#EndSARS protests: Ikpeazu appeals to youths for calm

Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, has appealed to all relevant authorities in the country to find peaceful means of resolving the current #ENDSARS protest that is threatening to consume the nation.

The Governor, in a statewide-radio broadcast to the people of Abia State Wednesday evening, equally appealed to all the protesting youths to suspend their protest for now and allow the authorities the needed opportunity to redress their grievances.

Ikpeazu noted that it has become obvious that the legitimate protesters have been unable to control the spread of the protest and have allowed it to degenerate into civil disobedience which has been hijacked by criminal elements as a means to foment trouble, endanger lives and damage public property.

In appealing for calm in the state, the Governor also appealed to parents, guardians, religious and traditional leaders to join in advising the protesting to stand down for peace to reign.

“Whatever is our personal and collective grievances can and will certainly be resolved. Ndi Abia, please call your children and encourage them to stand down for peace to reign.

“We have to do this to avoid losing control of the situation and allow forces outside the state to have reason to unleash death, sorrow and tears on our people,” he said.

He said that it was in an attempt not to allow Abia, which has experienced peace in the last five years, to descend into a state of anarchy and lawlessness that his government imposed a curfew in the state.

“A situation where a Policeman will be killed, Police stations attacked and burnt down with other harm to government infrastructure, is sadly outside the realm of acceptable conducts in the cause of a protest. Citizens have become apprehensive with clear and present danger to lives of Ndi Abia and no responsible Government will sit back and allow this state of affairs to continue.

“As your Governor, exercising the mandate of security and protection of your lives, livelihoods and properties, I shall not allow our people to be cajoled, overwhelmed and intimidated in the course of their legitimate endeavours and I pledge to keep you all safe.

“It is for this reason that we have taken the painful but necessary step of imposing a curfew in Aba and Umuahia. It began by 6pm on October 20 and we will be reviewing prevailing security situations to decide on next steps.

“The curfew is a temporary measure meant to ensure the restoration of law and order in the state. We regret the inconveniences this will cause our citizens and residents and urge everyone not on essential duty to stay indoors for the duration.

“Law enforcement agents have been detailed to act decisively against anyone willfully disobeying the order. As is the custom, all essential service providers validly identified are exempt from the curfew,” Ikpeazu said.

Explaining that it was illogical to hurt others in a peaceful protest, Ikpeazu said: “I fully understand the issues that gave birth to the initial peaceful protests and share the pains of our people. But in protesting injustice, we should not allow injustice to be done to innocent citizens and institutions.”

“As your elected Governor, I wish to call on all our youths to stand down now and allow us to do the needful to redress their grievances. I do not want any more Abia life to be lost and I am therefore appealing for calm and good sense. Nobody starts a fire in his mother’s kitchen and nobody cuts his nose to spite his face,” he added.

Ikpeazu therefore reiterated government’s “resolve to ensure the nurturing of an enabling environment for citizens to express their fundamental human rights while also assuring that we are fully committed to ensuring that our state does not descend into anarchy and lawlessness.”

Appealing for all hands to be on deck to restore normalcy to the country, the governor said “Let me also register my concern over the turn of events in other parts of the country and urge all relevant authorities to find peaceful means of resolving the situation so as to douse the current state of apprehension that has gripped the Nation.”

He said that it was in response to the initial demand of the protesters that he has set up a 10-man Judicial Panel of Inquiry headed by a retired Chief Judge of the state, Hon. Justice S.N. Imo, with 70 per cent of the membership made up of youths and those familiar with the situation.

He added that the State government has provided a cash reward for any individual with incontrovertible evidence of police brutality and high-handedness that will help the Panel with its assignment and equally announced a cash reward for those who will give us information about the criminal elements who carted away the arms and ammunitions of Police Officers who were attacked in Aba last Monday.

He assured Abians that his administration has zero-tolerance for maltreatment of Abians by security operatives, stressing that government has diligently ensured the arrest and prosecution of all officers who have been involved in highhandedness on citizens.

“We therefore advise restraint and maturity on the part of the agitators while assuring them that the Abia State Government does not support the attack of innocent peaceful protesters,” Ikpeazu said and enjoined Abians to discountenance any report that government has ordered the arrest of any peaceful protester as it has no intention of doing so.

Ikpeazu advised Ndigbo to view the prevailing situation in the country with caution, emphasizing that what Ndigbo needed now was a conducive environment for their businesses to flourish.

“It is therefore my view that what we, especially Ndigbo, need at the moment, is a peaceful atmosphere and the right ambience for our businesses to flourish. This is a key priority of this government and we are dedicated to creating that environment,” he assured.