Osun hunger protesters to reconsider demonstration after Tinubu’s offer of olive branch
Protest organisers in Osun State have promised to meet to decide the next line of action after President Bola Tinubu appealed to demonstrators to halt the exercise and embrace dialogue.The Osun Coordinator of the group behind the protest, Coalition of Concerned Nigerian Citizens, Ajala Adetunji, said that the presidential appeal would be reviewed by all involved in the protest.He said, “The protest is not a one-man show, especially as far as Osun’s case is concerned. As far as the presidential address this morning is concerned, Mr President did not address any of our concerns. The President was not specific on what the government would do to address the demands of the youth.’’
According to him, the President’s call for dialogue is an open-ended appeal that does not have a clear indicator of what will be done.“However, we are still going to meet to deliberate but as it stands, the protest continues in Osun,” he saidChairman, Osun People’s Coalition Society, Waheed Lawal, whose group is also part of the protest, said that the presidential appeal would be deliberated upon by various groups involved in the protest.Mr Lawal said that the leadership of the various groups that were involved in the protest would meet to decide on what to do following Mr President’s appeal.He stated, “The protest is an all-Nigerian protest and Nigerians have to decide what the next course of action will be. However, I feel that the demands of Nigerians and the protesters were not addressed by the President but the masses will decide what will be done next.’’
Mr Tinubu, during his national address on Sunday appealed to the protesters to suspend their exercise amid the killings and destruction witnessed in the last four days.Protesters converged on Freedom Park in Osogbo on Sunday, from where they marched to the streets in continuation of the nationwide protest.
(NAN)
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