Protests, on Monday, broke out in Oyo State capital Ibadan over the high cost of living, food inflation and other economic hardship being experienced in Nigeria.
The protest was staged in the Mokola part of Ibadan, by placard-carrying youths, who went about chanting solidarity songs to communicate their grievance.
Some of the placards bore the inscriptions such as ‘End food hike and inflation’, ‘The poor is starving’, ‘Tinubu, don’t forget your promises’, amongst others.
They chanted various songs calling on the Federal government to live up to its electoral promises and stop the suffering across Nigeria.
Similar protests were also held at Sango and Iwo road areas of Ibadan. The protesters hoped that the government would take steps to reduce the suffering of Nigerian masses.
Armed policemen were seen at the protest scenes 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.
Earlier on Sunday, the police had warned against the breach of peace during any protest.
The protest in Oyo followed others in Kano, Minna, amongst others, over economic hardship occasioned by petrol subsidy removal, food inflation, and general high cost of living.
‘Go after hoarders of food items’
Last Thursday, President Bola Tinubu 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; to work with governors and go after those hoarding foodstuff.
The President, who met with governors of the 36 states in Abuja last week, also 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 the 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.
The President had also ordered the release of grains to ease the rising cost of food items but many Nigerians continue to express their displeasure over the economic hardship in the country.