Zulum hosts stakeholders meeting to avert mass protest in Borno

AHMED MARI, Mauduguri

To prevent the threat posed by the planned Mass Protest against the current economic hardship in the country, the Borno state Governor, Prof Babagana Zulum has convened a stakeholders’ meeting on peacebuilding to avert the protest which according to him poses a great danger to the relative peace the state is enjoying.

Speaking to the stakeholders at the Peace Building meeting held at the Government House, Maiduguri, on Wednesday, Governor Babagana Zulum said ” Borno has had its share of its insecurity in the last 15 years, I kindly ask for your understanding against any mass protest to avert further destruction of lives and property”.

Governor Zulum said the current economic hardship is a global issue and not only in Borno or Nigeria, stressing that some external forces want to hide under protest to escalate the security situation in the country..

“Let me urge you to use your conscience to guide you, always to Choose dialogue, contractive engagement rather than protest, because what dialogue cannot solve protest cannot solve, Governments at Federal and state levels are doing everything possible to tackle the current economic situation. Therefore, I am urging all stakeholders to ponder the consequences of the mass protest”, the Governor said.

Zulum said, ” I call on all of you to provide the much-needed advice, suggestions, and critical questions to guide peacebuilding in our state Please feel free to contribute freely and passionately to this opportunity for constructive engagement for building sustainable peace in our dear state.”

” During our 15 years of Boko Haram insurgency,, no one protested against the wanton killings and destruction of lives and property in Borno, you should not allow yourself to be manipulated by external forces”, he added.

He said, ” Borno state under my leadership will not fold its arms to see my people suffering. I would do my best to bring succour to you. because an injury to one is an injury to all”. I am welcoming any opinion that will proffer a solution to the current economic situation”.

Also speaking, the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai Elkanemi who speaks on behalf of the Muslim Ummah, said Borno has witnessed the destruction of lives of property in the last 15 years and urged the residents of the state to shun any propose protest not to worsen the security situation.

” In the last 15 years over 20 of my districts, village, and ward heads as well as community and religious leader. So we should shun anything that would truncate the peace we are enjoying because there is no development without peace “, the Royal father said.

Contributing, the Borno state chairman, of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Bishop John Bakeni said  “What dialogue and contractive engagement cannot bring protest either peaceful or violent cannot bring. Most protest and wars were only resolve through dialogue”.

“I would leave us with one food for thought ” If we want peace, we should go for justice”, the CAN chairman added.

Earlier, the Speaker of Borno State House of Assembly, Right Hon. Abdulkarim Lawan said the economic hardship is not a Nigerian issue but a global issue and therefore urged Bormo youths and residents to shun the planned mass protest”.

The Speaker who spoke on behalf of the members of the National and state Assemblies said “I urge you the residents of Borno, especially the youth groups to shun the planned mass protest and join hands with the government and other stakeholders to norture our emerging peace”.

In his remarks, the theater Commander, Northeast Operation Hadin Kai, Major General Wahidi Shuabu assured the public that the Armed Forces and other security agencies are working hard to ensure no lands are made safe for farmers to farm and also sustained the peace enjoyed in the Northeast and Borno state and urged the residents not to allow anything that will bring a breakdown of law and order.

” I urge you to cooperate with the security agencies in restoring complete peace in Borno, Northeast the country in general”, the theater Commander.

Similarly, the Borno State Police Commissioner, CP Lawan Yusuf said “There are groups on social media platforms calling on Nigerians to protest the economic hardship.
They hide under fundamental Human rights. They should understand where your right stops the right of others begins. Equally experienced has shown in Nigeria that there is no peaceful or violent protest, protests are usually hijacked by miscreants”

” Through our intelligence, we were able to identify these faceless groups, they are sponsored, and they have political alignment and partisan.
The groups are the Organised Abuja group, Joint Action Front, Showare Revolution group, and Coalition for Democracy and Human Rights. We arrested one ThankGod Nwoye who was assigned from Abuja to lead the protest in Borno”. cap Yusuf added.