Planned protest bad for Nigeria’s economy, says Orji Kalu

Orji Uzor Kalu, chair of the senate committee on privatisation, has implored young Nigerians to shelve the planned nationwide protest.

The protest is billed to commence on August 1.

In a statement, Kalu said the protest will negatively impact the economy.

“While embarking on national protest may be beneficial to our democracy, it is not expedient to our economy,” he said.

“I am appealing to our youths to consider suspending the planned August protest to save possible damages and liabilities on the country’s infrastructure and private businesses.”

Hope Uzodimma, governor of Imo, also said it is not the right time for Nigerians to protest.

Speaking at the State House on Wednesday, Uzodimma said organisers of the said protest should reveal their true intentions.

“Democracy is about the opinion of the people and protest is allowed in a democratic setting. Every protest must be reasonably conceived to be able to make political sense,” he said.

“I think it’s too early at this time in the life of this government for anybody to come out to say he wants to protest.

“First of all, there has not been any engagement where those who are sponsoring the protest were able to tell us the reasons for the protests.

“Secondly, given the global situation today and the insecurity in the country, we have a very fragile political environment that if not managed and protected very well, may collapse the entire country.

“So those who are going to protest, what is the reason for the protests? And if they have no reason for the protests, I think I’ll advise well meaning Nigerians, citizens of this country who are making sacrifices to guide our country very jealously.”

The governor warned that the protest may be hijacked by sinister groups for selfish purposes.

“I think it is wrong time for anybody to do any protests because the implication of doing that if care is not taken, is that it may be hijacked,” he added.

“Like the ENDSARS experience, where criminals now hijacked an innocently conceived agitation by young Nigerians.

“So this is another kind of temptation that I think those behind the protests… because they have not been able to come out openly to say they’re behind it. There is something that is the motive that is yet to be unravelled. So I think that we are not in support of the protests.

“We are not going to support any protest that has no programmes, that is not discussed, that nobody knows what the problem is. Okay, if you are protesting, what do you want the government to do? Because the reason for protests is that they want an issue to be addressed. What are the issues?

“So in my view, I think there is no need to overheat the polity, overheat our environment and put our people in a position that the hardship that is occasioned by economic recession all over the world is further worsened. I advise against the protests.”