‘Ebi n pawa!’ Nigerians chant in Ibadan protest

…Decry hunger, insecurity

…As PDP accuse Tinubu, APC of being overwhelmed, lacking capacity to govern

By Our Correspondents

Nigerians angered by the state of the economy took to the streets in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital to voice their hardships to the government.

Recall that the hardships had been on the rise following incessant foreign exchange issues and the removal of fuel subsidy.

These issues have culminated largely in the rise of the cost of goods and services in the country thereby occasioning hardship.

According to a recent report by the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS) food inflation rate in January 2024 rose to 35.41 percent while Nigeria’s annual inflation rate rose to 29.90 percent in January from 28.92 percent in December 2023.

The protesters speaking to our correspondent in Ibadan explained that the protest was aimed at highlighting the harsh realities of inflation, high cost of living, insecurity and other socio-economic challenges faced by Nigerians.

The protesters, mostly youths, wielded placards with messages criticising the government, particularly President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic policies, which they believe have not alleviated their suffering and hardships.

Chanting songs of dissent and brandishing placards with messages like “Tinubu Must Address Insecurity” and “Hunger is Killing Us,” the demonstrators demanded immediate action from the authorities to address the nation’s crises.

While demonstrating their discontent, the protesters garnered the attention of the State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adewale Osifeso, who assured the public of adequate security measures to safeguard lives and property.

A woman, Mrs. Risikatu Bakare who joined the train of protesters at Bodija market said that she resolved to come to market with her four hungry children to pack woods, so they can have a means to eat.

“We have been hungry since yesterday, no food. My four children and I have been helpless. I told them to follow me here so that we can pack the scrap of wood to find relief from hunger. Beg Tinubu for us. This is too much,” she lamented.

Another protester who preferred anonymity said that the situation concerns all Nigerians

He added that it is their right to express displeasure so that normalcy can be restored.

“Every Nigerian should stand for their right and must collectively fight this high cost of living. We cannot afford three square meals.

“Sections 39 and 40 of the country’s constitution empower every Nigerian to organise peaceful assembly and to speak about the economic hardship. This protest is a continuous action, so expect protest from any angle. It is not about me alone but about Nigerians.

“We must collectively fight for this and make sure that things are brought back to normalcy,” he added.

Osifeso in his words said, “Oyo state Police Command under the leadership of CP Adebola Hamzat has been proactive enough to ensure that adequate deployment in terms of operational intelligence and of course tactical resources are being deployed to protect both the protesters and the people.

“We understand that people have the right for this kind of protests but it’s our duty as well to ensure that the protest is not hijacked by mischievous elements who might want to make criminal proceeds from this kind of situation.

“From Mokola axis, which is the starting point of this movement, police have covered them by foot, following them step by step, we are now at Bodija market and we’re following them to the secretariat and back to Mokola.

“The command would like to let the good people of the state, especially the residents of the state know that we have their interest at heart and we would do all that it takes to ensure that relative peace and tranquillity in Oyo state remains as it is in the state.

“Our words of caution is simple as I said earlier, our people have the right to peaceful protest, but our duty is to ensure that it’s not hijacked by unscrupulous elements and if caution is not taken, though that’s why we are here to provide the intelligence and physical support to ensure that there is no any spark, we understand that anything could ignite unnecessary actions here and we as human beings are also with them to ensure that the protesters are not lead to issue that would cause chaos.

“If this protest is not fully followed by all the security agents, there will be lots of issues and that is why we are here to protect not only the protesters but the life and property of the citizens of this state,” Osifeso said

The protest concluded peacefully, with the demonstrators dispersing from the State Secretariat in Agodi under the watchful eye of armed security personnel.

The combined security team of the Nigerian Army, Department of State Services (DSS), as well as Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were on ground to complement the police.

…Economic hardship: PDP accuse Tinubu, APC of being overwhelmed, lacking capacity to govern

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government of being overwhelmed and lacking the capacity to govern Nigeria in the face of challenges.

The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, in a statement in Abuja, on Monday, said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his ruling APC government must take responsibility for plunging Nigerians into excruciating suffering as a result of their policy choices.

According to Debo, “Our Party restates its position that the APC and the Tinubu administration are responsible for the current biting economic hardship and surging wave of insecurity across the country, as they are completely overwhelmed and lack the capacity and competence to lead a nation like Nigeria.

“By seeking to allocate President Tinubu’s statutory duties to state governors, the APC has unambiguously admitted that it foisted on Nigerians an incompetent president who cannot guarantee security and whose administration has devastated our national economy, resulting in extreme hunger, hopelessness, and desperation, as evident in the protests, agitation, and rising spate of suicides across the country.

“Every Nigerian is lamenting the terrible situation which President Tinubu’s ill-informed and ill-implemented policies have brought upon the nation.

“President Tinubu is directly in charge of security and national economic policies, including administration of petroleum resources as Minister of Petroleum Affairs; other national revenues; and cannot transfer his incompetence and failure to other tiers of government, which have no control over national security, fiscal, and monetary policies, which mismanagement by President Tinubu’s government has crippled our economy.

“Moreover, state governors have no control over the pervading corruption and continuing monumental treasury-looting under President Tinubu, who has failed to take concrete measures to curb the malaise.

“It is an assault on the sensibility of Nigerians that instead of charging the government it formed to live up to its billings, the APC is seeking a sordid and depraved approach to divert public attention from its failures.

“From its diversionary statement, it is clear that the APC is jittery and afraid that it has been exposed following revelations and reports in the public space that its leaders are involved in multiple scams and fraudulent deals through which they continue to syphon funds meant for the wellbeing of the people, resulting in the unbearable hardship being experienced by Nigerians today.

“The complicity of the APC leaders apparently informs why they have remained silent in the face of the incompetence, monumental treasury looting, and corruption in the Tinubu administration.

“Our Party counsels President Tinubu and the APC to face their self-inflicted woes and heed the patriotic call of the PDP governors, who are providing quality leadership with life-enhancing projects and programmes in their various states in line with the people-oriented manifesto and policy thrust of the PDP.

“It is evident today across Nigeria that it is only PDP governors and other PDP-elected public officials that are commissioning legacy and life-enriching projects and programmes with which they are repositioning their states and various constituencies into Oasis of Development.

“Nigerians should therefore continue to hold the APC and President Tinubu solely responsible for the suffering that they face. The PDP will not hesitate to name APC leaders allegedly involved in the continuing treasury plundering as the APC must not be allowed to ‘grab, snatch, and run’ with our national patrimony at the expense of millions of our citizens,” he said.