during his sensitisation session. He said it is the youth constitutional rights to protest but they should be careful of agents of destruction that may hijack the protest from them.
Few stakeholders and Ikorodu youths in Diaspora contributed their views virtually. The meeting agreed to elicit communique which will serve as guide for all the youths during this period.