From Godwin Tsa Abuja
A concerned women group, Women for Peace, Security, and Social Inclusion Initiative (WPSII) has added it’s voice in calling on the organizers of the planned national protest to embrace dialogue and consider the potential consequences of the protest
There is a growing call for a nationwide protest effective from August 1 to express dissatisfaction with the current economic situation in the country.
But addressing women at a rally in Abuja, the group called on women to stop their children from participating in the protest considering the potential consequences that may come with it.
WPSII chairperson and wife of the Late M.K.O Abiola, Tinu Alade-Abiola employed Nigerians to prioritize dialogue over continue protest that would further bring hardship and destruction of lives and properties.
She noted that violent protest undermine the very causes they seek to advance, eroding public support and escalating harm to innocent individuals.
“Our strong appeal is to allow peace to reign and give President Bola Tinubu space and time to direct the affairs of the state, ” she appealed.
While further appealing to the organizers of the protest to purse the path of dialogue, Tinu Alade-Abiola noted that “peace is not merely the absence of violence but the presence of harmony, understanding, and respect among all individuals and communities.
“It is the foundation upon which we can build a prosperous and secure future for ourselves and our children.
“As a grandmother, I have witnessed firsthand how conflicts and violence can tear apart the fabric of our society. Women and children, the most vulnerable among us, bear the heaviest burdens during times of unrest and violent protests. Women suffer consequences of disrupted livelihood, loss of loved ones and trauma that scars for generations.
While acknowledging the difficult economic situation in the country, she however said during such challenging times, dialogue becomes the most powerful tool out of it.
“It is through dialogue that grievances can be aired, misunderstanding, can be resolved, and solutions can be found that benefits all parties involved. I urge each and every one of you women of this great nation Nigeria, to embrace dialogue as a means of addressing grievances and seeking peaceful resolution of conflicts.
“Protest and demonstrations only lead to further division and destruction. They hinder our progress as a nation and undermine the efforts of those striving for positive change.
“Let us conduct ourselves in a peaceful manner, respecting the rights and dignity of every individual. Our actions today will shape the Nigeria of tomorrow, and it is our responsibility to ensure that we leave behind a legacy of peace and unity for the younger generations.”
In her remarks, the national coordinator of Northern Women Forum (NWF), Hajiya Bilkisu Ademola called on the Federal government to consider a downward review of the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to N40 per liter.
This, she noted, may reduced the high cost of transportation and other services and further calm the nerves of aggrieved Nigerians.
Ademola equally called on the organizers of the planned protest to allow reasons to prevail by shelving the protest in the overall interest of the nation.