Governor Umo Eno has appealed to residents of Akwa Ibom to exercise restraint in the August 1 nationwide protest, saying he is working to implement measures to improve their welfare.
Governor Eno who made the appeal at Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo on his return from the Nigerian Governors Forum meeting cautioned against potential risks of the protest.
“I would like to say that protest is the right of the people but we want to appeal to our people to let us give peace a chance.”Gov Eno said.
“The truth is, when we do this protest, hoodlums and those who don’t see anything good in government will hijack it and then destroy government property. He added.
Recounting on the last Nationwide protest that took place in the state, the Governor said it wasn’t a great experience as properties were lost.
“Once we destroy government property, they would be replaced and the hunger would deepen. We must not forget our experience from the #EndSARS protest where we lost a lot of things.
“So, I appeal to Akwa Ibom people not to resort to protest but to give peace a chance knowing that we are in this together, and together, we will find a common solution to these issues that have bedeviled us.
“We want to say that in Akwa Ibom, we have done and we are still doing our very best to address the hunger that is in the land.
“We have rolled out palliatives, and we are supporting the citizenry in many ways. We are supporting the elderly, we are giving food vouchers, we are trying to ensure that we create jobs for our people.
“Once the government is on that path, which is the right path, we would overcome,” he cautioned.
“for unity of purpose in tackling the prevailing economic hardship in the country, warning that the protest could escalate to destruction of lives and property.” Governor Eno said.
