The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has urged the organizers of the planned nationwide protests to choose dialogue over destructive actions.
The agency noted that the sponsors of the proposed protest and their partners are safely based abroad, emphasizing the need for a peaceful and constructive approach.
The agency stated that its nationwide structure has successfully identified the sponsors of the proposed protest and likely flashpoints, saying “government will take measures to forestall any violent occurences in the identified locations.”
A statement Thursday by deputy director, press NOA Paul Odenyi, disclosed that the Director General of the Agency, Mallam Lanre Issa Onilu made it clear that the channels of communication to government and its various arms remain open to dialogue.
He assured that the government will continue to uphold citizens’ rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of association, in accordance with democratic values and principles.
He said: “The identities of many of the brains behind the protest have been known, along with their collaborators who are safely residing abroad and the government is taking necessary actions to stop their subversive plans
“The intentions of the elements behind the planned protest are not about governance or state of the economy but a decoy to destabilize the country, cause mayhem and carry out arson, killings, maiming of innocent citizens for narrow political reasons.
” NOA is intensifying efforts in civil intelligence gathering and sensitization of community leaders, parents and youths across the 774 local governments on the need for vigilance and collective preventive actions.
“The other objective of the protest is to project to the international community, a picture of an unstable country as part of the grand design to intimidate the government and seek patronage of the bigger sponsors of the planned protest.”
