OYOGist.com has learned that prominent monarch and erstwhile students union leader in the late 80’s, Oba Afolabi Odidiomo, has sounded a note of caution to the Federal Government in its handling of strategies to confront the EndSARS Protesters.
The traditional ruler who is the Olu of Igbokoda, a riverine community in Ondo State, wants government to thread softly and resist the temptation of deploying armed soldiers to keep off protesters from the streets.
According to him, deploying military troops against EndSARS protesters is an open invitation to anarchy that is capable of engulfing the whole country, appealing that the government should learn from the sordid history of countries like Syria, Algeria and other Arab nations.
In his active unionism days at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Oba Odidiomo, was popularly called “Speedy”. He was the Institution’s Public Relation’s Officer and also doubled as the PRO of National Association of Nigerian Students(NANS) between 1989 and 1990.
Oba Odidiomo spoke during an interview, seeking God’s intervention and divine wisdom on the part of the powers that be in the land.
Hear the royal father: “My forecast on the ongoing crisis is scary. As it is common with the ruling class all over the world, they will try to use force to stop the protest. But, I think that may not work.
“Not long ago, it started like this in Algeria, Syria and even in many Arab countries. Our government must learn from those countries. Till date, most of those countries are still battling with the effects of those protests.”
“And, If you look at the readiness of the protesters, you will see that the police brutality has only helped to mobilise the poor and the youth. I can tell you I do not see an end in sight soon unless the government is smart enough to do the needful.”
“This country is rich enough to cater for her citizens. Openly, our people are lied to as to feeding of children from home during COVID lockdown running into billions of naira. Openly the Niger Delta Development Corporation(NDDC) used my town to steal N2.5 billion naira to do project in a place that never existed.”
“Despite the fact that we petitioned about such open robbery, SARS didn’t arrest nor question the pen robbers who perpetrated the act. This protest is likely to continue until the pen robbers are called to account.”
Oba Odidiomo continued further: “If I were President Muhammadu Buhari, I will reduce by half all entitlements and put into infrastructural development. The hunger and denial created by d lockdown during Corona Virus has left many businesses destroyed.”
“The palliatives that were promised should be given out to help businesses and individuals. Genuine anti- corruption programme should be put in place and we must let the people genuinely have dividends of democracy.”
“As bad as things are, just still battling with hunger of Covid 19, the government increased the cost of petrol and electricity without no increase in salaries and so on. That, in itself, was a wrong move and a very heartless policy that the people can no longer take. If the government has not been bribing the workers union, we will not be having a leaderless protest now. So, what goes around, comes around.”
“If you ask me, my status notwithstanding, I am in support of every thing that gives our people in Nigeria a decent life and human dignity. I am of the opinion that this protest can bring about all these and I support it”, the monarch said.
