The Muslim Rights Concern, (MURIC), has said that its members will not participate in the protest being planned over economic hardship in the country alleging that Lagos is being targeted like before for possible revenge for electoral loss.
Its Executive Director, Professor Ish’aq Akintola, in an issued statement, said Nigerians should acknowledge various efforts being made by the Federal Government to alleviate the suffering of the masses. It therefore advised the youth to be creative and innovative instead of being docile, complacent and destructive.
MURIC also advised Nigerian youths not to allow anybody to deceive or use them for their selfish ends. Our youths should be creative and innovative instead of being docile and destructive.
The full statement read in part: “We are aware of preparations being made to protest against economic hardship in the country. Although we have made our stand known concerning inflation and the attendant hardship in the country, we must again reiterate the fact that rising prices, hunger and other forms of hardship are not restricted to Nigeria.
“Other countries around the world are facing the same predicament and they are finding solutions to it instead of embarking on destructive protests.
“The last #EndSARS protest was a colossal calamity as burning and looting took the central stage. Lagos bore the brunt of the damage as more than 300 brand new air-conditioned buses were burnt down by marauding hoodlums. It must not be allowed to happen again.
“Protesters forgot that Government has no special property. All such properties referred to as government’s properties belong to the general public. They are owned by the citizens, whose taxes were used to procure them.
“Any protest that targets properties is an exhibition of wastefulness, foolishness and madness.
“The trajectory of the new protest being planned has taken a similar dimension. Lagos is being targeted like before, and revenge for electoral loss appears to be uppermost on the list of motives. No explanation has been given for making Lagos a main target even though the city is far away from the Nigerian capital. This gives us more than enough reason to reject the protest. It is irrational, sectional and vengeful. Count us out of it. MURIC will not partake in this protest.
“MURIC will only join hands with people who want to build Nigeria. We wash our hands off rebellious subjects, enemies of peace. We have a duty to remain constant with the motto of our organisation which is: ‘Dialogue, Not Violence’. We will not participate in burning and looting. We prefer to bring smiles on the faces of Nigerians, not pain and anguish.
“We recognise the right of citizens to express dissent but that does not include the right to destroy public and private properties. We advise those who wish to express their minds to engage government in dialogue and to pick designated places for their assembly and conduct themselves in orderly manner.
“We charge the security agencies to provide adequate security for those in peaceful assemblies in such designated places”.
