By Kingsley Okoye and Emmanuel Jonathan
The Chairman, South East Council of Traditional Rulers, Igwe Samuel Asadu, says council members will not support the protest proposed by some ‘faceless’ people.
Asadu, the traditional ruler of Edem-Ani Ogwugwu Kingdom, Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State, said this on Forum, a flagship programme.
“Nobody wants to have protest in the country, even peaceful protest, because peaceful protest can be infiltrated by miscreants.
“And it is easier to destroy than to build, so all we are asking is for calm, we are asking for dialogue.
“So I encourage them to make their city, their community or their kingdom to look peaceful the much they can.
“So, the protest, we are not supporting, we are against that. We want them to find other ways of mediating.
“We want the religious leaders, we want the security agencies and everybody to be on the alert because those people sponsoring the protest are faceless people.”
The chairman urged government to engage more and continue in initiatives to better the lives of Nigerians.
“We also see one or two of their reasons because times are hard; the fuel subsidy, the minimum wage, and most people are feeling it.
“I am feeling it in my community because they come to me every day, but we are not in any way supporting the protest at all.
“But I still want the government to see a way of engaging them in dialogue and the President, he is the Father of the nation, and whatever anybody did, let’s forgive one other.”
Asadu also encouraged traditional rulers to initiate programmes and activities that would impact on the economic and social wellbeing of their people.
“At least do the yam festival, find a way to engage the people; everything is not about government.
“Insist on what you can do for your people not what the people can do for you; engage them, do Ofalla Festival, every three years call the community to celebrate something.
“Engage them, even at the grassroots; constructive engagements and by the time the youths and the people see what you are doing, they will lower their tempo,” he said.
