By Omeiza Ajayi

Stakeholders from the South East under the platform of South East Youth Development for Good Governance and Better Development have pleaded with youths in the zone to shun the planned August 1 nationwide protest against the President Bola Tinubu administration.

In a statement issued after an emergency meeting of the Stakeholders on Thursday in Abuja, signed by its National Coordinator, Hon. Henry Ejiofor, they opined that the region should not pay good with evil as President Bola Tinubu had recently assented to the South East Development Commission Bill.

The group, which comprises of political figures across different political parties, professionals, businessmen and women, emerging leaders, students and Diasporans, said the real motives of the organizers of the protest and their identities are not known, hence the people of the region should be circumspect and not participate.

The group reminded the people of the zone to bear in mind the efforts of their governors and individuals in trying to secure the release of Nnamdi Kanu.

Ejiofor said the bill assented to by the President will amplify the commitment to the real rehabilitation and reconstruction of the South-East, 54 years after the civil war.

According to him, recent developments in the South East by both the federal and state governments, especially the commissioning of Abia Power Projects, which is one of its kind, will make Abia state to enjoy a 24-hour electricity supply which will revive major industries in the region.

He said; “As a forum, we are making this national call to South East youths and others across Nigeria not to allow faceless individuals use them.

“As a region, we are grateful to President Bola Tinubu for signing the South East Development Commission Bill and also to South East leaders who facilitated the bill.

“We are out today to discourage South Easterners from involving themselves in the well-publicised nationwide protest for the major reason of the ongoing developmental strides that the present government has put in place, and the good work the present crop of Governors in the region are doing.”

On the economic situation in the country, the stakeholders urged Nigerians to understand that President Tinubu needs more time for all his promising policies to come to fruition.

“We are discouraging our kinsmen against the protest because most of the sponsors are faceless and, quiet, unlike other protests that the organizers are known.

“Again, we do not know the real intentions of the organizers, therefore, we will not support violent protests that can lead to the loss of lives of our hardworking brothers and sisters as a result of the protest.

“Also, aside from distracting the governments at all levels, this action will create more hunger while many people may lose their means of livelihood”, the forum stated.

The statement urged Nigerians, especially the South Easterners to give President Tinubu the benefit of the doubt based on his recent promise to end the suffering of the masses through some of his policies and programmes.