Scores of demonstrators took to the streets of Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Tuesday to express their dissatisfaction with the current economic woes plaguing the country under the President Bola Tinubu-led government.
Protesters began their protest at Akure’s popular Cathedral Church intersection, singing anti-government songs and demanding that President Tinubu address hunger, fuel and electricity prices in the country.
The demonstrators included human rights defenders under the auspices of #RevolutionNow and were closely monitored by a joint team of armed police and Department of State Services (DSS) personnel.
The protesters also drew the attention of commercial drivers and motorcyclists who lamented the disparity in fuel prices at gas stations across the state.
One of the leaders, Kunle Wiseman Ajayi, addressed journalists at the protest site, accusing the government of indifference to the needs of Nigerians facing economic challenges in the country.
Mr. Ajayi further revealed some of the hardships that Nigerians are experiencing under the current administration, noting that Nigerians can no longer endure the hardships.
According to him, “As you can see, Nigerians are angry and hungry at the same time because of the poor economic policies of the Tinubu government. Imagine the price of fuel. We can no longer eat well. Do they want to kill us? Why doesn’t this government listen to the people?
“There is hunger in this land. Inflation in the country due to poor and unfavorable economic policies. We demand an end to this suffering. Both fuel subsidies and electricity must be withdrawn immediately. This government continues to waste our resources and line our pockets, and we want to say, “Enough is enough.” “The public should be able to breathe,” he said.
But he cited protesters’ demands for an end to hunger and soaring food prices, job creation for young people, lower prices for fuel and electricity, and the introduction of free education.
Mr. Ajayi vowed that the people would continue to take to the streets and take action until the government addressed their grievances.
In a similar vein, Mr. Seyi Ogundipe, an activist in the state, said the economic hardship in the country has undermined the plans of many young Nigerians to become self-reliant and entrepreneurs.
Ogundipe noted that if the situation continues, the country will continue to record high youth unemployment rates, which could lead to crime.
However, despite the protests, businesses, trade, markets and shopkeepers opened for business while other residents went about their daily lives in the state.
