The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) has asked youths of Niger Delta extraction to file out and take part in the planned peaceful protest against bad governance slated to commence on August 1.

President of the IYC Worldwide, Dr. Alaye Theophilus, made the call in a statement made available to Vanguard.

He was reacting to statements issued by the Chief of Army Staff, Inspector General of Police, state governors, ministers, and other top government functionaries asking Nigerians not to stage any protest.

The IYC president said Nigerians had at various times, from the colonial era to the present dispensation, protested to register their displeasure against bad governance and wondered why the present administration is kicking against citizens’ rights to express their dissatisfaction over the current hardship in the country.

He recalled how the APC government rode to power in 2015 on the crest of protests against the then Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led federal government for its inability to tackle rising insecurity, unemployment, and corruption.

According to him, protest is a universal right of citizens to draw attention of those in authority to examine their conduct, programmes, and policies and tailor them for the country’s overall development.

“The hardship faced by the people of the Niger Delta, particularly those at the hinterlands, is becoming unbearable as a litre of fuel now sells for over N2,000, one pure water for N100, and other essential commodities have gone beyond the reach of the people.

“Sudden deaths have become a common occurrence in rural areas due to hunger and untold suffering,” he stated.

Dr Theophilus advised security agents to be cautious in their approach and urged them not to be overzealous and brutal while monitoring the protest in order to maintain law and order.