Civil Society Organisations under the aegis of the Edo Civil Society Organizations, (EDOCSO), have started a massive protest in Benin, the Edo State capital to protest the biting economic hardship in the country.
The organizers of the protest are calling on the Federal Government to to “End Economic Hardship, and Hunger in Nigeria Now.”
A similar protest had taken place in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital last week over the serious economic hardship facing Nigerians.
The protesters marched from the Ring Road to the Akpakpava Road and other busy roads in the Benin as they lamented the high cost of living, unbearable inflation and general hardship in the land.
They carry placards with various inscriptions such as “Nigerians are starving to death, Tinubu, end hunger and suffering in Nigeria, FG, end the hunger in Nigeria now, Tinubu, let Nigerians breath” among others.
EDOSCO had earlier given the President and his Vice a 14 days ultimatum to quit power or fix the Nigerian economy.
The Leader of the group, Austine Enabulele, said the protesters took to streets at the expiration of the 14 days ultimatum given to president Bola Tinubu to fix the Nigerian economy.
He said that nothing has been done to address the issue of hunger in the country.
“If you remember on the 10 of February, we did hold a press briefing and gave the federal government two weeks to fix the problems of Nigeria, to fix the suffering and hunger in Nigeria.
“That two weeks have long expired and nothing has been done. So we have come out today to tell president Bola Tinubu to fix the hunger and suffering in Nigeria, that enough is enough.
“We cannot take the pains anymore. Enough of the hunger, enough of the hardship, enough of bad governance in Nigeria.
“If he can’t fix the problems of Nigeria, he should resign quickly with his Vice president, Shettima and let us conduct a fresh election because Nigerians are dying everyday, children are now becoming orphans because their fathers are dying of the hardship in Nigeria.
“We are saying enough is enough. If he can’t fix the problems of Nigeria, he should resign and go”, Enabulele said.
Enabulele decried the use of the US Dollar in the Nigerian economy, insisting that Nigerians should be used to the Naira.
“He should give value to our Naira because Nigerians do not use dollars.
“We can not be living our lives in Dollars. You want to buy something in the market they will tell you that, the value of the Dollar has increased, you want to buy common pumpkin leaves, they will say the Dollar value have increased.
“We are using Naira and they must give value to our Naira. If he can’t fix the problems, he should resign”, Enabulele insisted.
Also speaking, the Pastor of Omega Fire Ministry, Benin, Pastor Azemhe Azena who joined in the protest against economic hardship in the country, urged the government to stop the hardship which he said was getting out of hand.
Azena who is the governorship candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) for the September 21 governorship election in Edo State urged the government to intervene urgently.
Pastor Azena said the clergymen are the ones feeling the heat because of the demands placed on them by their members.
“Hunger is bitting harder in our country. People are suffering. This is more than suffering this is “sufferer”.
“We are here to draw the attention of the government to the state of the economic in the entire country. That they should do something fast because a hungry man is an angry man.
“To prevent anger, crime, violence in the society, you have to attend to hunger. The prices of things are going up in Nigeria per hour.
“So, we should control, regulate the price of goods so that the poor man can breath, and afford it.
“So, we are here to say, from the local government to the federal level, look into the price and do something about it.
“I am a pastor, I can feel it in the faces of my congregation, the load is becoming too much on the clergy and religious men because they need to pay people.