Niger Warns Youths against Illegal Protests

Laleye Dipo in Minna

The Niger State Government has warned youths and other organisations in the state against embarking on “unnecessary and illegal protests and demonstrations”, saying that security agents will not hesitate to apprehend the sponsors and those embarking on such protests.

The government’s warning came as a result of a series of protests by some youths in different parts of the state over the epileptic power supply to several communities that often paralysed social and economic activities in the state.

Just last Monday, scores of youths carrying placards with different captions demonstrated within Minna metropolis asking the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) to improve its services in the state.

The protesters blocked the highway thereby obstructing vehicular movements.

A statement by the Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Danjuma Salau, in Minna on Thursday also warned that government would no longer condone any act of lawlessness on the part of protesters in the name of registering their grievances.

“Though we are in a democratic society where rule of law and the fundamental human rights of the citizen should be respected, we should always do everything according to democratic principles and the rule of law,” the commissioner said.

He reminded the youths and other non-governmental organisations that power generation and distribution in the country had been privatised and as such, any problem pertaining to electricity should be channelled to the AEDC, the body responsible for electricity supply in the state.

“The provision of transformers, prepaid meters and billings are the responsibility of AEDC. Anyone with grievances should channel such grievances to the AEDC,” he said

However, Salau said: “As a responsible and responsive government, the administration will continue to implement policies and programmes that will ameliorate the sufferings of the people.”

He therefore called on AEDC to rise to its responsibility by providing uninterrupted electricity supply to communities in the state and also ensure pre-paid meters were installed in houses to stop the reported cases of over billing of electricity consumers.