Benjamin Kalu, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, has cautioned that violent protests in Nigeria could have severe repercussions for the entire African continent. Speaking on Arise TV on Thursday, Kalu urged Nigerians to avoid mimicking the recent unrest in Kenya.
The protests in Kenya, which began on June 18 in response to a contentious tax bill, escalated into violence by June 25. The demonstrations led to the destruction of government buildings, vandalism of public infrastructure, and looting of stores.
Kalu stressed the need for peace and patience, particularly among the youth. He highlighted that President Bola Tinubu is committed to advancing the country but requires time to implement essential reforms.
Kalu stated: “Why the news about the protest got to the highest point at the moment is because Kenya had an outing. Kenya is a smaller country compared to 240 million people. Kenya is a small country compared to Nigeria. We can’t be taking examples of this kind of ugly outing from countries like Kenya.
“I don’t mince words. I said it on the floor of the parliament. They (Kenya) should copy from us. They should copy that when policies are laid down, these policies take time to mature for implementation.
“And we should show them that there are non-kinetic approaches to the resolutions of issues rather than conflict, coercion and crisis.
“Why are we the bigger brothers in Africa if we do what lesser countries do? What example are we giving to them?
“If we carry on with this protest, a lot of other smaller countries would be involved because Nigeria has done it. We would not be doing only this nation a disservice, the subregion would go into chaos as well as Africa as a continent.
“We have to think about those who are watching us as their big brother and look at where the solutions lie.”
