YOUTHS in Osun state staged a peaceful protest in Osogbo on Friday, February 9, 2024, condemning the rising cost of living in the country and calling for immediate intervention by the government.
The protesters carried placards with inscriptions that read ‘change the unfavourable policies,’ ‘Nigerians are suffering, we can’t cope again.’
They occupied the MDS Road in Osogbo on Friday.
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According to the Osun Civil Societies Coalition chairman, Waheed Lawal, the protests will continue until the government addresses the economic hardships confronting citizens.
“Government must ameliorate the suffering of the people. They must do whatever they need to do to make sure that the people live in better conditions. Nigerians deserve the best. They promised us renewed hope, but what they are giving us now is renewed hardship. We reject renewed hardship in our lives and our economy because Nigerians deserve the best.
“What Nigerians want is a peaceful atmosphere. We don’t want insecurity in our land again. We can’t travel from Osogbo to Ibadan without panicking. You will be thinking that they will kidnap you,” he said.
The protesters urged the government to address the rising insecurity and abductions nationwide.
A similar protest occurred in Minna, the Niger state capital, on Monday, February 5, as residents, mostly women and young people, blocked major roads in the city.
The protesters decried the hike in fuel price and its adverse impact on the economy, challenging the government to take action on the issue.
However, the Niger State Police Command arrested the leader of the protest along with 24 others, accusing them of being violent.
Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Niger State Police Command, Abiodun Wasiu, said the suspects were taken to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) and would be prosecuted.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, February 8, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) issued the Federal government a 14-day ultimatum to implement its agreements with workers to ease economic hardships confronting them and other citizens.
Ijeoma Opara is a journalist with The ICIR. Reach her via vopara@icirnigeria.org or @ije_le on Twitter.