End Bad Governance Protest in Osun Peaceful
…Demand for Food Price Control
By John Dike
Some residents of Osun State on Thursday took to the streets of Osogbo, the state capital, to protest against hunger and hardship in the country.
The protesters, under the aegis of the Coalition of Concerned Nigerian Citizens, marched through major streets of the capital city to register their grievances against bad governance.
Apart from Osogbo, the protest was also held in Ile-Ife, the host community of Obafemi Awolowo University.
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The protesters chanted solidarity songs to drive home their message to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the federal government.
Most of the protesters, who are mostly youths, carried banners with various inscriptions.
They called on the Federal Government to address the myriad challenges confronting the nation.
Some of the inscriptions on their banners and placards read, “We want food price control with immediate effect,” “Revert fuel price to pre-May 29, 2023 price,” “Local Government is the key to national and economic development,” among others.
They moved from Old Garage to Olaiya, with security operatives accompanying them to ensure there was no breakdown of law and order.
Speaking, the coordinator of the Coalition of Concerned Nigerian Citizens, Comrade Ajala Adetunji, called for the reinstatement of a corruption-free subsidy regime to reduce hunger, starvation, and multidimensional poverty.
Adetunji said: “Hunger, poverty, and bad policies are affecting all of us. We are here not because of any political affiliation, nor because anybody is giving us money. What we have seen is a function of the people and the community to which we belong.
“The youth population is the largest, and they are the ones suffering the most. The office of the citizen is the highest office in the land.
“We are not afraid of anybody. What we have come to do is exercise our rights. According to the constitution of Nigeria, we are here to address what we are going through. Many people are saying we should not come out. Why are they saying that?
“What we are fighting for is for the people. Petrol price is N800 today. It is not a question of either APC or PDP. What we are going through in this country is affecting everybody.
“Tinubu should review the policies. We are hungry. The protest is going to last for ten days. We will review our own situation in Osun because of the Osun-Osogbo festival.”
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Committee for the Defense of Human Rights (CDHR), Emmanuel Olowu, noted that it was high time for the federal government to probe past and present Nigerian leaders who have looted the treasury, recover their loot, and deposit it in a special account to fund education, healthcare, and infrastructure.
According to Olowu, the government should embark on massive investments in public works and industrialization to employ Nigeria’s teeming youths.
He called for investment in education and urged the government to provide grants to Nigerian students, not loans, and to aggressively pursue free and compulsory education for children across Nigeria.
However, social and commercial activities were grounded as security personnel were seen trying to maintain peace by monitoring the protesters.
One of the security operatives who spoke to our correspondent under the condition of anonymity said, “We are on the ground to sustain peace and ensure the security of life and property for all.”
As of the time of this report, the protest had been deemed peaceful, with no unfortunate incidents reported.
