₦airaland Forum

helinues:
Just should Incase thing

You should be there, not on Nairaland

MossadAgent:
And if so, which state/region is he going to join their protests ?

I know he won't dare come out but if he did, he won't be protesting anywhere in his SE or Anambra. Neither will be be protesting in Lagos or joining the protest in the core north. If Obi is sighted at any of the protest grounds it will be in Abuja where he will briefly alight his vehicle to take quick selfies with the crowd and zoom off.


Obi will not let a photo op oppurtunity like this go to waste.

So expect to see Obi somewhere in Abuja today taking selfies with the crowd of protesters then running away to post his usual empty jargons to his followers on Social media.

If you concentrated on your life with the same energy you decipate untop Peter Obi matter, you would have been better off.

Thunder 🔥 Tinubu

Thunder 🔥 Tinubu

madridguy:
Yes, Lagos state sponsored Nnamdi Kanu is his broadcast speech. They even paid Chinasa to burn over 100 BRT buses.

Let me help you,

Nnamdi kanu's speech invaded Oba of Lagos palace, took his staff of office and placed it on Jiji during the Endsars protests

You are irredeemable

madridguy:
If you are a Yoruba reading this, don't let anyone gas light. Their anger is the peace and development they want to scatter. They are jealous of Lagos. Don't join them or allow any miscreant to vandalize Lagos infrastructure.

You know very well that the only people who destroy these infrastructure are state sponsored thugs, hoodlums and miscreants

Tinubu has never been and will never be a democrat.

Tinubu is a notorious narcotics drug trafficker engaging in criminal state capture.

He dares not try it

Thunder 🔥 Tinubu

Bookhub:
You are now a binni person all of a sudden

They are everywhere supporting evil

Say no to violent protests

Patriots

chiagozien:
I thought you claimed igbos are behind the planned protest

Are you not aware that BATerians are the worst set of homosapiens to have ever emerged on the surface of this planet Earth?

helinues:
I no dey amongst the protesters so I have no business outside.

Make una post pinshures, una wan dey roam for mouth

When are you organizing your Pro-Tinubu calamitous regime solidarity protests?

helinues:
There can never be pictures from op

Pinshures really matter to access the situation

Crawl out from where ever you are hiding and go take pictures

diamond68:
Peter obi has been chosen by the universe to play a role. And that role is the role of the undertaker to lead a people into the pit hence the all black attire. His job is to railroad a fallen people into the pit. And we can see this in his star alignment of Cancer. This zodiac house is the only house where the sun spends 33 days signifying something has come to its end and it’s time to put it in the pit. The cancer is the crab and what is a crab known for ? If you put a bunch of crabs in a bucket and if any of them tries to escape out of that bucket the others would pull it back in. He embodies the energy of asmideus-Algol a fallen draconian entity in the spiritual realm. And because he is fallen he is going to take down all his disciples ( obedients ) with him into the pit. The cancer crab pulling down the other crabs into the bucket with him as they struggle to climb out. The undertaker in black

Yaba left patient

These are patriotic Nigerians

They still made their voice heard even after all the threats by state sponsored thugs, hoodlums and agberos

They are the Champs

They didn't know that the APC as presently structured is a scam

Under the calamitous Tinubu regime, the bombings are now back

Patriots

The Cabal is in Tinubu's calamitous government

Prices of foodstuff have again gone up in major markets across the country as Nigerians engaged in panic buying in a bid to stock their homes before the planned nationwide #EndBadGovernance protest begin today, The PUNCH reports.

This comes as last-ditch moves by the Federal Government to stop the protest failed to arrest the momentum generated by the organisers, who insisted the protest would go on as planned.

The protest organisers want an improvement in the soaring cost of living and a reversal of some harsh government policies, particularly the removal of petrol subsidy.

The subsidy removal, along with ongoing security issues in farming regions, has led to increased transportation costs and subsequent food inflation.

In a late rally to stop the demonstration, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, Wednesday, addressed an emergency press conference where he again admonished Nigerians to shun the proposed protest.

