Akinwande Soji-Ojo
Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has announced the deployment of free Omituntun transport buses to ease the pains of residents of the state from the twin crisis of naira and fuel scarcity that have been the lot of Nigerians in recent weeks.
On Friday, some aggrieved residents besieged the Oyo State secretariat to protest the scarcity of naira notes and petrol.
Following the violent protest, Makinde postponed his reelection campaign indefinitely, saying he could not be campaigning while people are faced with undue hardship.
The governor, in a statewide broadcast aired on the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS) on Friday night, announced that the state government was ready to do whatever it can to alleviate the suffering of the masses.
On Saturday morning, Makinde in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, said that he has also put all the security agencies operating in the state on high alert to avert any breakdown of law and order.
He urged the people to ensure they use their Permanent Voter Cards to usher in a responsible government in the forthcoming general elections, adding that resort to violence breeds other problems.
“I have always maintained that peaceful protests are fine. When things are not going how we want them to go, we have a right and even a responsibility to protest.
“In response to this, I have suspended all campaign activities forthwith. I have also met with the heads of security agencies in Oyo State to restore calm and maintain the peace in our dear state.
“As a palliative measure, I have directed that the Omituntun Mass Transit Buses should be deployed to more routes within the state for free.
“We are also working with Local Government Chairmen to see what immediate palliatives we can make available to the most vulnerable amongst us to alleviate the hardships that the twin scarcity of fuel and the naira have brought upon our people.”
The governor urged all law-abiding citizens and residents of the state to go about their lawful activities peacefully.
