Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has put arrangements for a Peace Walk earlier announced by the state government on hold in the wake of the uproar thrown up by the report of the #EndSARS panel.
The “Walk for Peace” proposed in honour of the ENDSARS victims was called off as a result of the Omicron outbreak.
Sanwo-Olu made this known in a press statement released on Thursday.
It would be recalled that the Governor had on Tuesday, November 30 2021, expressed his desire to lead a Walk for Peace, following the outcome of the report of the Judicial Panel on Restitution for Victims of SARS Related Abuses and Other Matters.
The Governor in the statement titled ‘Lets Pivot to work for peace’ said he was overwhelmed with deep expressions of solidarity from various groups and people declaring their readiness to join him on the symbolic walk.
“Indeed, I owe a special debt of gratitude to our youths and students, who reached out to either members of my team or directly to me, expressing their readiness to join me on the planned Walk for Peace. They include many of our Civil Society Leaders, business leaders within and outside of Corporate Lagos, religious leaders, members of the Diplomatic Community, entertainers, Market Associations, Trade Associations and Women Groups who have committed time and resources to preparing for the Peace Walk. I thank you all.”
He however said that as a result of the Omicron outbreak which subjected mankind to the dictates of science, he is constrained to suspend all preparations leading to the proposed Walk for peace in the best interest of Lagosians.
“I am constrained to stand down all preparations for the Walk for Peace. I will not endanger the life of any Lagosian in my sincere search for peace”, he said.
The proposed walk for peace had stirred controversy, as many had criticises the governor’s proposal, and a number of celebrities turned down invitations to be part of the walk.
They argued that the governor was drawing attention from the issue of justice for those allegedly killed at the Lekki tollgate on October 20, 2020, by denying that young Nigerian were not killed.
