‘Tinubu, don’t forget your promises’ – Oyo residents protest high cost of living
Another protest erupted in Oyo State on Monday, over the high cost of living, food inflation, and the poverty bedeviling the country.
In less than a month, Nigerians have taken to the streets to express their displeasure over the economic hardship in the country, and demonstrations have broken out over the unprecedented increase in the prices of food items occasioned by petrol subsidy removal.
The latest protest was staged in the Mokola area of Ibadan, the state capital of Oyo, placard-carrying youths in their droves chanted songs to drive home their points.
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Some of the placards have inscriptions such as ‘End food hike and inflation’, ‘The poor are starving’, and ‘Tinubu, don’t forget your promises’, amongst others.
Armed policemen were seen at the protest scene even as demonstrators held the peaceful rally against the economic hardship in the land occasioned by the removal of petrol subsidy and the unification of the foreign exchange windows.
The police had on Sunday warned that no breach of peace would be allowed during any protest in the state.
Other places that witnessed protests over hunger and poverty are Kano, Minna, Suleja, and others.
To control the growing tension, President Bola Tinubu ordered the release of grains to ease the rising cost of food items.
The president also ordered the National Security Adviser, (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu; the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun; and the Director General of the Department of State Service (DSS), Yusuf Bichi; as well as all state governors to arrest hoarders of food commodities nationwide.
However, during a meeting with governors of the 36 states in Abuja last week, the President ruled out the importation of food items, adding that he won’t set up a price control board.
”What I will not do is to set a price control board. I will not also approve the importation of food,” the President said.
“We should be able to get ourselves out of the situation we found ourselves in because importation will allow rent seekers to perpetrate fraud and mismanagement at our collective expense. We would rather support farmers with schemes that will make them go to the farm and grow more food for everyone in the country.
”We must also look at the rapid but thoughtful implementation of our livestock development and management plans, including dairy farming and others,” the President stated.
