Residents of Ibadan, Oyo State capital, on Monday came out in their numbers to register their displeasure about the economic hardship bedeviling Nigeria.
The protesters who gathered at Mokola round about in Ibadan, were brandishing placards with different inscriptions, such as ‘End foodhike and inflation’, ‘No more Emilokan’, ‘No more Awa lokan’, ‘Police please do not intimidate us’.
At the protest ground, security agencies including men of the Nigerian Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps were present to guide against violations of law and order.
Speaking with Punch Metro, one of the organizers of the protest, Solomon Eniola, bemoaned the hardship confronting Nigerians, noting that if President Bola Tinubu can no longer pilot the affairs of the country he should resign.
“We came out to protest hard policy of the incumbent President Bola Tinubu. The hardship is too much on the people. We cannot continue this way.
“If President Bola Tinubu can no longer manage the wealth of the nation, he should resign honourably. We want someone of else who can pilot the affairs of this country to a greater height.
“We want a situation where the son of nobody will become somebody without knowing anybody. We are tired of the situation. Nigeria must be great,” he said.
The Federal Government had on Thursday disagreed with the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress on their threat to declare a nationwide strike after the expiration of 14-day ultimatum over the alleged failure of the government to implement the memorandum of understanding reached with the organized Labour in October 2023.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, while speaking with newsmen told the unions to exercise restraint and allow the government to address their grievances.
He said, “We are calling on Labour to exercise patience. We will look at the grey area. Let them come and speak with us in the interest of our nation.
“We cannot afford to go on strike at this time. So we call on them and we are always to partner Labour for the progress and development of our country.”
