Desmond Elliot a lawmaker, is also a leading practitioner in the Nigerian movie industry however said the agitations should be done with love. The lawmaker representing Surulere
Constituency in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Desmond Elliot, on Thursday declared his support for the agitations against police brutality as canvassed for during the recent EndSARS protests.Elliot spoke
as he was being criticized for allegedly advocating the control of the use of
social media in Nigeria, the main platform used to rally Nigerians for the
EndSARS protests.
“On the
EndSARS issue, personally I am with them. I support their cause but I also want
to believe it should be done with love,’’ Elliot said call during a
Constituency Stakeholders’ meeting, which was simultaneously held in all
constituencies in the state.
The lawmaker
also called for love and harmony among youths to overcome the present crisis in
the constituency.
He commended
the residents of Surulere for their resilience and ability to adopt the ‘New
Normal’ lifestyle due to COVID-19 pandemic.
The theme of
the meeting was “Post-COVID-19: The Challenges and Prospects’’.
“It is part
of our responsibilities as members of the House of Assembly to inform our
constituents.
“We are the eyes and mouth of the public and
we are here to represent the public and our duty is to give them the score card
of what the government is planning.
“Considering
all that happened during the COVID-19 pandemic and the present crisis, Surulere
is now peaceful.
“Just some
grey areas where the youth are agitated and we the elders are going to have
meetings with the communities affected and the Police area commander to sort
things out.
“On the
EndSARS issue, personally I am with them. I support their cause but I also want
to believe it should be done with love,’’ the lawmaker said.
According to
him, the plight of the youth must be taken into consideration.
“I have been
in this system for five years. We must show love to everyone, the miscreant,
hooligans, the good, young and old.
“They must
understand that this is a new generation,” Elliot said.
The lawmaker
noted that the country and the state were facing three shocks of the COVID-19
pandemic: dwindling oil and tax revenue, contraction in global trade and economic
recession.
He said the
recent youth unrest impacted negatively on the economy of the state.
“The recent
youth unrest is negatively impacting on the economy of the state. Hence the
need to rethink about our revenue generation model as a top priority to keep
the economy of the state afloat.
“Thus in
tackling the socio-economic challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic,
individuals are encouraged to look into the effective management of various
post-pandemic opportunities.
“Such
opportunities as business creation by exploring e-commerce, adapting to the new
ICT potential; and acquiring relevant skills or education.
“Government
must also invest more in e-governance to facilitate more efficient and robust
governance,” he said.
He assured
residents of Surulere that the House of Assembly would reach out to bring
governance closer to the people to enable participatory governance, urging all
to support the government by performing their civic duties.
Also speaking
at the meeting, the Area Commander, Area C Police Command, Surulere, ACP Tijani
Fatai, called for dialogue between the police and the youth to restore the
cordial relationship.
Fatai
expressed dissatisfaction with the looting, noting that the youth could not
come out to protect their territory from hoodlums.
“The command
is ever ready to defend and protect lives and property of Surulere residents. I
was disappointed with our youths as they could not come forth to protect their
own area.
“We have
always had cordial relationship as I ensured I treated your issues immediately.
I expect youths of Surulere to be more coordinated.
“There should
be a form of youth and police interaction for peace and harmony to reign,” he
said.
He called for
a peaceful resolution to safeguard lives and property in the constituency.
(NAN)
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