Falana Pleads With Ondo Women To Prevent Wards From Participating In Protests 

By Joseph Sunday 

The Special Adviser to the Ondo State Governor, Honourable Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa on Gender Matters, Chief (Mrs.) Olamide Falana has pleaded with the women in the State to prevent their wards against participating in the nationwide protests planned to commence on August 1st, 2024, urging them to seek alternative means of pressing home their demands from the Country’s leadership.

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Governor Aiyedatiwa’s aide, a staunch advocate of policy changes and initiatives who has at many times in the past positively affected the lives of youths made the appeals while speaking to newsmen in Akure on Wednesday. 

She urged the women in the State to let their wards realize that joining the nationwide hunger protests can lead unexpected violence, loss of lives and the looting of goods that can cripple trade and businesses owned by them (women) negatively. 

She said, “though it is the right of the citizens to protest against any form of policies they are not comfortable with, there is the need to exercise caution as their good intentions may turn violent.

“Based on precedents, It is crucial to note that women and youths are at higher risks and tend to suffer most should an outbreak of violence occur. We must therefore refuse to allow our wards run into danger as safety during such demonstrations cannot be predicted”. 

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Emphasizing further, the Special Adviser said it was particularly poignant to recall the volume of lives and property lost to the #ENDSARS# protest whereby innocent lives paid for it.

“Protests could be hijacked while hoodlums begin to loot and cause mayhem; Let mothers discourage their sons from being exposed to hostility or other unforeseen circumstances that may occur in a bid to making their voices heard”. 

She however assured both women and youths in Ondo State of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration resolve to make life better for Nigerians in terms of making funds accessible to students through the Ministry of Commerce, reforms in the petroleum sector, massive distribution of food palliatives, agricultural input to farmers and financial grants to provide assistance to boost small businesses which commendably has a selection criteria that covers women, youths and people with disabilities.

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She also affirmed the determination of the Ondo State Governor, Honourable Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa’s commitment not to reneged on his promise in giving succor to the people of the State and alleviating their poverty and hardship.

She reminded them about the recent approval of the sum of N2 billion meant for food subsidy by the Governor of Ondo State, which will now help the public to buy food items at highly subsidized rates at government designated centres across the State. 

Also, the sum of N1 billion the Ondo State Governor released to offset the payments of gratuities, pensioners as well as bursaries and scholarships to students of tertiary institutions in the State.

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