Other top officials also pleaded for the suspension of the protest, including the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, Atiku Bagudu (Budget and Planning), Wale Edun (Economy) and presidential media aide, Bayo Onanuga, among others.

They reeled out all the people-oriented policies and programmes implemented by the Tinubu government and sought the understanding of Nigerians.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, also invited journalists for an urgent press conference at the force headquarters.

Also, the National Assembly held a plenary on Wednesday after cutting its recess short.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, addressed youths at a hastily convened town hall meeting at the National Assembly Complex, where he reiterated his appeal to the protest organisers to embrace dialogue with the Federal Government to find solutions to the hardship in the country.

The SGF in his remarks said the government recognised the right to protest but was wary of the planned protests being hijacked “by bandits, insurgents and other criminals.”

He added, “We, therefore, appeal to Nigerians of whatever persuasion, belief, demography, gender and status to shun calls for protests against hunger by prioritising peace and progress.

“For avoidance of doubt, the government of President Tinubu recognises the right to peaceful protest but circumspection and vigilance should be our watchword.

“The government is wary of the dangers associated with protests that are vulnerable to being hijacked by bandits, insurgents and other criminals. Rather, we request that dialogue should be advanced and we remain open to such.

“Our appeal is that Nigerians should please pursue the path of peace, dialogue and collaboration in addressing the challenges that collectively confront us.”

Akume outlined some interventions of the Tinubu-led administration in the 14 months since its inauguration on May 29, 2024, stating that the country was undergoing refining and recalibration and that economic growth remained a goal of the Federal Government.

“Within a space of 14 months of purposeful leadership, the administration has recorded tremendous accomplishments that laid the foundation for immediate, medium and long-term prosperity of Nigerians, in an inclusive manner.

‘’Mr. President approved a Wage Award of N35,000 for a period of six months to cushion the effect on workers. This award was higher than the minimum wage.

“Mr President has just signed into law a new National Minimum Wage Act which prescribed N70,000. This represents more than 100 per cent increase from the last minimum wage (N30,000) and takes retroactive effect from April.”

He added, “As part of the efforts of the FG to take development to the grassroots, the government approached the Supreme Court for a decision on the funding of LGAs in Nigeria. The favourable judgement has now set the LGA on the path to its financial and development autonomy.

“For the first time in our nation, the President created a stand-alone Ministry for the Youth that accounts for a large percentage of our population. Under the N35 billion Nigerian Education Loan Fund, approved beneficiaries have exceeded the 40,000 mark of the expected 70,000 beneficiaries.”

Food prices soar
Afraid the protest might turn violent and restrict movement, following government’s failed move to stop it, panicky Nigerians stormed markets on Wednesday for last minute grocery shopping, to the delight of traders, who hiked prices of their food items.

“From the news, it appears this protest may not just be another rally. So, I came here to buy food and stock my home for, at least, two weeks. In case the protest goes beyond the stipulated time, my family and I would have something to eat,” Mrs Adeyinka Fakunle told one of our correspondents at Balogun Market, Lagos Island, on Wednesday.

Checks by our correspondents in the last two days showed that food items like rice, beans, yams, garri and noodles had again gone up about the fourth time in 2024 alone.

The PUNCH reports that the impending protest had dominated discussions in the past couple of weeks, with officials in government, urging youths to rather dialogue than stage the protest, noting the possibility of the protests being hijacked by hoodlums and miscreants.

Abuja
At the Garki International Market in Abuja, a 50kg bag of foreign rice, which previously sold for about N79,000 now sold for between N86,000 and N90,000. Yams which only a few weeks ago sold for N5,000 per tuber, sold for N7,000 per tuber and N28,000 for a set of 5.

A mudu (local measure of eight cups) of beans, previously sold for between N2,000 and N2,500, now sells for N3,500 while a mudu of garri, previously N1,300, sold between N1,400 and N1,500. A carton of Indomie noodles previously sold at N7,500 has gone up to N7,700 while a basket of Irish potatoes, sold previously at between N5,000 and N5,500, now sells for N6,000 per basket.

