Babatope Okeowo 
The Founder of Success Gate Mission, popularly called Onibode Aseyori, Primate Ade Ademisokun-Turton, has kicked against the arrest of minors during the #EndBadGovernance protest in different parts of the country.
Turton, the head of Unification of C&S Church, in a statement to mark the 40th anniversary of the church, said the government should not prevent those agitating for the welfare of the citizens from doing so.
The church, Success Gate C&S Christ Church International Incorporated, was founded by Ademisokun-Turton, exactly 40 years ago. To mark the milestone, the authority of the church has outlined a programme that would start on Wednesday, November to Sunday, November 17.
Speaking on the state of the nation, Turton said what the government was doing in the area of the economy was inevitable if the country must progress. However, he said shutting people up whenever they want to protest is not part of democracy. He said this has cast aspersion on the sincerity of the present administration.
His words “The government has mainly avoided addressing the core issues that sparked the protests, such as inflation, insecurity, and inequality. His response to calls for protest was to gaslight the public, suggesting that protest was not an option and trying to exploit ethnic and social divisions. That means that we are back in the Abacha era.
“The fundamental rights of citizens to express themselves peacefully, come together, and protest for their rights and well-being are granted under Section 39 of the 1999 national constitution. The government is bound by the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
“The President must respect people’s rights to protest as guaranteed by the nation’s constitution and its international human rights obligations.
“Although, the president has said before now that he will start from where former president, Mohammedu Buhari stopped. Maybe Nigerians forgot that statement when the president was campaigning. No doubt about the fact that the former administration was stylishly corrupt.
“That means that the corruption will continue unabated. He also told us that he is going to reduce the purchasing power which he has been doing since he assumed office as the President. Nevertheless, the President must listen to the yearning of Nigerians.
“Nigerians are suffering due to the harsh economic policies, insecurity, and other issues bedevilling the country and its citizens. There must be an urgent solution(s) to address all these, or else, we are currently sitting on a keg of gunpowder.”
