On Friday, a cohort of youths in Osogbo, Osun State, peacefully protested against the escalating cost of living, urging swift government intervention.
Brandishing placards bearing messages like ‘change the unfavourable policies,’ ‘Nigerians are suffering, we can’t cope again,’ and ‘We are humans, stop mistreating the citizens,’ the demonstrators gathered along MDS Road, Osogbo, early in the day.
Despite a notable police presence in the vicinity, the youth continued to sing songs reflecting the widespread frustration caused by the challenging economic conditions.
He said, “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.
“Nigerians deserve the best. They promised us renewed hope but what they are giving us now is renewed hardship. We reject renewed hardship in our lives, and in our economy because Nigerians deserve the best.
“What Nigerians want is a peaceful atmosphere. We don’t want insecurity in our land again. We can’t travel from Osogbo to Ibadan without panicking. You will be thinking that they will kidnap you.
“The abduction of monarchs is the order of the day in our country now. We urge the government to provide security for the life and property of the citizens. It is their responsibility, it is a constitutional responsibility.
“Every government that fails to provide security for the lives of the citizens is no longer a government. What we are saying is simple, we are ready to face the government in this hardship and we are marathon runners.
“We have started this struggle today and if the government fails to listen to us, we will continue to mobilise our people to protest this hardship because enough is enough.”
Meanwhile, earlier in the week, youths and women took to the streets of Minna and Kano to protest what they described as the rising cost of living in the country.
