Residents of Ondo State on Tuesday stormed the streets to express their displeasure on the urrent economic hardship ravaging the country under President Bola Tinubu’s government.
The residents, joined by human rights activists under the aegis of #RevolutionNow, trooped to the roads in protest to demand immediate action over the high cost of foods and inflation amid growing frustration on the price of petrol nationwide.
The protest came despite warnings by the state police command against any demonstration on the streets including celebration of October 1 Independence Day.
The state Commissioner of Police, Abayomi Oladipo, earlier on Monday in a statement by the state police spokesperson, Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, asked residents not to join any protest in the state.
Mr Oladipo said that the command had deployed its men to the town to ensure no protest was used to truncate the celebration of the independence day.
But protesters converged on the popular cathedral church junction in Akure, chanting anti-government songs, demanding that President Tinubu should address the issue of hunger, reduce oil pump price and electricity prices in the country.
The protest, closely monitored by the combined team of armed police officers and men of the state security services, also drew the attention of commercial drivers and motorcyclists, who lamented over the disparity in the prices of fuel at filling stations in the state.
Addressing journalists at the protest ground, one of the leaders, Kunle Ajayi, accused the government of not being sensitive to the needs of Nigerians amid the economic challenges in the country.
Mr Ajayi said that the various policies of the current government further plunged the country into economic crisis, noting that Nigerians could no longer bear the hardship.
“As you can see, Nigerians are angry and at the same time hungry because of the poor economic policies of Tinubu’s government. Imagine the price of fuel. The high price of food, the common man, can no longer feed well. Do they want to kill us? Why is this government not listening to the people?
“There is hunger in the land. There is inflation in the country because of poor and unfavorable economic policies. We are demanding an end to this suffering. They should immediately reverse both fuel subsidy and electricity. This government continues to waste our resources and enrich their own pockets. We want to say Enough is Enough. They should allow the common man to breathe,”he said”.
Listing some of the demands of the protesters to include an end to hunger and high cost of food, creation of jobs for youths, reduction in the price of fuel and electricity, introduction of free education, Mr Ajayi vowed that the people would continued with their action by demonstrating on the street until the government addresses their grievances.
Also speaking, an activist in the state, Seyi Ogundipe, said the economic hardship in the country had worsened the plans of many Nigerian youths who are self-reliant and entrepreneurs.
He noted that if the situation persisted without solution, the country might continue to record a high rate of unemployment with youths taking to crime.
However, despite the protest, trades, markets, and shop owners opened for sales as other residents conducted their daily routines in the state.
