Minister urges #EndSARS protesters to dialogue with govt

The Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Dr Uchechukwu Ogah, has advised youths involved in the ongoing #EndSARS protests to engage government in constructive dialogue while making their demands known.

Ogah who gave the advice at a ‘Special Stakeholders Town-Hall Meeting’ held in Umuahia, Abia State, on Wednesday, however lamented that the peaceful protests was hijacked by hoodlums.

He condemned the unwarranted wave of violence including looting and burning of private and public infrastructures leading to massive destruction including criminal activities.

The Minister said: “The voice of the #EndSARS protests, which resonated loudly across the States of the Federation and even outside our shores, showed the capacity of Nigerian youths to challenge the status quo and their resolution to demand a better country not only for themselves but for generations yet to come.

“Your message was loud and clear! I heard you! We heard you! I am indeed immensely proud of you, and the government is already taking steps to address your grievances.”

He also stressed that “no society can prosper from conflict nor can any nation thrive in anarchy”, and appealed to citizens of Abia State, particularly youths to synergise with the government to build the state and not to get involved in violence.

Ogah maintained that the Federal Government is attending to demands made by youths during the #EndSARS protests, but they should be law-abiding and not take to violence.

“Even when we choose to disagree with this Administration in certain areas, the truth is that we cannot get that which we desire without engaging constructively with the government.

“Violence and carnage will only set the country back and infrastructures destroyed, and the resource used to repair them would have been used to provide and meet the needs of citizens for a better life,” the Minister concluded.