The member of the Lagos State House of Assembly representing Agege State Constituency 2, Honourable Oluyinka Ogundimu has called on all Nigerians, particularly youths, to eschew violence and always seek peaceful dialogue with government at all levels to engender development and growth.
Honourable Ogundimu, who is also the Chairman of the Assembly Committee on Education, spoke at the Orile Agege Local Council Development secretariat, venue of the annual Stakeholders’ Meeting organised by the Assembly for Agege State Constituency 2.
“The youths have expressed their grievances through the legitimate #EndSARS protests which swept across the country. Echoing President Muhammadu Buhari, their voice has been heard loud and clear and I want to say with all sense of responsibility that governments at all level will hearken to their yearnings and the right thing will be done,” he said.
The lawmaker decried the hijack of the legitimate and peaceful protest by hoodlums who resorted to destroying properties and attacking people noting that this should not be part of the legitimate protest to end police brutality in particular and reforms in governance in general.
“We should learn to tolerate each and for every grievance we must come to the table to discuss and reach amicable settlement. Let’s always look for way to discuss and reach compromise,” he said.
He commended the Speaker of Assembly, Rt Hon Mudashiru Obasa for organising the Stakeholders’ Meeting which, he noted, has become an annual forum where people of the state express their opinion and suggestions as part of the policy formulation of the state.
“It is on record that Speaker Obasa addressed the protesters at 12 midnight when they insisted on seeing him and the following morning he called for an emergency sitting to address their grievances. Resolutions from that emergency sitting were forwarded to the state Governor, His Excellency Babajide Sanwo-Olu and we all know that he presented all the demands to the President.
“It shows how responsive we are to the demands of the youths,” he said.
Hon Ogundimu commiserated with families of those who lost their lives in the violence that engulfed the #EndSARS protests while also sympathising with those whose properties and businesses were destroyed.