- Muslim Protesters Observe Jum’uah Prayers Amidst Tight Security
The #EndbadgovernanceinNigeria protest continued today, Friday, August 2, in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, with a relatively low turnout of protesters.
The protesters, who took off from Freedom Park, their convergence point, were accompanied by security operatives from the Nigeria Police Force, men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the Nigeria Immigration Service, among others.
They marched through various streets, including MDS, Fagbewesa Junction, and Odi-Olowo Street, back to the Olaiya flyover, expressing their dissatisfaction with the policies of the federal and state governments.
In a remarkable display of faith, Muslim faithful among the protesters observed Jum’uah prayers on the road, with security personnel providing cover for them.
READ: #EndBadGovernance: Policemen Harass Physically Challenged Protester In Bauchi (Watch Video)
After the prayers, they dispersed but vowed to continue their demonstrations until their demands were met.
Addressing the protesters before their demonstration, one of the organisers, Comrade Waheed Lawal, urged the protesters not to resort to violence.
Citing examples from the Northern States where reports of violence and looting filtered the media, he noted that Osun remains a source of emulation to other states in terms of peaceful protests.
Speaking to journalists, the convener of Nigeria for Good Governance, Wole Oladapo, accused the Federal and state governments of misplaced priority, adding that the current protest would be a test case, as the displeasure of the masses was gradually building up.
Wole Oladapo said, “It keeps getting from bad to worse and we seem to be at the worst now. The president decided to, by fiat remove fuel subsidy. The entire nation has come into jeopardy. To double the jeopardy, they floated the naira and devalued it so terribly.
“We told the federal government when the subsidy would be removed that you can’t rob Peter to pay Paul. We accept subsidy is a scam. But you didn’t sit down to analyse the subsidy regime, you removed it. You took the money from that and gave it to the governors, another set of looters, and now, Nigerians can no longer survive.
“We knew how state allocation increased since the subsidy was removed but have we seen the effects on the masses? No! In Osun State, under Aregbesola, he recognised that there was poverty among the youth and he took N20,000 youth and gave them jobs, and they were contributing to the economy of the state through the jobs he gave them.
“That continued until Governor Adeleke came into office. In the almost 2 years, we have not seen anything. In 2 terms, Aregbesola did 40,000, this administration has not done one despite the fact that money that Tinubu took from Nigerians and gave to the governors has led to increase in allocation to the state.
“The resources of the local government have been cornered by the states. What we are doing here is to tell the President, the National Assembly members, and the governors that the anger of Nigerians has not begun. When it begins, they are not likely to survive it.
“That is why they should listen to what the masses are saying at a gathering like this. Our demands include; return fuel subsidy, stop the devaluation of the naira, open the borders for food to come in. Tinubu is doing a road for N15 trillion naira at the expense of the people. The same thing is happening in Osun.”
Osun Defender reports that Nigerians on Thursday, 1st August 2024 commenced a nationwide protest against the Federal Government led by President Bola Tinubu.
The protest recorded success across the nation as Nigerians trooped out to express their anger in several states including Osun, Lagos as well as the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
This is despite warnings and appeals from Tinubu, his ministers, and the security agencies.
Hafsoh Isiaq is a graduate of Linguistics. An avid writer committed to creative, high-quality research and news reportage. She has considerable experience in writing and reporting across a variety of platforms including print and online.
