From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
Presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has flayed the death of protesters in Edo, Delta, Oyo and Lagos states over the scarcity of the redesigned currency.
H also urged his supporters to keep their hope alive for a better Nigeria and not to relent in pushing for his victory and that of other candidates of the party noting that if they keep pushing, the victory they long yearn for would be attained.
He expressed this in a statement entitled: “No slowing down but push: A crown awaits your frown” issued through the Head of National Publicity, Contact and Mobilisation Team of the Labour Party’s Presidential Campaign Council (LP-PCC), Prince Tony Akeni Le Moin in Benin City.
Obi said he was pained by the deaths of Nigerians during the recent protests in various states due to the scarcity of naira notes. He said time had come for security personnel to emulate what is done in other climes where rubber bullets or smoke canisters are used to disperse protesters rather than live bullets.
“I and the entire leadership of Labour Party, Obidient Big Tent family and well-wishers are deeply saddened by the death of protesting Nigerians who have fallen in such places as Benin City, Edo State, Warri, Delta State and Oyo. The Federal Government should minimize its response to legitimate protests by re-orienting the police and other security agencies from the use of live bullets to water canons and at worst smoke canisters as done in civilize democracies of the world,” Obi said.
The LP presidential candidate admonished Nigerians to seek alternative means of expressing their anger instead of destroying bank facilities, pointing out that destroying those facilities only compounds their woes.
“I call on all Nigerians, especially Labour Party supporters and ObiDients to refrain from unlawful confrontation with the police and other constituted authorities, and not to destroy or damage properties and assets of our banking institutions. Instead, as a better alternative cause, Nigerians whose funds are unduly or unreasonably held up and deprived of access to their legitimate monies in various banks for no fault of theirs can constitute themselves into civil society groups for class actions which would in the midterm or long run guarantee peaceful and profitable outcomes. Such actions, which are bound to succeed under the gavel of reasonable civil courts, would further deepen our government-citizen crises engagement mechanisms and civil justice attainment doors instead of risking lives and limb in violent protests which would only lead to cold bodies and mourning families,” Obi said.