Osun State chapter of Civil Societies Coalition (OSCSC) on Monday staged a peaceful protest in Osogbo the state capital
The protest which was led by the state chairman of the coalition, Comrade Waheed Lawal said the peaceful protest was targeted against economic hardship, hikes in electricity tariff, fuel price, commercialization of Education, non provision of palliatives after subsidy removal, insecurity and double taxation.
The protesters carried placards with various inscriptions like “Let the poor breathe” , “Tinubu suffocating Nigerians , ” The poor not breathing and any more”.
According to Lawal, the protest was not about a political party but about the suffering of innocent Nigerians who can hardly eat one square meal in a day any more.
He said every human being deserves decent living and dignity adding that Nigeria has been blessed with both human and natural resources but bad leadership has continued to be the major problem hindering development.
“Every human needs food, water, clothing, shelter and sleep but the rising cost of living is gradually taking away human dignity to the extent that the average Nigerians cannot afford to eat twice in a day or fuel their cars any more .
“The cost of food is high, the cost of public education is getting higher and job opportunities declining daily .
” The current economic hardship has pushed millions of Nigerians to poverty. The middle class have fallen, the rich are getting richer and the poor getting poorer. ”
Lawal condemned the economic reforms of the federal government saying the reforms are strangulating Nigerians and improverishing the poor.
He called on President Bola Tinubu to rescind some of the hardship economic policies in the over-all interest of the poor and ordinary innocent Nigerians .
Also addressing the media, Comrade Dr Ago Ologun condemned the earlier proposed #8,000 palliatives for 12 million Nigerians describing it as insensitive to the plight of Nigerians
His words: “We reject in totality the palliative of #8,000, fuel price hike, lectricity tariff hike, commercialisation of Education, double taxes and other harsh economic reforms. The poor are not breathing, people are suffocating .
“We are calling on Mr President to stop suffocating the poor Nigerians rather he should cut down the cost of governance and be sincere in judiciously using the gains of subsidy removal to better the lives of the poor masses.”
Olowu dispelled the rumour that hoodlums will hijack the protest coming on Wednesday, saying such will not happen as the suffering affects millions of Nigerians who are yearning for good life .
He called on the people of the state to come out in solidarity with the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC on Wednesday to fight a just cause .
