The Lagos State House of Assembly has passed a resolution urging Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to urgently convene a stakeholders’ meeting with a view to persuading organisers of the planned hardship protest to shelve the action.
The House passed the resolution following a Matter of Urgent Public Importance raised by the Majority Leader, Noheem Adams, at the plenary on Thursday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports youths are planning a 10-day nationwide protest to draw the government’s attention to the hardship being faced by citizens.
The protest, slated for August 1 to August 10, has put states on edge, with governors and security agencies calling for dialogue and appealing to youths to shelve their plans.
Ruling on the issue, the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, said one of the meetings should be held between the governor and elected political leaders including senators, members of the House of Representatives and state lawmakers.
Obasa added that the second meeting should be held with traditional rulers, religious leaders, heads of the market, those in the transport sector and related stakeholders.
The speaker said the meetings were necessary for the state government to do the necessary to calm frayed nerves and ensure the protection of lives and properties.
Obasa said the meetings were for discussions that would help dissuade the youth from going ahead with the protest.
He recalled the devastation caused by the EndSARS protest of 2020 in the state, saying the state could not afford another protest that could lead to loss of lives and properties.
The speaker said: “Lagos cannot afford another incident of the 2020 EndSars protest as the state is still grappling with the impact of the protest.
“The state government should convey a meeting to appeal to the youth to be patient with the government of President Bola Tinubu because he has been making efforts to see a better Nigeria that will benefit the citizens.
“Nigerians must not forget that Kenya is currently in a terrible situation, also the crises in Sudan and Syria started in the same manner.“
The speaker commended the Lagos Commissioner of Police, CP Adegoke Fayoade, for meeting with community heads over the planned protest.
Earlier in his motion, Adams (APC-Eti-Osa I) drew the attention of his colleagues to the planned protest, saying steps must be taken to step it through moral suasion.
“I want to plead with our people to shelve this protest,” he said, noting that President Tinubu had shown that he was ready to listen to citizens, especially as he had raised the minimum wage from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000.
Commenting, Femi Saheed, said the parents should talk to their wards and children not to embark on the protest.
Saheed said the president had approved the ₦70,000 minimum wage to alleviate suffering, adding the promised student loan was being disbursed.
The lawmaker urged youths to give the president more time to resolve the challenges in the country.
On his part, Kehinde Joseph (APC-Alimosho II) urged those planning the protest to shelve the plan.
He urged for patience, stressing that whatever is happening in the country “affects us all.”
Also, Sa’ad Olumoh (APC-Ajeromi-Ifelodun I) said Tinubu understands the problems in Nigeria and is taking the right steps to address them.
Olumoh also urged Nigerians to start asking their governors questions as allocations to states had grown under the President.
Other lawmakers who spoke during the debate urged parents to discourage their children from joining the protest or allowing themselves to be used to breach public peace.