COPAN seek nationwide protest suspension

The Conference of Patriotic Nigerians (COPAN) has appealed to the organisers of the ongoing #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests to suspend same in the country’s interest.

The group’s Coordinator, Uchenna Odieli and Secretary, Olayinka Jimoh urged the protesters to partner with government at all levels to move the country forward.

COPAN, in a statement issued in Abuja, said it recognised the constitutional rights of all Nigerians to protest, but that “this period in our nation’s trajectory, protest is unnecessary because often times, it is counter productive.”
According to the group, the protest “is no doubt politically motivated by unpatriotic elements in our country aimed at inciting the Countrymen against our leaders for their selfish political gains and relevancy.

“What we need to do is to partner with government in moving the nation forward. Protest, as we saw in times past in Nigeria, is a path to destruction and backwardness. The properties destroyed by the #EndSARS protesters some years ago are not yet completely rebuilt by the Country.

“Nigeria as a nation has not yet fully recovered from the last protest. Against this background, It is foolhardy on the part of any Nigerian to join the protest.

“In our steadfastness at COPAN, we have a strong conviction that the government of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu will fix the country for us and for future generations. It is unfair and uncharitable to call for a protest against a government that just spent a year out of a four-year tenure.”

COPAN further pleaded for more time for the government, saying it understood that “government is a continuum, but all the reasons given for the proposed protest are inherited by the current government. One year is short to short to rate government on performance.

“If we may add, the fuel subsidy removal was a bold step and condition precedent to save our country from total collapse. Tinubu has taken good steps towards sustainable development of our country.

“These include Students’ loans initiative, Local Government Financial Autonomy, the New Minimum Wage, and the signing into Law of the South East Development Commission Bill.”