Osun Youths Occupy Road, Protest Economic Hardship

Some youths on Friday staged a peaceful protest in Osogbo, Osun State capital, lamenting the rising cost of living.

The youths also called on the government to immediately intervene.

Carrying placards with inscriptions such as ‘change the unfavourable policies’, ‘Nigerians are suffering, we can’t cope again’, and ‘We are humans, stop mistreating the citizens’, among others, the protesting youths assembled along MDS Road, Osogbo in the early hour of Friday.

The youth were seen singing songs expressing the frustration of many Nigerians occasioned by the harsh economy, despite the large presence of police operatives near them

The Chairman, Osun Civil Societies Coalition, Mr. Waheed Lawal, while addressing the protesters, said the protest would continue until the Federal Government finds solutions to the current economic hardship ravaging the country.

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 lives 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.”