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Youths In Osun State Protest Soaring Cost Of Living, Urge Government Intervention

Published

11 months ago

Feb 9, 2024.

Eko Hot Blog reports that a group of youths in Osogbo, Osun State, took to the streets on Friday in a peaceful protest, expressing their concern over the escalating cost of living.

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Wielding placards with inscriptions such as ‘change the unfavorable policies,’ ‘Nigerians are suffering, we can’t cope again,’ and ‘We are humans, stop mistreating the citizens,’ the protesters gathered along MDS Road, Osogbo, early in the day.

Despite the heavy presence of police operatives near the protest scene, the youth continued their demonstration, voicing the frustrations experienced by many Nigerians due to the challenging economic conditions.

The chairman of the Osun Civil Societies Coalition, Mr. Waheed Lawal, addressed the protesters, stating that the demonstration would persist until the Federal Government addresses the current economic hardships affecting the country.

Quoting Mr. Waheed Lawal “Government must ameliorate the suffering of the people. They must do whatever they need to do to make sure that the people live in better conditions. What Nigerians want is a peaceful atmosphere. We don’t want insecurity in our land again.”

Lawal highlighted concerns about insecurity and the abduction of monarchs, urging the government to fulfill its constitutional responsibility of providing security for citizens’ lives and property.

He concluded by saying, “We are ready to face the government in this hardship, and we are marathon runners. If the government fails to listen to us, we will continue to mobilize our people to protest this hardship because enough is enough.”

Earlier in the week, similar protests occurred in Minna and Kano, where youths and women voiced their grievances against the rising cost of living.

Responding to the nation’s growing food crisis, President Bola Tinubu ordered the release of over 102,000 metric tons of various grains from the National Food Reserve and the Rice Millers Association of Nigeria.

This initiative aims to provide relief to Nigerians facing food insecurity and mitigate the impact of soaring commodity prices.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, confirmed these measures after the Special Presidential Committee on Emergency Food Intervention meetings at the Aso Rock Villa on Thursday.