Lagos will continue to be peaceful, Lagos
Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso has said that the state will continue to be peaceful, as he commended the hunger protesters for disallowing violence in the state.
Emerging from a meeting of the State Executive Council presided over by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to address reporters, the commissioner said there is peace in the state, with no problem as workers have fully resumed work.
After four days of hunger protests that paralysed government activities, civil servants resumed on Monday at the State Government Secretariat, Alausa. on Monday. Commuters were on the streets, and businesses opened across the state.
The government expressed its appreciation to the protesters for fencing off hoodlums who might introduce anarchy and violence.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had on Sunday in a nationwide broadcast appealed to the protesters, calling for #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria to call off the protest as his government was ready for dialogue.
Omotoso said the public was coming in and receiving service in the various government offices, reiterating that Lagos remained peaceful, and “will continue to be so because that is what lagosians want, that is what they are getting.”
Omotoso, while noting that Lagos is the heart of Nigeria business and commercial activities, said Lagosians cannot afford to let this state go into violence, expressing appreciation to those who were protesting for “disallowing people to come and introduce anarchy and violence into it.
“At the Excos Chamber at the Government House, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, conducted the state business, meeting with the executive council members.
“At the Secretariat, there is peace, as workers do their jobs peacefully as there is no problem anywhere.
People are coming in and are receiving services in the various offices.
“I would like to use this opportunity to say that Lagos is peaceful, and will continue to be so because that is what Lagosians want, that is what they are getting.
“Lagos is the heart of Nigeria’s business and commercial activities. Lagosians cannot afford to let this state go into violence. So, it is based on this that I would like to thank those who are protesting that they did well. By disallowing people to come and introduce anarchy and violence into it, they have done very well, they have done a very good service to Lagos and I know that Lagos will reward them for that.
“I would like to use this opportunity to tell our compatriots that all is well in Lagos and shall continue to be well. All these services we are rendering in the civil service, we will continue to render without any problem,” Omotoso said.
The commissioner, therefore, enjoined Lagosians to open their businesses, and go about their normal businesses without any form of fear, harassment, or intimidation by anybody, insisting that Lagosians had chosen to be peaceful and embrace good governance, which Governor Sanwo-Olu had shown.
“I want Lagosians to open their businesses, go about their normal businesses without any form of fear or harassment or intimidation by anybody.
“Lagosians have chosen to be peaceful, they have chosen to shun anarchy, they have chosen to embrace good governance, which the governor has shown,” Omotoso said.
Omotoso said Lagosians were prepared dialogue and show understanding as against anarchy, noting that the three telephone lines rolled out on Sunday night by Governor Sanwo-Olu for people to call had received thousands of calls.
“I would like to use this opportunity to say that yesterday when the governor announced that there would be three telephone numbers for people to call, the three lines that were set up last night for residents to use for dialogue, I want to say that we have received thousands of calls. That means that Lagosians want to talk, they want to show understanding, they want to dialogue as against anarchy,” the commissioner said.
