Southwest Governors have accused politicians of hijacking the #EndSARS protests with a view to venting their frustrations on perceived opponents.
The South West Governors, who condemned the attack on Osun Governor, Gboyega Isiaka Oyetola by #EndSARS protesters in Osogbo, described it as unwarranted, misdirected, and repulsive.
Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, the chairman of the South West Governor Forum, in a statement on Sunday, October 18, 2020, in Akure, said the genuine #ENDSARS movement had a popular and receptive attitude to it by majority of Nigerians.
Akeredolu noted that policymakers have seen the protest as an opportunity to deepen concern and redirect efforts towards veritable reforms aimed at achieving positive results.
Akeredolu stated that the desirability or otherwise of the movement appeared to have come under a curious integrity test following the misdirected anger visited on Governor Oyetola.
He said the attack on Oyetola was an act of terrorism under the guise of a civil and supposedly peaceful protest that has been hijacked by criminals and hoodlums hired by politicians.
The Ondo Governor noted that dangerous weapons were deployed in the ignoble act.
According to him: “Nothing more describes and represents this pernicious act as repulsive. It is, therefore, pertinent to call on the organisers to rein in stakeholders involved in the #EndSARS protests so as to stratify between those with genuine, altruistic desires for reforms and elements who have offered themselves as mercenaries to unleash mayhem on innocent people.
“It must be noted that State Governors stand in between two inescapable points of challenges: while they ought to be Chief Security Officers in their respective States, are indeed, compelled to act as such, the workability of such still remains some distance away from reality.
“In order words, the attack on Governor Oyetola or any other Governor anywhere in the Country is a clear infliction of double jeopardy. No Governor is in charge of any Police Formation, Unit or Department.
“Governor Akeredolu calls on youths to hold firm their belief in the Nigerian Project and press for whatever is desirable to make it work. He, nonetheless, admonished them not to be useful tools in the hands of politicians at this trying period.”
Source: The Nation
