Organisers of the #Endbadgovernace nationwide protest against hunger and hardship have said they would continue with the agitation, despite the deployment of security operatives to scare them.
Our correspondent who monitored events around the Federal Capital Territory on Tuesday, said the former country director of Action Aid Nigeria, Ene Obi and Hauwa Mustapha who are part of the organisers, said they would continue to show up at the Moshood Abiola stadium until the expiration of the 10-day protest.
Other protesters had abandoned just the two women to their fate, as no protest was held in Abuja on Tuesday.
“Look at the president speaking to Nigeria. It was a totally empty speech. What are you telling us? Not even one of the demands has been met. And you are telling us to go to the stadium.
We are here at the stadium nah. let our children come,” one of the organisers, Ene Obi told journalists.
Obi continued, “Bring down the prices of petroleum products. this is the same government that fought against the removal of fuel subsidies. And the same president has used it to punish Nigerians.
“We are mothers. What they are doing is setting our children against us. Even the police and security agencies- which of them is going to a different market? Their money is useless. They are turning our children against us. We are sitting here, let them teargas us. So many of them, I can give birth to them.
“The mothers in the land are wounded. No employment. Many of our children have gone to school but have no employment. We are calling for an end to bad governance.
“They said you need to appoint one minister from every state. We don’t have minister of state in the constitution. And they are even creating more seats for more ministers to come in.
“There are no signs from the government to show us that they can bring down the cost of governance.”
The development comes following days of violent protests in the nation’s capital, with police operatives firing tear gas at the protesters.
Remilekun Awokoya