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#EndSARS: Ooni Of Ife Calls For End To Protests As Obasanjo Urges President Buhari To Listen To Demonstrators

October 19, 2020

The monarch while receiving Obasanjo at his Ile Oodua Palace, Ile-Ife, described the #EndSARS protests as a clear message by the Nigerian youth to the government.

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, on Monday while hosting a former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, sent an appeal to the #EndSARS protesters across the country to bring the demonstrations to a close.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the monarch while receiving Obasanjo at his Ile Oodua Palace, Ile-Ife, described the #EndSARS protests as a clear message by the Nigerian youth to the government.

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He urged the youth to give the government the chance to fully attend to their demands.

He said, “If you look at the #EndSARS protest, you will see that our youths have what it takes to rule the country.

“Since day one, they have shown leadership, accountability and a huge sense of responsibility which have sent a clear message to the government. Every day at 11:50pm, they displayed their financial update, and to me, I’m highly amazed with their sense of accountability.

“As a youth leader myself, I am proud that we all have communicated our ideas and it is heart-warming that we have been heard. Dear youths, it is time to retreat so as to prevent those with ulterior motives from hijacking the peaceful message of peace.

“The whole world is aware of our peaceful conduct and we must not let some bad elements tarnish this enviable integrity. Once again, I wish to urge our youth to stop the protest, for now, and give peace a chance. This will prevent the government from using force.”

Speaking on the issue, Obasanjo described the #EndSARS protest as the product of an extensive agitation by the Nigerian youth that needed to be attended to by the government.

He said, “More than 65 per cent of our population are within the ages of 18 and 30; they are not only struggling to acquire education, they are also aspiring for the best that life can offer them.

“Some of them didn’t even get educated, while those who are educated are getting frustrated because of lack of opportunities. We must realise that the lid on the boiling steam would have to be removed.

“But, I believe that there are windows of opportunity which the government can explore to show that it cares about the people’s welfare, especially the youth, as the father of the country and particularly, as the father of the youth.

“Fortunately, the President has children and he knows how youths behave.

“I believe that the opportunities can still be taken to let the youth know that he, as a father, understands their plight and that his government understands their plight and he is ready to make life better for them”

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