By Chinelo Obogo, Lagos
A coalition of over 60 civil society organisations, referred to as ‘DefendLagos Coalition’, has said it has accepted the invitation of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to take part in the planned Lagos Peace Walk.
During a press conference at the weekend, leaders of the Coalition, Declan Ihekaire, Activists For Good Governance (AGG); Nelson Ekujumi, Committee for the Protection of Peoples Mandate (CPPM); Raji Rasheed, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), among others, said the governor’s overture is the price of leadership to achieve peace.
Governor Sanwo-Olu had last Tuesday disclosed plans by the state government for a peace walk in his address to the state on the #EndSARS panel report on the Lekki Tollgate shooting.
Speaking on behalf of the coalition, Ihekaire said they are not traditional politicians but stakeholders in whatever happens in the politics of the state because they reside and eke a living in Lagos State.
“The DefendLagos Coalition hereby commends Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for the exemplary spirit of statesmanship displayed in reaching out to some of the leaders of the #ENDSARS Protest Movement during his broadcast on Tuesday 30th November 2021.
“As a coalition, we disagree with those who have criticized the governor for reaching out to the “EndSARS” protesters leaders by declining the invitation and with one, in particular, overreaching himself and calling the Governor a murderer. We appeal to the Governor and his team to remember the words of the late Nelson Mandela, “There is No Future Without Forgiveness”. We urge the governor to see this as not just the price of leadership but also a sacrifice to win the peace.
“It is in pursuit of this peace objective that the DefendLagos Coalition hereby accepts the invitation of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to the planned Lagos Peace Walk.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Governor Sanwo-Olu, please be rest assured that you will not walk alone. We will walk with you shoulder to shoulder. We have commenced the sensitization and mobilization of our members from the nooks and crannies of Lagos.
“We await the full details of the planned Lagos Peace Walk from the Governor and his team; we will be there in our good number. We appeal to the Governor and indeed all lovers of peace, let genuine reconciliation and healing begin now.”
While warning against a repeat of the destruction of private and public facilities in the state during the EndSARS protest of October 2020, the coalition warned forces still bent on unleashing mayhem on Lagos to stay away from the state.
“We hold firmly to the position that, those bandying the massacre narrative have a bigger agenda than Lagosians and indeed Nigerians know at the moment. With time, the truth shall unfold.
“But for now, we wish to commend the Lagos State Government for keeping faith with the 14-day timeline earlier set for the release of the White Paper.
“We hold the view that the White Paper is a win-win for both the government and the genuine #ENDSARS campaigners. We urge the government to begin the full implementation of all the recommendations that are within its remit without delay.
” We appeal to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to rally the Presidency, the National Economic Council (NEC), APC legislators, the Police Service Commission and the Inspector General of Police amongst others to push for necessary reforms in the Police,” they said.