Hundreds of residents in Jos and several groups and associations on Thursday joined the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protest in the country.
This is in spite of several warnings and pleas by the government and some Civil Society Organisations in Plateau State to citizens to shun the nationwide protest against bad governance.
The protesters who came out as early as 7 am marched through various streets calling for an end to bad governance and prevailing economic hardship in the country.
They were led by a former Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, and a cleric, Prophet Isa Elbuba, who is the convener of the Initiative for a Better and Brighter Nigeria.
Security agents were, however, on the ground to forestall any form of violence during the protest which lasted for several hours
Addressing the protesters, Dalung, who was Minister of Youth and Sports Development under former president Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, asked security operatives not to intimidate protesters, because the amended Nigerian constitution gives rights to citizens to stage such peaceful protests.
He noted that the suffering currently being faced by Nigerians is becoming unbearable.
Meanwhile, Elbuba who is also the General Overseer of Evangelical Bible Outreach Ministries International called on President Bola Tinubu to resign for failing to address the situation.
Elbuba said, “President Bola Tinubu must resign, we can not wait for 2027 to change him, hunger will not allow us to endure that long.”
He added that he would mobilise more persons to join the protest in the coming days.
He said the economic challenges being visited on ordinary Nigerians were deliberate. According to him, Nigeria as a country has all it takes to cater for all citizens adequately.
Elbuba lamented that the government had enslaved its citizens in their land, and insisted that such must stop.
“We are going to be here for the next ten days, if you don’t stand up for your rights, no one will do it for you,” Elbuba said.
He further said government officials were afraid of the ongoing protest because they knew that the policies and programmes being implemented were anti-people.
The clergymen insisted that they would not retreat until the demands of the masses for a better living were achieved.
Also, a civil society organisation, Citizens Coalition against Corruption and Injustice led by Chris Iyama called on Tinubu to declare a state of emergency on food security with immediate effect.
Iyama also said the current administration under Tinubu was executing anti-people policies and demanded that the president set machinery in motion to take a review of his cabinet members and sack underperforming ministers as a way of restoring good governance.
“Tinubu policies have not addressed hunger, economic hardship, and insecurity been experiencing in Nigeria is a consequence of poor governance,” he said.
The convener further argued that there is no country in the world without a subsidy, but Tinubu removed the oil subsidy without effective management.
He said, “We demand a reversal of electricity tariff, transportation, and price control on commodities. We also want the government to cut down bogus spending on VIPs and other unwarranted demands.”
The executive director of CLEEN Foundation, Gad Peter, said Nigerian youths were only out for good governance and nothing else.
“The era of rhetoric is over… We want to see a practical solution by the government, ensure the protection of lives and properties, an economy that works for all,” Peter said.
