Calabar South boss, Hon. Esther Bassey has cautioned violent protesters in the local government who vandalize public and private properties as a way of venting their anger.
She lamented the mass destruction of properties in the Local Government, saying that the Local Government may not be able to recover from such level of looting and vandalism because it has no major source of revenue like oil which is common in most local government areas in neighborhood states.
Hon. Esther Bassey decried the wanton looting of properties within and outside the Local Government Area by those disguising under the #EndSARS protest to commit these havoc two weeks ago which has left some broken beyond redemption.
Most remarkably is the total destruction and dismemberment of the newly refurbished council legislative chambers for parliamentary proceedings.
A fully well furnished hallow chamber and offices round the council premises brought down in a day with an attempt to burn down the facility but for the repulsive resistance by some youths within the community.
The Chairman irritated by this action queried the intentions of the perpetuators who sought violence as the only option within their reach to vent anger as young people.
“If you destroy what you came to see, because some of those boys that came to destroy, some of these properties were put in before they were born.
And they have gone round to our health centers, to our psychiatric hospital, to IDH, to banks, to places to destroy”
“Why give us a bad name?
Calabar South was the first capital of Nigeria but today, everyone is migrating from Calabar South”
“Your fathers had written a good name and kept valuables for you but you want to destroy those things. Is this the only way to vent your anger?”
She went further saying, “I am telling my youths, you are saying that they’ve not given you things, what would have been given to you would be used to repairs those things back because those things must be put in place”.
Hon. Esther also lamented the carnage perpetuated by hoodlums that saw to the complete vandalization of a monumental center for mental correction, the Neuro-Psychiatric hospital, Calabar, while pleading for peace and total collaborative working relationship to avert future occurrences of such dastardly acts.
“Please as a council, as an executive, wherever we have offended you, we are sorry. I’m pleading with you, we want that rest back”, she said.
Furthermore enjoined the youths to shun violence, quoting that “violence never brings peace”.
While she recommended peaceful demonstration as a way to register displeasure against certain policies, she furthered stress, “violence will not let even the Government listen to you because everyone remains on the run”.
“Whoever hires you to cause these vandalization, when you are done, where would be the place for which you’d be hired?
Calabar South has no oil for which we will say oil companies” – she added.
The Chairman thanked all counsellors, Executive members, staff of the council and all support staff for their resilience and support through the trying times, noting that they will resurface strong amidst challenges and deliver on the mandate of their office with peace as a focal target.
Also the leader of council in his reaction stated that development cannot strive in a chaotic environment and Calabar South with his penchant for violence has seen to the mass Exodus of businesses to Calabar Municipality.
He said the trait would do the local government no good unless peace is given a chance.
“What has happened is a major setback.
Because development cannot be found in any environment that is not peaceful.
If you look at the whole Calabar South, there is no company. Any company that comes in, stops at Calabar Municipality.
We cannot achieve development in a chaotic environment”
Pleading with all and sundry he said, “I want to use this opportunity onbehalf of my counselors to tell us to remain calm. Let us continue to be peaceful.