While some traders say they had to increase the prices of food products due to the cost price at depots and places where they purchased the items, others highlighted the difficulty in transporting the products to the market and the scarcity of some of the food items.

A trader, Cynthia Ogu, who sells food items, said, “For instance, I don’t sell eggs in bits anymore. I sell an entire crate, at N4,600. If I sell single, I may sell short. The Indomie (noodles) used to be N7,500. I buy at that amount but I have to make gains somehow, that’s why there is an extra N200. The Super Pack is N17,000 now. And I don’t give a discount; it used to be about N15,000. So, this is why the price is high.”

A visit to the Bwari market on Tuesday equally revealed significant price hikes; with a mudu of white beans selling for N2,600, up from the previous N2,500. Other varieties of beans were however sold for N2,800 and N3,000.

Musa Auwal, an onion seller, sold three onion bulbs for N500, a price that has left customers like Ojoniko Sunday concerned.

Meanwhile, a small bowl of Irish potatoes sold for N7,000, while new yams sold for N4,000 each. The cost of pepper had also risen, with a small basket of red pepper selling for N1,300.

Meanwhile, the Abuja Market Management Limited had over the weekend urged traders and market users to protect the markets from infiltrators who may want to cause mayhem while urging them not to participate in the protests.

In a statement on Sunday, the Acting Managing Director, AMML, Abbas Yakubu, stated, “Abuja Markets Management Limited has urged traders and other Market users in the Federal Capital Territory to support its effort and that of the Security Agencies in ensuring that the market is not infiltrated by people of ignoble intentions in the guise of peaceful protest.

“We have a history of protests and other incidents cascading into wanton destruction of properties in our markets; no responsible Management or trader will fold its hand and wait for it to repeat. That is why we are urging you all to mobilize your fellow traders, the wheelbarrow pushers, your apprentices, and everyone who has legitimate business in the markets, to resist any attempt at infiltrating the market by hoodlums in the guise of protest.”

Funds for food
Some residents of Ogun and Kwara states, who spoke to our correspondents, complained of insufficient funds to stock their homes following the spike in prices.

A market research conducted by one of our correspondents in Ilorin, the state capital, showed that residents had the intention stocking their homes with foodstuff but lacked the financial capacity.

“I was given N13,000 by my husband to buy guinea corn and yam for our family, but what I met in the market is shocking, six tubers of small yam were sold for N10,000 while a tin of guinea corn costs N3,500. The amount of food I bought for our family of 11 with the money I had cannot last more than three days”, a housewife, Musilimatu Onikoko, lamented.

Residents of Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, also rued the hike in food prices, saying it skyrocketed by 50 per cent, leaving them in a state of economic disarray in the face of the imminent protest.

A resident, Mrs Ukamaka Oleh, said, “As we prepare for the hunger protest, the cost of food items have increased in the markets. This is because what we used to buy with N5000 or N10,000 is now what we spend over N15,000 to buy today.”

In Asaba, the Delta State capital, residents also decried their inability to stock their homes for the upcoming protest following the soaring prices of food item.

An artisan, Uche Ijeh, said, “Most of us depend on our daily incomes and we find it difficult to buy foodstuff, where are we going to get money to stock our houses with food?

Ahead of the #EndBadGovernance protest, many Lagos residents, on Wednesday, stormed food markets in their areas to stock their homes.

In Lagos, markets were unusually crowded with buyers, who were afraid the protest might linger and hinder them from buying fresh supplies.

Some traders at the popular Iyana-Iba market on Wednesday said a large number of their customers had been buying foodstuffs in preparation for today’s protest.

A trader, who sells spaghetti, seasonings and other packed foodstuffs, Mrs Ngozi Okezie, said, “I have had customers from morning and they told me they wanted to have food at home before the protest began.”

During a visit to Kpeti market in Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State by one of our correspondents, residents bought food items in large quantities amid security presence, which a seller at the market, who identified herself simply as Madam Beauty, described as “unusual.”

“We used to have just few policemen at the entrance to the market but today (Wednesday) there were lots of soldiers, so many of them,” she added.

