Akure — Residents of Ondo State on Tuesday stormed the streets to express their displeasure over the current economic hardship ravaging the country under the present administration led by President Bola Tinubu.
The residents, who were joined by human rights activists in a protest tagged #FearlessInOctober, trooped to the roads in protest to demand an immediate action over the high cost of foodstuffs 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 with the celebration of October 1 Independence Day.
Precisely, the state Commissioner of Police, Abayomi Oladipo, had earlier on Monday in a statement issued by the spokesperson of the command, Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, asked residents not to join any protest in the state.
Oladipo said the command has deployed its men in the town to ensure no protest is staged to truncate the celebration of the Independence Day.
However, the angry protesters turned deaf hear to the warning by trooping out to the popular Cathedral Church junction in Akure, chanting solidarity songs while demanding that President Tinubu should address the issue of hunger, reduce pump price of petrol and electricity tariffs in the country.
The protest, which was 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 the disparity in the prices of fuel at filling station in the state.
Addressing journalists, one of the protesters, Kunle Wiseman Ajayi, accused the government of not being sensitive to the needs of Nigerians in the face of the economic challenges in the country.
Ajayi explained that the various "anti-people policies" of the current government have further plunged the country into economic crisis, noting that Nigerians can 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. Inflation in the country because of poor and unfavourable 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 enriching their own pockets. We want to say 'Enough is Enough'. They should allow the common man to breathe," he said.
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While listing to some of the demands of the protesters to include an end to hunger and high cost of food, creation of jobs for the youths, reduction in the price of fuel and electricity tariff, introduction of free education, Ajayi vowed that the people would continue with their action by demonstrating on the streets until the government addresses their grievances.
Also speaking, Seyi Ogundipe said the economic hardship in the country has worsened the plans of many youths who are self-reliant and entrepreneurs.
He added that if the situation persists without being addressed, the country may continue to record a high rate of unemployment with the youths resulting in crime.
