Former Niger Delta agitator and self-styled Gen. Endurance Amagbein has urged Nigerians, especially the youths, not to embark on the planned #EndBadGovernance protest slated for Aug. 1.
This is contained in a statement signed by Amagbein on Monday.
The ex-agitator, who is the founder of the Amagbein Peace Movement, made this appeal when some youths from oil bearing communities paid him a solidarity visit in Abuja.
According to the statement, the youths, led by Mr Jude Izontu, had visited Amagbein to intimate him of their plans to join the nationwide protest.
But Amagbein urged the youths, especially the general Nigerian populace to shelve the idea over security reasons.
He alleged that some politicians, who lost in the 2023 presidential elections, are scheming to steal power through the backdoor by way of the planned protest.
According to him, rather than embarking on the protest, the youths, as future leaders, should resort to dialogue and engage the government meaningfully in order to address their concerns.
He said they should not allow anyone use them as instruments of war and political instability which would profit no one.
He said already, there is enough evidence to believe that terrorist organisations are planning to hijack the protest and use it as an avenue to destroy lives and property, beyond what was witnessed during the #EndSars protest.
He said President Bola Tinubu inherited a very bad economy, and that despite that, the Federal Government is very much concerned about the sufferings and pains the masses are facing; and is doing everything it can to put an end to them.
He said this was the major reason the president sent truckloads of rice, beans, garri and other food items to the 36 states and the FCT so that the citizens could find some succour until all the teething challenges facing the country are resolved.
Amagbein, who is popularly called “the Adaka the Second” because of his philanthropic and peaceful disposition, said “President Tinubu really cares and that is evident in the numerous infrastructural projects the Federal Government is executing across the country.”
He hinted that the petroleum subsidy removal is the best decision ever taken by any leader.
He commended the president for demonstrating rare courage to remove the subsidy which, he said, was a cancer enriching a few individuals at the detriment of the nation.
According to him, the identity of the planners of the protest are not known and it might be hijacked to perpetrate heinous crimes.
“Jagaban is a listening President, and I want to urge the youths to explore civilised channels to express their grievances; rather than joining a protest which intention is not well stated.
“The youths should move beyond being called out for protests by people masquerading as freedom fighters, who will use them for their personal aggrandizement without properly engaging them for productive ventures.
“It is not the intention of President Bola Tinubu to inflict pain on Nigerians.
“The current hardship is a global phenomenon, and the president is doing everything possible to address it, and this is the reason behind the various palliatives programmes we are seeing.
“I want our youths to maintain the existing peace in the Niger Delta and support President Bola Tinubu to actualise his Renewed Hope Agenda in our best interest,” he said.