Although, major markets in the state did not open for transactions on Monday, due to the sit-at-home order, smaller markets in Anambra State, which opened, witnessed a large number of buyers and sellers.

At the Relief Market in Onitsha, a buyer, Chidi Okonkwo, said, “I would have bought more foodstuff and medical supplies for the home. It’s unfortunate that the prices of foodstuff have skyrocketed in the past few days. I urge other families to stockpile food and drugs in their homes to take care of any emergencies during the protest.”

Govs beg protesters
Meanwhile, several state governors also made last-ditch efforts to convince the protesters against going ahead with the planned demonstration.

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu called on the organisers to shelve their plans and embrace dialogue with the government for their concerns to be addressed.

In a 20-minute address on Wednesday at the Governor’s Office in Alausa, Sanwo-Olu said there was no need for the protest.

He said, “No true Lagosian or friend of Lagos will encourage us to go this route again. That is not who we are; that is not our way and style. Let us not allow our city to be plunged into chaos again. Let us work together to build a Lagos that is safe, secure, and prosperous for all. Our strength lies in our unity, and our future depends on our collective efforts to maintain peace and stability.

“We are actively engaging with various stakeholders to find solutions that promote justice, equality, and fairness. It is through constructive dialogue, not destructive protests, that we can achieve meaningful change. Let us show the world that Lagos remains a city of resilience, where the voices of its people are heard and respected through peaceful and lawful means. Let us reject any attempt to throw the State into violence.”

Sanwa-Olu’s Taraba counterpart State, Agbu Kefas, urged inhabitants of the state to shun the protest and support the government to serve them better.

To pacify the youths, Kefas announced the establishment of the Taraba State Education Trust Fund, designed to support all students in federal universities, and other tertiary institutions in the country in addition to the free and compulsory education policy of his administration.

The governor said, “In a bid to control the outflow of farm produce from the state, measures will be put in place to ensure that local farmers benefit more from their labour and government will control how food produce leaves the state.

“Soon, we will be embarking on a comprehensive remodelling of all government primary and secondary schools in the state, which will not only improve education but also create job and entrepreneurship opportunities for youths.

“We understand the importance of mental health and tomorrow I will release names of a committee on mental health and wellbeing to address the mental health challenges facing the residents particularly young people suffering from depression. The government is committed to supporting them to recover and overcome.”

In the same vein, Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, asked residents of the state to refrain from the nationwide protest.

Addressing Ebonyi youths on Wednesday during a stakeholders/youths meeting, the governor observed the negative aftermath of protests in recent times, urging them to rethink.
He said, “I am aware of the planned protest against hunger and bad governance scheduled to take place across the country, including Ebonyi State. While I understand the reasons and concerns that have led to this call to action, I strongly urge you all to refrain from participating in this protest.

“As your governor, my administration is committed to addressing the challenges we face, and we are working tirelessly to improve the lives of our citizens.

“However, protests can often lead to unintended consequences, including violence, destruction of property, and disruption of essential services.”

“Instead, I invite you to engage with us through constructive dialogue and peaceful channels such as today’s event. We have established these mechanisms for feedback and complaints, and we are always willing to listen to your concerns.”

In readiness for the street demonstration, the security agencies have continued to deploy operatives across the country.

On Wednesday, soldiers, policemen and operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and Department of State Security moved through the streets in Osogbo, Osun State, in a show of strength.

A long convoy of about 20 trucks conveyed the armed operatives along Odi-Olowo Street through Isale Osun to Old Garage end of Osogbo.

The Osun State Police Command spokesperson, Yemisi Opalola, said the exercise was to send a signal to anyone planning to foment trouble during the protest.

“It is part of the preparation for tomorrow’s (today) protest. We want to send a signal to anyone who may plan to hijack the protest that we are ready to rise to the occasion and protect lives and properties.”

The security agencies in Kaduna State also conducted a show of force operation on Wednesday to deter potential troublemakers.

No fewer than 2, 500 personnel comprising the police, soldiers and other operatives were said to have been deployed in strategic flashpoints across the state.

