The Department of State Services (DSS) has joined the call by security agencies and politicians against the planned #EndBadGovernance nationwide protest scheduled to start on August 1.
The DSS alleged that the objective of the protest organisers was “regime change” rather than an expression of grievance against economic hardship.
The warning was in a statement issued by Peter Afunanya, the Service’s Director of PR & Stratcoms.
Afunanya noted that the service had identified the “funding lines, sponsors and collaborators of the plot” to unleash violence and “pit (the government) against the masses.
“However, it does not think that aggression should be the first line of action in the instance in handling the emerging scenario. It has, instead, variously applied non-kinetic and conflict resolution strategies, including moral suasion, stakeholder engagement and other multi-track diplomatic shuttles, to dissuade the planners from actualising their undesirable objective,” he added.
The DSS argued that the reason behind the protest was political. “The long-term objective is to achieve a regime change especially at the Centre,” Afunanya noted.
The statement read further,
The Service wishes to warn all the protest groups to eschew any form of proposed rage, anarchy and destruction. While the different levels of Government have routinely explained their agenda to ameliorate alleged harsh economic conditions, the Service urges the prospective protesters to listen to the voice of reason and good conscience and patiently engage with the authorities in the interest of peace. This has become important given that violence begets destruction of lives and property as well as serves as a distraction to governance. The agitators are encouraged to use ample ways to channel their grievances without violence.
The Service calls on people of goodwill, Leaders of Thought, Captains of Industry, Labour Unions, Student Associations, Youth Leaders, the Civil Society, Clergy, NGOs, Women groups, Civil Servants and Politicians to shun any invitation to participate in any orchestrated violence, deliberately designed to cause disaffection in the country. Similarly, Parents, Guardians, and Heads of traditional and academic institutions are respectively urged to advise their children, wards, subjects and students not to take part in the planned protest. Let us all join hands to build a Nation without rancour, bitterness or stained banner.
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