Protest: Don’t turn South West into theatre of war — APC leaders

By Folorunsho Alagbede

The Southwest Executive Committee of the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC), has appealed to Nigerians not to turn the region into a theatre of war.
They also said that the present hardship bedeviling Nigeria would soon give way to a meaningful livelihood for all.
The APC leaders made this appeal at an emergency meeting of the party’s zonal executive committee in Akure, Ondo State.
They appealed for caution and pleaded that Nigerians should be patient with the present administration.
In a communiqué by National Vice Chairman and Chairman South West, Isaac Kekemeke and zonal secretary, Vincent Bewaji, the party urged all South Westerners, at home and abroad, to refuse to allow the Southwest of Nigeria to be used as a theatre of war or centre of criminality via violent protests.
They pleaded with Nigerians to bear what they called temporary hardships and pains with patience, assuring that in no time, the pains would give way to meaningful livelihood for all Nigerians.
The communique reads: “The party in the zone recognises that every Nigerian has a right, under our constitution, to peaceful protest and express himself or herself over the programmes of government.
“The party in the zone notes the giant and monumental steps already taken by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to give a new socio-economic direction to Nigeria to ultimately ensure prosperity and abundance for all Nigerians.”
“So my motion is not to protect Air Peace alone but to protect Nigerians to let them know that there are opportunities for operators in a certain industry to collude and whenever it pleases them, some will lower their prices, whenever it pleases others, they all collude.
“Second, we spoke about Dangote, there is also need to investigate because if Dangote Refinery (is reason for) this non sell of crude oil is not part of predatory way of ensuring that Nigeria keeps importing and Dangote refinery is left out.
“I am saying the Nigerian authorities, the FCPC should also be watchful of this and make sure that if there is gang up to stiffle Nigerians they should quickly step into it or do investigative hearing. So the world is aware that Nigeria is informed about predatory pricing strategies.
“The agency (FCPC) should be alert to its responsibility to know that its mandate is huge, the mandate is to protect Nigerians from being exploited by these oligarchs. The legislation on consumer protection is very robust. It’s new, it is one of the freshest legislations we have, I think the law was passed in twilight of the Buhari administration.
“So, I think the operators of law should ensure that they study and apply the full essence of the clauses that are contained to prevent these practices. It’s a wake up call, it is a motion to make them wake up to their responsibility and to let them know that, that agency can add tremendously to Nigerian sustenance of its business ecosystem.”
On State Police, he said: “If I have power to make legislation I will say state policing is not by force. If you want it, apply. If a governor applies for state policing, the authority venting it may be the Police Service Commission whatever, looks at it and if they pass they should be given on a pilot scheme. There should also be conditions if you give them the license and they don’t do well you can suspend, revoke and you may not renew.”