The state Commissioner of Police, Audu Dabigi, in a statement issued at the end of the exercise by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Mansir Hassan, said the show of force was meant to warn individuals with malicious intent against disrupting the peace of the state.

“We will not deny citizens their constitutional right to peaceful assembly and protest, but we will not tolerate any form of violence or disruption,” he said.

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Adegoke Fayoade, urged the protesters to obey the court order restricting protesters to the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park in Ojota and Peace Park, Ketu.

He said, “My expectation is that the protest will be largely peaceful and we will perform our normal duty of ensuring that the general area is peaceful, devoid of any violence, and Lagos residents are allowed to go about their normal duties while the protesters are also given adequate protection to carry out their protest.

“A court order has even made it very easy for us. Protesters have been asked to converge on the popular Freedom and Peace parks, so, we will be there in large numbers to give them security coverage.”

In a statement on Wednesday, Adegboruwa stated, “The courage of the organisers of the Hunger and End Bad Governance Protests is commendable. They have demonstrated great zeal and commitment, highlighting the dire situation many Nigerians face daily.”

He criticized the Tinubu administration’s economic policies, particularly the removal of the oil subsidy and currency devaluation, which he argued have worsened the country’s economic crisis.

“No one can deny the fact of hunger, occasioned by galloping food inflation, in which we now buy a tuber of yam for N10,000,” he noted, pointing out that other staple foods like garri, rice, eggs, bread and beans have become unaffordable for the common people.

He also accused the government of engaging in ethnic and religious rhetoric to deflect criticism, stating, “The propaganda machinery of government has failed in these past days, in the face of the biting hunger and mass suffering.”

Adegboruwa called on Tinubu to address the nation’s economic challenges head-on and reconsider the recent policy changes.
“The twin policies of oil subsidy removal and currency devaluation have crippled the economy and thrown Nigeria into its worst economic crisis. They should be reversed immediately,” he urged.

He also criticised the lavish spending by government officials, citing the purchase of a new jet for the President and the renovation of the Vice President’s house for N21bn as examples of mismanagement.

Addressing the security forces, Adegboruwa emphasised the importance of protecting the rights of protesters.

“The law recognises the right to peaceful protests. Let no single bullet be fired, let there be no arbitrary and unlawful arrests, and let there be no deployment of the military. The protesters are our children and our own citizens. They certainly do not deserve bullets and crackdowns,” he declared.

Adegboruwa acknowledged the moral victory of the organisers, evidenced by the government’s reaction since the protests were announced.

https://punchng.com/tension-food-prices-rise-as-hunger-protest-begins-today/?amp

EXACTLY 1,380 days after #EndSARS protesters were brutalised, shot at, and dispersed by soldiers at the Lekki Tollgate in Lagos on October 20, 2020, youths, under the aegis of the Take It Back Movement, might today begin 10-day nationwide protests against hunger and bad governance.

Tagged ‘Days of Rage,’ the planned protests from August 1, if they hold, will ground the country’s economy, and shut markets, banks, and schools.

The Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise estimated that the economy could lose N400 billion daily to the protests.

Nigerians have been facing an unprecedented cost-of-living crisis, but the situation has worsened under President Bola Tinubu, with skyrocketing food prices and petrol and electricity tariff hikes impoverishing the citizens further.


According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria’s food inflation rate hit a record high of 40.87 per cent in June.

The UN predicts that 82 million Nigerians, about 64 per cent of the country’s population, may go hungry by 2030, calling on the government to tackle climate change, pest infestations, and other threats to agricultural productivity. The Boko Haram insurgency and banditry have exacerbated the insecurity in the North, thereby preventing farmers from accessing their farms.

These existential threats have snowballed into national angst that is currently fuelling the planned protests.

Between the citizens’ right to protest and the government’s obligations to secure lives and property, the Federal Government and the protesters have engaged in arguments and counterarguments. ‘To be or not to be’ has become a burning national question.

The Federal Government does not want the protests. George Akume, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, warned that bandits/insurgents might hijack the protests. To achieve its desire to stop the protests, the Federal Government has engaged in different arm-twisting tactics.

