Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo has again written to President Muhammadu Buhari to speedily embrace dialogue with angry protesters.
He also called on the President to immediately withdraw the military and other security agencies from using brute force against the protesters.
Obasanjo in a statement disclosed that it was with a heavy heart and a deep sense of concern about the going on in the country.
The statement titled “Violence Against Protesters in Nigeria: An Appeal for Calm” copy which was made available to newsmen through Obasanjo Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, read, “It is with a heavy heart and deep sense of concern about the ongoing violence, chaos and unrest in many parts of Nigeria that I make this appeal to the government and people of our dear country, Nigeria, to eschew violence and embrace peace and dialogue in finding solutions to the challenges we face as a country”.
“I particularly appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari, in capacities as President of Nigeria, Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces, and a parent of youth like the ones who have in the last week come out in peaceful protest against police brutality and for improvement in their lives and their living conditions, to restrain the military and other security agencies from using brute force as a way of ending the crisis”.
“The shooting and murder of unarmed protesters, no matter the level of provocation has never been effective in suppressing public anger and frustration. Instead, such actions only reinforce the anger and frustration of the populace and close the window of dialogue and peaceful resolution”.More in Home
“It is clear that Mr President and his lieutenants did not exhaust the opportunities for dialogue with the protesters before resulting to use of force”.
“It is worse that there is a denial of wrongdoing in spite of overwhelming visual evidence. Great harm has been done but it can be stopped before it completely spirals out of control”.