By ENI SAMUEL
There was pandemonium on the streets of Akure, Ondo state
capital, on Thursday, as youth protested the
state government's cancellation of their carnival earlier scheduled for the day.
The irate youth had taken over the Oyemekun/Adesida Road, on
the heart of the town, where they made bonfires and destroyed some
beautification items before soldiers and mobile policemen were drafted to arrest
the situation.
The development also disrupted commercial activities as
traders at the popular Oja Oba Market ran for cover to escape the wrath of the
protesters, who had gone berserk before the arrival of security men.
While explaining the reason behind the protest, President of
Akure Youth Coalition, Adekanbi Oluwatuyi, said, originally, the carnival was
to have been held last year, but was shifted to the 17th of April this year
because of the death of the late Deji of Akure, Oba Adebiyi Adesida.
According to him, the organisers had done all that were
required of them, including obtaining security permits.
He added that after securing the permit from the state government
to use the Democracy Park for the event, the same government later denied them on the ground that the venue was under construction.
Oluwatuyi further claimed that the Regent of the town,
Princess Adetutu Adesida, had also permitted them to use the Akure City Hall.
"We were surprised when we were told again that the
state government said the SSS said we cannot hold the carnival that rival cult
groups were coming to strike. I told them we are no cults but only Akure
indigenes that want progress for our town.
"In fact, I personally went to the SSS and told them
that they should have given us the security report that cult groups were coming
to strike instead of telling the government.
"We were surprised this morning when we came here
(Akure city hall) and saw heavily armed security agents barricading the venue
of the event." Oluwatuyi said.
The youth leader described as laughable the claim by the
security operatives that there was a standing order that the event could no
longer hold because Boko Haram members were in the town.
He said the Police Area Commander of Akure personally told
him that the event was cancelled because some members of Boko Haram were in
Akure to cause mayhem.
The youth leader explained that millions of Naira have been
expended on the carnival including payment of the popular musician, Saheed
Osupa, who had been paid and also checked into a hotel in the town in preparation for the show.
Meanwhile, the state commissioner for Information, Kayode
Akinmade, has confirmed that the event was stopped due to security reasons.
He added that intelligence report suggested that the large
concentration of people for the carnival could cause security breech in the
town.
0 comments:
Post a Comment