Speak Up Nigeria Coordinator, Dr Oliver Okoye Speaks On State Of Nation

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

One of the coordinators for an International Organisation known as Speak Up, Nigerian that stands for transparency and accountability for a better Nigeria, Dr. Oliver Okoye, has urged Nigerians to be courageous in fighting for their rights despite intimidation and harassment by the Government.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that Dr Okoye spoke on the heels of the Lekki Toll Gate protest by the youths against the reopening of the toll gate.
He stated that it was totally unacceptable for the government, through the Police, to truncate a peaceful protest because protest is one of the tools for demands for good governance.

“This is one of the many reasons the youths go out of the country in search of greener pastures abroad and they excel; they excel due to the environment and opportunities in it.”

Dr Okoye said Nigerians as citizens have a right to voice out their concerns and where it is denied, then it is no more democratic government rather regime. 
He stated that the protest ought to be peaceful to put pressure to heed the demands of the people on good governance, noting that it was the Government that is sponsoring hoodlums to disrupt peaceful protests as seen in the last protest carried out by the youths.

On the claims by the Government of likely violence during protest, Okoye said that the Government is hypocritical if they say the protest wont hold for fear that it will be hijacked by hoodlums when they are the sponsor the hoodlums.
 “We as patriotic citizens have to speak up when things are going wrong; we must not relent in our search for a better Nigeria. The youths are waking up and that’s why they must be allowed to speak and be heard” he said.

On the issue of corruption, he described it as a killer and the correctional method for this starts from us, stating that we should stop selling our votes and conscience due to poverty, by doing so, we may have taken the first step in curbing corruption and restructuring.

 “Let every state have autonomy of its own to operate with its own resources like in the western world. As for the insecurity issues eating up the system, community policing will be effective enough to expose the bandits and criminals plaguing the peaceful existence of the people and creating unrest in the society… It’s unfortunate  that the security system has failed us in the past few years now…the citizens have taken a bold step to secure their lives and properties since the security system has failed” Okoye stated.