Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has expressed his profound gratitude to the people of Abia for heeding his call to avoid participating in the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protest that commenced on August 1, 2024.
The governor's appeal, made on July 30, 2024, urged traditional rulers, leaders of religious organizations, and other community leaders to advise their people against resorting to violence.
He emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and order, especially given the potential for the protest to escalate into violence and harm vulnerable individuals.
Governor Otti acknowledged the right of Nigerians to protest against poor conditions but cautioned that the good intentions of the original organizers could be undermined if opportunists and hoodlums hijacked the movement.
He stated, "Some economic policies of the federal government, including the removal of the fuel subsidy, may not have yet produced the desired results as initially intended, but I urge our youths to pursue peaceful means to express their grievances rather than resorting to violence."
The governor highlighted the important investments his administration has made in infrastructure in Aba and Umuahia, urging the youth to protect these developments from those who might attempt to cause mayhem.
He reassured Abians that his administration would do everything possible to protect the people from harm and destruction, emphasizing, "What Abians need now is a strong sense of peace and sustained development, not chaos."
Furthermore, Governor Otti commended the Abia State civil servants for receiving the April tranche of the Wage Award as promised by his administration, among other commitments. He reiterated his plea for the people of Abia to shun violence and engage with leaders through a charter of demands.
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