By Foster Akpore
In a unanimous decision, the people of Udu, led by Olorogun (Hon.) Vincent Ogheneruemu Oyibode, JP FCIA, and Olorogun Austin Emaduku, the Executive Chairman of Udu Local Government Council and President General of the Union of Udu Communities, resolved not to participate in the planned national protest. This resolution was made during the Udu Critical Stakeholders Engagement Meeting held on Thursday, July 25, 2024, at the council secretariat in Otor-Udu. The meeting, according to Honourable Oyibode, aimed to ensure peace in Udu and position the community for progress amidst the planned protest by some young Nigerians over economic issues described as “economic hunger.”
In his words, Hon. Oyibode stated, “The EndSARS protest of 2022 severely affected Udu, destroying our banks—Access Bank, Union Bank, and First Bank—forcing our people to conduct transactions in other local government areas, leading to additional risks, hardships, and stress. The roads were also damaged due to the burning of tires. Now, another protest is looming. Otor-Udu, the council headquarters, remains without a bank due to security concerns. Protests affect the common man, which is why I called this meeting. We need everyone to advise their children, wards, and tenants not to participate in this protest, as they have not benefited Udu people. Instead, we need to attract banks and government projects to Udu, not destruction. With this experience in mind, community leaders were invited to convey the message back home, encouraging the channeling of such agitations through the council via the President General of Udu, aiming for a united Udu free from crime.”
“We urge our people to remain vigilant, particularly concerning the issue of herdsmen. We will not allow any intruders to take our people for ransom; we must tackle this threat directly. I have mandated the President General to hold meetings with community presidents to foster participatory governance. Once stability is achieved, we will provide transportation support. My administration is a government for everyone. If the government fails, we all fail because we are all part of this government. If we meet in a town hall and community needs are brought to our attention, we will address those we can. We are grateful to the governor for approving the Express Junction to ECN project. Although Udu council is not as financially endowed as others, we will do our best with the resources we have for the benefit of our people.
Chief Austin Emaduku, the President General of the Union of Udu Communities (UUC), while sharing similar sentiments with Udu Council boss, acknowledged the constitutional right to protest but pointed out that the current planned protest is being organized by anonymous individuals and does not represent the interests of Udu Kingdom. He warned that leaderless uprisings could lead to chaos, citing the economic devastation caused by protests in Libya, Sudan, and Kenya. Emaduku stressed that Udu, a cosmopolitan kingdom, will not allow outsiders to incite disorder under the pretext of protest.
Olorogun Austin Emaduku noted that “the right to protest is enshrined in the constitution. However, we do not know who is organizing this protest. Some faceless individuals are guiding people via iPads and mobile phones to protest. If a recognized group, such as the National Union of Road Transport Workers, wanted to protest, we would know whom to hold accountable if there is a breakdown of law and order. But in this case, we don’t know the organizers or their motives. Yes, there is hardship, but what are the true intentions behind this protest? Protests in Nigeria have historically led to destruction, theft, and arson. It is the responsibility of every government and community leader to protect lives and property.
“In regions of Northern Nigeria, non-state actors propagated unrest, leading to insecurity and mass migration south, occupying our forests and restricting our movement. We do not want to replicate such lawlessness here. This is the first time in Udu’s history that we all agreed on a council leader without contest. He has just resumed office; do we want to burden him with insecurity issues? We should give him a chance to settle down. Udu must unite to ensure our first task for him is cooperation and peace.
“While protests can be peaceful, do we have the maturity for such demonstrations? In Africa, protests often lead to government downfall or infrastructure collapse, and the masses suffer. Look at Sudan and Libya—countries that were once relatively stable. They drove their leaders away, but the aftermath has been devastating. Revolutions must have a vanguard and leadership to be effective. Any leaderless revolution leads to anarchy, which is what this social media-driven protest could cause. We must not allow it in our land.
“In developed countries, protests are managed with public safety measures, but we lack such infrastructure. We must take a collective resolution today as Udu people to reject participation in the proposed protest. We will communicate this to the world, letting the faceless organizers know that Udu will not be part of it. We must inform our people, including strangers helping develop Udu, that we want peace and do not support protests.
“I urge all community presidents, as chief security officers of their communities, to set up monitoring teams immediately. These teams should report any unusual gatherings in flash points to the LGA chairman and security agencies. Lastly, let’s move for a resolution to reject participation in the proposed strike by unidentifiable groups and use town criers to appeal to our people not to get involved in the protest.
Hon. Dr. Henry Sakpra, Chairman of the Delta State Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Development Agency, in his remarks, thanked the President-General of Udu for convening the meeting along with the “proactive and indefatigable Chairman of Udu”. He emphasized that the planned protest is not in the best interest of Udu people and should be avoided.
“My advice is that we need to wake up from our slumber and be on par with other big local councils. This planned protest will cause disruptions. Strangers occupy 60 percent of Udu, but the voice of one Udu indigene outweighs that of a hundred strangers. If we discourage these disruptions, we will have done our part, not just for our community alone.”
Similarly, CSP Bulus Musa, DPO of Ovwian Aladja Police Station, tasked Udu community to remain vigilant and jealously guard against anything that would truncate the peace and development of Udu.
“I am happy to be part of this community that speaks with one voice against crime. I encourage you to keep up the good work and guard what you have jealously. Udu is valuable, and you must not allow anyone to instigate disruptions in your daily life. Many developments are coming your way. If there is any disruption, all progress will halt. I see the construction of the flyover at DSC Roundabout and PTI, and many other projects will come. I am confident you will benefit from them. If you guard what you have jealously, you will enjoy the rewards.”
Mr. Kelvin Cyrus, of Udu DSS added, “We’ve made significant progress with the communique. The people calling for this protest are using keypads without showing their faces or leadership. You need to protect what you have here in Udu. As mentioned, the current government has started on a very good note. Although it’s been less than two weeks, a lot is happening. We do not need disruptions here. Please help us to serve you better”, CSP Musa noted.
A key outcome of the stakeholders’ meeting was a unanimous resolution by the elders, women, and youths from all the Udu communities to refrain from participating in the protest. Attendees included Hon. Onajite Oputu, Hon. Andrew Gbesi (JP), Udu SLG, Mr. Kalu Kalu Iro, SC of NSCDC, and Mr. Chare Edubamo Oleribe of the FRSC, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and other stakeholders.