Tinubu held emergency meetings with traditional rulers and Islamic clerics in Abuja to avert the protests.

On Monday, he signed the new Minimum Wage Act. This was two weeks after a N70,000 new minimum wage agreement was reached with the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress.

Many groups and religious bodies have discouraged the proposed protests, citing fears that hoodlums will hijack them.

The government has deployed soldiers, police, and other security personnel nationwide to forestall the breakdown of law and order.

However, the protesters remained undaunted. They insist on a nationwide demonstration against hunger and bad governance. Buoyed by the massive social media support for the protests, presidential candidates Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party and Peter Obi of the Labour Party have backed the protests.

But the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, who acknowledged the citizens’ constitutional right to peaceful assembly and protest, demanded details.

As it is, it is all dicey and the pendulum might swing either way.

Nigeria’s civil society and pressure groups have historically collaborated to hold the government accountable, including during military regimes. The Nigerian Bar Association, National Association of Nigerian Students, and Nigerian Medical Association protested the adverse laws and human rights violations. Gani Fawehinmi, Femi Falana, Alao Aka-Bashorun, and Olisa Agbakoba led demonstrations against injustice and challenged the government in court. Olikoye Ransome-Kuti led doctors in protests and public advocacy.

In January 2012, Nigeria witnessed massive demonstrations triggered by the government’s removal of petrol subsidies. It caused petrol prices to soar from N65 to N141. The protests ended with the government partially reinstating the subsidies.

The 2020 #EndSARS protests began as peaceful demonstrations against police brutality by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad. Protesters also called for economic reforms. However, the protests turned violent when hoodlums attacked protesters. The military intervened, leading to controversial denials of involvement in the Lekki Tollgate shootings.

Protests are not peculiar to Nigeria. In Kenya, young protesters took to the streets in June against the proposed Finance Bill by President William Ruto. The bill, which imposed taxes on motors, supplies, sanitary pads, public entities, and food items, exacerbated the cost of living. Police brutality against peaceful demonstrators led to demands for Ruto’s resignation. Despite the government’s retraction of the bill and a cabinet reshuffle, protesters continued to call for a complete change of government.

In South Africa, opposition parties recently protested in Cape Town against a new equity employment law enforcing racial quotas. They argued that the law discriminates against minority whites, Indians, and mixed races, while the government claimed it is aimed to reduce employment gaps for the majority.

In Bangladesh, Dhaka University students peacefully protested the reinstatement of a discriminatory quota for government jobs, reserving 30 per cent of positions for children of independence war veterans, predominantly from the ruling Awami League party. Protesters faced attacks from Chhatra League members, leading to over 107 deaths, unlawful arrests, curfews, internet shutdowns, and press suppression.

In 2017, South Koreans peacefully protested for weeks, demanding the removal of President Park Geun-hye, accusing her of using her office for bribes and extortion. The South Korean Court and the legislature eventually impeached and removed her from office.

Between 2019 and 2020, over two million Hong Kong residents, including students, protested the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance amendment. These protests, described as the largest in the country’s history, were sparked by fears that extraditing suspects to China would threaten Hong Kong’s semi-autonomous status and enable political persecution by Mainland China.

After the fatal shooting of Nahel Merzouk, 17, at a traffic stop in 2023, Paris and other major cities in France witnessed nightly, violent protests.

Protests in Nigeria are economically devastating. After 10 days of the #EndSARS protests, the economy lost N1.5 trillion per the Financial Derivatives Company. The IG in 2020, Muhammed Adamu, said 205 critical national assets were vandalised, torched, or looted. These included 71 public warehouses and police stations.

Unfortunately, Tinubu treated the protest notice with levity. The protesters served a notice one month ago. At the last minute, the government began demonising them and issuing threats. The government needs to design a better response to pressing issues.

Whether the protest holds, the protesters have achieved a major plank of their demands. The government is now aware of the impact of its policies on the people. Although the Tinubu government has asked for time, arguing that it met a bankrupt economy, it has created a different impression of luxury among officials.

