Youths have taken to the streets of Suleja in Niger State to protest the ongoing cost of living crisis in Nigeria.
Brandishing placards with messages such as “Enough is Enough,” “Stop Anti-Masses Policies,” “We Are Not Slaves In Our Country,” “Hardship Is Unbearable,” and “Fuel Subsidy Must Be Back,” the protesters marched through the streets, chanting anti-government slogans.
Our correspondent attempted to speak with some of the protesters on the Abuja-Kaduna expressway axis of Suleja, but they declined to comment.
Despite efforts by both Federal and State governments to stop the protest, citing fears it could be hijacked by hoodlums and enemies of democracy, the demonstration went ahead. Last week, Governor Mohammed Bago sought to dissuade residents of Niger from protesting by announcing several welfare measures.
Governor Bago introduced a N20,000 wage allowance for state and local government civil servants and ordered the release of 50,000 metric tonnes of assorted grains to be sold at subsidized rates to alleviate economic hardship.
“We have over 100,000 metric tonnes of food in our reserves, out of which we will be releasing 50,000 metric tonnes to be sold at 50% of its present price. Before the end of the year, we will slash food prices by 90%,” he stated at a town hall meeting.
Additionally, to acknowledge their efforts in combating banditry, insurgency, and other criminal activities, the governor announced the gift of a Prado Jeep to each head of security agency in the state.
While some protest organizers had announced August 1 as the start date, others had indicated it would begin in July. The government and security agencies have yet to respond to the protest held in Niger.
