Hardship protest: Gov. Otti, Obi bare their minds

Both the Abia state governor, Dr.Alex Otti and Mr. Peter Obi, the Labour Party (LP) Presidential Candidate in the 2023 Presidential election have spoken their minds on the planned hardship protests by Nigerians, beginning on August 1st, saying it is a protest against hunger, poverty in the land, harsh economy and hopelessness among Nigerians.

Otti , however, advised Nigeria to transit into a productive economy and import less of what Nigerians consume locally, as solution to the impending protest, while Mr. Obi equally advised the government to engage with the protesters and dialogue with them towards addressing the reasons for the protests.

Speaking to journalists after a breakfast meeting of both at the country home of Governor Otti in Umuehim Nvosi in Isiala Ngwa South Local Government area of Abia State, the duo agreed that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria allows for peaceful protests.

They, however, cautioned security agencies and protesters to go about the peaceful protests within the ambits of the law.

Notwithstanding, Gov. Otti expressed fears that the protests could be hijacked by some unpatriotic elements to create more problems than envisaged, contrary to the aims and objectives of the protests.

According to Otti, “Protests are allowed once they are done within the ambits of the law. But the real challenge is who can ensure or assure us(government) that it will be done within the ambits of the law.

“We have seen protests hijacked. My fears are that this one will also be hijacked”.

Otti further explained thus: “Even when you write a letter it is a protest. You can sit down and write a letter of protest; you can call somebody and register your displeasure about what he is doing or how he is running government. They are all protest and allowed. But when you now go outside the law and begin to unleash mayhem and violence, that is where it is not acceptable. Those who are not involved in the protest are also entitled to their freedom as it will be against the law to deny them that.

“For you to organize a protest, the law requires that you inform and get the approval of the security agencies, particularly the police. Somebody should take responsibility for getting that approval. So, if you don’t have the approval, then it will be against the law for you to go out on the streets to protest”.

“On the other hand, everyone has a right of free movement. If you block the road and you stop people from moving around, then, you have broken the law and infringed on their liberty. So, there are several parts to it(protest) that may not be under the control of whoever that is calling for the protest.

“My attitude to it is, yes, we’ve heard what you are saying and it will be very, very unfair to say that things are not difficult now, in Nigeria. Things are very difficult. Hunger is real and that is true. But how do you solve the problem?

“The problem we found ourselves in the country is economic . Let me put it that we are actually paying the prize for bad governance, in Nigeria, which didn’t start today. If you sat down and printed almost 24 trillion Naira that is not backed by any productivity, then someday, somehow, like now, you will pay for it because if you understand how the economy works, when you have so much cash chasing a certain basket of goods, that would not increase the goods. This is because you have more cash but prices will go up.

“So, there are very, very few options left than this difficulty that we are passing -through. If we are patient and go through it, then after that, I believe the economy will reverse and things will begin to look better”.

Otti, therefore, emphasized the need for Nigeria to transit into a productive economy and import less of what we consume, warning that what is happening to our naira will be a child’s- play if we continue to consume imported products. He also explained that transiting to a productive economy cannot be achieved overnight.

Governor Otti, thanked Mr. Peter Obi for the visit and encouragements, saying that they mean a whole lot to him. He also thanked him for his sacrifices for the common people in Nigeria.

Nevertheless, Gov. Otti used the forum to call on Abians to shun the protests, saying that it may yield unpleasant outcome.

His words: “For people in Abia, my advice is that people should not pour- out on the streets because it may be more hurtful than the reason for the protests that people are calling for”,

On his part, Peter Obi re-stated that in the Nigerian constitutions, protest is allowed.

“All I plead for, is for those who are protesting to do so within the law and in civil manner that allows us as a nation to show that we live within the law”, he said.

“Everybody knows that things are difficult and I always say that when they talk about the sponsors of protest, the sponsors are very simple, it is hunger, it is hopelessness among the youths. So, we all have to listen to what Nigerians are going through and I thank our Governor for doing so. It is critical and important”.

In all, Obi called on the security agencies to ensure that they manage the protests within the law .

In his words, “What I have to say to the security agencies again, is to ensure that they manage the situation within the law. We should not try to be overbearing. It should be something that we do within the law”.

“Protest is allowed everywhere globally. And, I also say that people protest in my house and it is for us to listen to those who are protesting and why they are protesting and engage them. That is what governance is all about; you talk with them, there is nothing wrong in that.

“I was Governor for years and people protested and we kept dialoging and deliberating about it”.