Emmanuel Thomas l Monday, February 06, 2017
NIGERIA – Hundreds of Nigerians from all walks of life today trooped to the streets in major cities protesting hardship that President Muhammadu Buhari’s economic policies have brought upon Nigerians.
Protesters line the street of Abuja to protest against bad governance
Protest in Lagos, one voice[/caption]The Nigerian Naira currently exchanges at about N510 to the U.S Dollars whereas it was barely about N180 to the Dollar before emergence of current administration; manufacturers are unable to have access to the Dollar with attendant inflation, mass purge in the private sector with millions of job lost in less than two years of taking power and other anomalies.
Even the late antics played up by Nigeria’s R & B crooner, Tuface Idibia who was cowed by security forces to abandoned a popular cause failed to sway Nigerians who in their hundreds marched through major streets venting their spleen on government.
They carried placards and their messages very succinct for those in power if they ever care to listen. Enough is Enough, There is enough in Nigeria for all of us to shop Belleful, food, medicine, everything is 3 times more expensive, but salaries haven’t increased, says some of the banners from ‘One Voice’, which claimed to be a foundation owned by Tuface Idibia , the man who has proved himself as an individual that cannot be trusted.
Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Mr. Fatai Owoseni was on ground in Lagos to supervised the protest to prevent any unwholesome incident.
In Abuja, protesters with the hashtag #IStandWithNigeria, as promised, trooped out en masse, brandishing placards with various inscriptions to express their grievances, among them Co-convener of the Bring Back Our Girls campaign (BBOG), Mrs Aisha Yusuf.
According to her, the protest is meant for Nigerians to express their anger over the hardship being faced by them.
One of the leaders of the protesters, Mr. Chidi Odinkalu said corruption has not reduced as promised by President Buhari but has become worse.
He told the angry Nigerians that President Muhamadu Buhari must be transparent in his fight against corruption and desist from seeing only members of his cabinet as saints when all fingers are pointing to some members are very corrupt and reeking of corruption.
Some of the reasons for the nationwide protest, according to the protesters, include bad economic policies; shielding of corrupt cabinet members from thorough investigation; royal treatment to killer Fulani herdsmen; and high cost of living, among others.
While the anti-Buhari protest was ongoing, another group, a pro-Buhari group gathered at Unity Park, carrying placards with inscriptions such as: “Nigerians support you sir”, “your Government is a good government”.
