ENUGU Residents of Enugu State joined the nationwide hunger and #Endbad governance protests by sitting at home.
However, some people took to the streets to peacefully protest on the streets.
Economic and social activities in metropolis were paralyzed as traders and other people closed shops. The streets were virtually empty as few vehicles were seen on the roads.
Shops, malls, fuel stations, banks and major motor park in the state capital were closed.
The group which protested on the streets, Office of the Citizens, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Enugu branch, marched from Naira triangle through some streets and ended at Michael Okpara Square.
As they marched, the display placards with various inscriptions such as: “End corruption in Nigeria; Say no to corruption, End hardship, let our vote count, free INEC, reduce fuel price, listen to youths cry, among others”.
Addressing journalists, the leader of the aggrieved youths, Comrade Onyebuchi Igboke regretted that Mr President, Bola Ahmed Tinibu is insensitive to the hardship across the country.
“We are protesting because the President is highly insensitive to the hardship across the country. We all can agree that in this country everyone is suffering. Whether you are Christian, Muslim or even unbelievers, we are all suffering.
“We are united in suffering. Whenever it comes to a solution, we are divided.
“The idea is that politicians have mastered the art of divide and rule. Now you will be hearing some voices from the South East, from the Northern part, from the South West, they will be telling us to endure. Endure till when? What are the chances that the government is doing as if they have direction?
“By now we are supposed to have a clear direction as to where the government is going. Should we talk about the refineries that are not working? Should we talk about hunger? Should we talk about insecurity _up North or down here in the South East, and across the country? Should we talk about the unemployment rate? Should we talk about the naira that goes down day by day?
“What is the government doing exactly to address this to meet the needs of the priority. As of this morning we know that the fuel is sold at N800 to N900. What are the indicators that things will be done right? I am happy that we came out in our numbers to solidarise with other Nigerians across the country”.
He knocked the South East leaders for being silence over what is happening to Ndigbo in Lagos since after the 2023 general election.
“In Lagos State, one of the things we have noticed from the President and the Governor of the state since the end of the general elections is that they are trying to suppress the voice of the Igbo. Igbo stakeholders are not speaking up.
“Is it when what happened before the war happens again before they will begin to lend their voice to what is going on? It is a very dangerous thing. We want to mandate the President and the Governors to begin to condemn and call their people to order. Democracy is about governance of voice, government of the people, by the people and for the people.
“Anything outside that, you are practicing another thing. As of this moment, Nigeria is practicing democracy, so Tinubu being the President of this country was once a protest lord. He was a protester during the military regime, he was a protester during Jonathan’s regime.
“Seven months into Jonathan’s administration, Tinubu protested, now we have given Tinubu more that a year. We have not even seen anything. Cost of governance is high. People are suffering, everything is high. How much is yam sold? The farms are not secured.
“Most of the VIPs are going with Police. What is even the security strength? Police alone is not up to 400,000 150,000 of this number is assigned to the political class and VIPs. Let them deploy those policemen to the farm to secure our farm. We need food to eat.
“They should go into the farm to protest because Nigerians are hungry. We are calling on the president to begin to cut down on the cost of governance. Let him reduce his cabinet. He should fight corruption. Why did he remove the fuel subsidy? Up till this moment, you did not go after those who are benefiting from it.
“It is like the President is also benefiting from this corruption. So he should go after these people so we can begin to use our money to solve our problems. We are tired of this as a nation. We are tired. We are continuing this protest until the president does the needful.
“On behalf of my fellow protesters, the office of the citizen, federal republic of Nigeria, which is the highest office in the land, I say we are not going to give up.
Democracy is about your voice but be peaceful about it”.
