Former Osun State Governor and the current Minister of Interior, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, has said that the recent #EndSARS protests that rocked the country awoke Nigerians from their sleep.
The minister noted that both the youths and the government must be commended for their efforts to stop police brutality and other national issues.
Aregbesola spoke on Friday during the third session of the Third Synod of the Ijesa North Diocese, Church of Nigeria, held at Saint Peter’s Anglican Church, Ijebu-Jesa.
Speaking on the efforts of the Federal Government to solve problems confronting the country, Aregbesola told the congregation that the President, Maj Gen Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), was aware of the security challenges bedevilling the country and working on solutions to them.
Aregbesola said, “The youths must be commended for organising a protest that awakened the nation from its lethargy and raised our consciousness to the state where we find ourselves. We must also commend the government for its prompt action by giving in to the demands of the youths.
“These youths are a blessing to any society just as they can be purveyor of evil if their energy is not properly channelled. Today’s youths are a peculiar breed, a generation of social media and hub of ideas and intellect. They appear more intelligent and far more enterprising than the previous generations.”
Speaking about his time in Osun, the minister said, “It is important to know that there are forces, spiritual, physical, social and political that attacked our administration, but we triumphed gloriously and succeeded to achieve as much. No doubt with the help of God Almighty and unceasing prayers and fasting of people like you among other men and women of faith.”
In his remarks, Diocesan Bishop of Ijesa North, Rev Isaac Oluyamo, said the country must solve the urgent problems of corruption, insecurity, unemployment, poor education system, among others.
The clergy also said Nigerians had been subjected to all manners of evils by many lawless agencies of government, who do not respect the rights of the people
