The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to speak to Nigerians to douse tension of the ongoing protest against police brutality.
The first-class monarch, while describing the experience of Nigerians over the past two weeks as “very tough” and “most unbearable”, noted that only a democratically elected President of Nigeria has the capacity to address the demands of the protesters and possibly put paid to prolonged protest.
Oba Adetunji, in a statement by his media aide, Adeola Oloko, in Ibadan on Wednesday, contended that any individual other than the president would only be scratching the matter on the surface.
“As the father of the nation with avowed commitment to protect lives and properties, including recovering economy, it has become imperative for the president to speak to Nigerians especially, the protesting youths,” he said.
The Olubadan also urged the youths to embrace dialogue as experience has shown that “jaw-jaw is better than war-war”.
Oba Adetunji noted that part of the solution lies in reopening of all the universities shut in the wake of ASUU strike over the past six months.