It has a bloated cabinet of 48 ministers, under-ministers, special advisers, and aides, all feeding fat on the lean treasury. Common sense dictates this is pruned. Instead, Tinubu recently added a Ministry of Livestock Development. This is bad economics.

With debts rising to N121 trillion, it is defiant on buying new presidential jets and travelling around the country in expensive convoys. The President should ban the constituency project payments to federal lawmakers and rightsize the civil service.

Tinubu and the security agencies should improve the security situation. It is a major point in the food inflation. If farmers return to work, this will assuage the steep food costs. Ranching should replace open livestock herding.

The administration should complete critical infrastructure to enable citizens and businesses to move freely. Electricity is a must for SMEs to thrive.

The government should live by prudence. There is too much ostentation in government, and it sounds hollow when government officials preach endurance to the masses.

https://punchng.com/hardship-protests-to-be-or-not-to-be/?amp

trutharena:
FG showing concern for the people's plight, that's what leadership is all about.

Showing concern through word of mouth, but not in their deeds

The Edo State Police Command has promised to support and protect protesters provided it is carried out peacefully in the state.

Briefing journalists on Wednesday evening, the State Commissioner of Police, CP Funsho Adegboye, said it is the right of the citizens to protest.

“We had a meeting with some leaders of the protest, we have agreed that it must be peaceful, we are going to protect them but there will be no blocking of roads or violence”

According to him, residents who don’t want to participate in the protest would be allowed to go about their normal businesses..

“Police will protect and support them with sachet water and sweet. We have agreed that they will only occupy the Kings square which is the venue of the protest,” he said.

The CP warned trouble makers to stay clear from protest, saying they would be dealt with decisively.

https://dailytrust.com/well-support-edo-protesters-with-sachet-water-sweet-cp/?utm_source=beloud.com&utm_medium=beloud.com

Kushites:
Shut up. Hypocrite tribalist.

Peter Obi promised to end fuel subsidies “on day one”.

We would have been in this same situation with him in power, and YOU would have kept your lips shut, and asked everyone to give him time for his policies to mature.

So shut up!

Typical of an irredeemable ethnic bigot

The federal government has explained why it is bothered about the planned nationwide protest billed to commence on August 1.

Nigerians, many of them young people, have called for demonstrations over soaring costs.

Living costs spiked in Nigeria after President Bola Tinubu ended the fuel subsidy and eased foreign exchange controls after coming to power in May last year.

Inflation hit record levels at 34.19 per cent in June, with food inflation more than 40.87 per cent, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.


Speaking Wednesday in Abuja during a ministerial press briefing, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, said President Bola Tinubu is not against the protest.

Akume said the federal government and President Bola Tinubu have repeatedly asked youths to have a rethink because of dangers associated with protests.

The SGF said: “In 14 months, the administration has recorded tremendous accomplishments that laid the foundation for immediate, medium and long term prosperity of Nigerians.

“We therefore appeal to Nigerians of whatever persuasion, belief, demography, gender and status to shun calls for protest against hunger by prioritising peace and progress.

“For the avoidance of doubts, the government of President Tinubu recognises the right to peaceful protest but circumspection and vigilance should be our watch words.

“The government is wary of the dangers associated with protests that are vulnerable to being hijacked by bandits, insurgents and other criminals. Rather, we request that dialogue should be advanced and we remain open to such.

“Our appeal is that Nigerians should please pursue the path of peace, dialogue and collaboration in addressing the challenges that collectively confront us.

“Please go about your legitimate businesses and avoid actions and/or association that are capable of disturbing the peace of the country.

“Let me reassure you that together, we shall create a Nigeria where peace and stability are not merely aspirations but realities, where economic growth is not just a goal but a tangible outcome, and where the dreams of our people are transformed into a shared national destiny.”

https://dailytrust.com/hunger-protest-why-we-are-worried-fg/
Cc; seun OAM4J Nlfpmod Mynd44 fergie001

Kushites:
He’s barely been in power for one year.

What kind of magical ‘achievement’ are you expecting in one year, olodo?

But one year is enough to churn out calamitous economic policies that have succeeded in inflicting premium hunger and starvation on the citizens