BY JULIET EKWENUGO
Kaduna
The Coalition of Concerned Kogi Indigene (CCKI) has disclosed that the youths in the State shunned the nationwide protests because of Hajia Halimat Tejuosho’s intervention.
In a statement by chairman of the group, Comrade Philip Adamu Isah said, “We as concerned Kogi Indigenes with not fewer than one million members at this juncture want the general public to know that we have been following Kogi politics with keen interests, studying and to a large extent understand the dynamics and the complexity of our people in Kogi State”.
The group explained that Kogi in recent times have suffered series of setback due to our perceived differences ranging from political affiliation, tribe, religion among other factors.
“For this reason and many more, the Confluence State ahead of the protest began to make consultations to distance ourselves from the national rage and toe the path of patience, peace and dialogue”.
“This quest and understanding recently led to our partnership with key Nigerian patriots like Hajiya Halimat Adenike Tejuosho who is a philanthropist using her personal resources to support the less privilege using the QAT Foundation.
“We had several meetings with her in Lokoja and the FCT respectively, where she solicited our intervention to mobilize our people against the Nationwide protest in solidarity with the president Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s led administration”.
In her words, the emotional Hajiya Halimat told us that, “you know Kogi will be bloody if you allow this protest to go on in your state. Kogi is divided across religious, tribal among other differences and because of that, a lot of people especially the opposition parties would take advantage of this protest to wreck havock in the state. I called you here because I know you have the ears of your people and they will listen to you”.
“Halimat Adenike also persuaded us that the president Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s led government is just one year and should be given more time to address some of the challenges facing the country.
“Although she admitted that Nigerians are passing through hard times, yet she disclosed that the present Government inherited some liabilities from previous administration, pacifying us to support President Tinubu instead of going out for protest that may result to violent in the state”.
“With the understanding of our state and it’s political terrain, we gave Hajiya Halimat Adenike our word, that Kogi youths will not be part of any demonstration against the Tinubu’s led government and to the glory of God our people listened to us and refused to come out for the protest.
“Today, Kogi like other states would have been in turmoil with citizens hard earned investment looted, innocent lives wasted with public and private organisations destroyed and everywhere in tension because of an act perpetrated by criminal minded elements in the name of protest.
“We want to categorically state and re-emphasized that Kogi State is a very peaceful state, and we will not allow any faceless group to disturb the peaceful atmosphere we are enjoying here. We will not be part of any protest because president Bola Ahmed Tinubu need more time to address Nigeria challenges.
“Meanwhile, we want to use this opportunity to urge Mr. President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu to consider competence in his next phase of appointment especially for the position of Humanitarian Affairs Minister”.
