Nollywood veteran, Chidi Mokeme, has thrown his weight behind youths in the August planned protest, stating it is the right of citizens.

The film producer who took to his X handle on Friday said President Bola Tinubu, who protested severally against other governments in the exercise of fundamental human rights should not be against citizens who have chosen to exercise their rights concerning economic hardship.

Chidi Mokeme advised security agencies to protect lives and properties during the protest to ensure it would not be hijacked by hoodlums.

“Protests are a constitutionally guaranteed right of the people. The president, himself, has exercised this right severally in the past without restraint. The police have a constitutional responsibility to protect lives and properties of citizens including legitimate protesters.

“If the government has information about alleged planned hijack of the protest by unscrupulous elements, it is the responsibility of the security apparatus to protect the protesters, protect properties, identify the hoodlums, and prosecute accordingly cos violence isn’t tolerated,” he said.

The movie director added that some of President Tinubu’s spokespersons have also aided the protest through their statements.

He added, “The kind of statements being made by government spokespersons only aggravate the already tense situation. This is like giving the dog a bad name so you can hang it. Government has to be proactive, not banning cough syrup cos some people abuse it.”