•To distribute food to the poor
•Protest in Osun, Oyo over economic hardship, others
•Northern group mobilises for widespread protests over hunger, fuel price increase
Chuks Okocha in Abuja, Segun James in Lagos, Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo and Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, yesterday, announced reduction in transport fare on all Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) routes by 50 per cent beginning from August 2.
Sanwo-Olu also disclosed plans to distribute food to poor folks in the state.
However, elsewhere in the country, growing economic hardship caused by removal of petrol subsidy by the federal government instigated protest marches. There were protests in Oyo and Osun states.
Members of the Osun Civil Societies Coalition (OCSC), yesterday, thronged major streets in the capital, Oshogbo, to protest against the privations occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy.
Similarly, Arewa Citizens Watch for Good Governance (ACWGG) threatened to embark on a massive protest over widespread hunger in the region.
Besides reduction of BRT fares, Sanwo-Olu also said commercial buses, known as “Danfo”, would follow suit with a reduction of 25 per cent in fare on all routes.
Although Sanwo-Olu did not say how he would enforce the reduction in transport fare for the yellow buses.
The governor spoke while addressing journalists at State House, Ikeja, at the end of a security meeting with the army, police, navy, and other security agencies.
He said the number of Lagos State staff buses would also be increased, adding that new buses have already been purchased.
Sanwo-Olu said the state would soon commence distribution of food stuff, such as rice, beans, and garri, to the poor in the state. He said the distribution would be done through the Community Development Associations (CDAs), churches, mosques, and local governments.
The governor stressed that the measures were to cushion the effects of removal of fuel subsidy by the federal government as well as the harsh economic situation in the country.
The Commissioner of Police, Idowu Owohunwa, while stating the efforts by the police to address the security situation in the state, said there had been an increase in vehicle vandalism and clashes by cultists in the state. Owohunwa said “Operation Flush” was formed by the police to tackle the security challenges and 260 suspects had been arrested and were being investigated. He warned that anyone planning to disrupt the peace of the state would be dealt with.
Protest in Osun Over Economic Hardship, Others
Members of OCSC, yesterday, took over major streets in Osogbo, Osun State capital, to protest against the hardship caused by the removal of fuel subsidy by the federal government.
THISDAY gathered that the protest started at the popular Ayetoro junction at 8am and terminated under Olaiya Bridge, in Osogbo.
Led by the chairman of the coalition, Waheed Lawal, the protest attracted many civil society groups and their affiliates in the state.
The protesters said they would not stop until their voices were heard. Part of their demands were urgent solution to the economic hardship, an end to commercialisation of education, provision of palliatives, fuel subsidy, halt of hike in electricity tariff, and tackling of insecurity.
Speaking during the protest, Lawal said the protest was not about political party, but about the suffering of innocent Nigerians, who could hardly eat one square meal a day. He stressed that every human being deserved decent living and dignity, adding that Nigeria has been blessed by both human and natural resources. He said bad leadership was the major problem hindering the country’s development.
According to Lawal, “Every human needs food, water, clothing, shelter, and sleep, but rising cost of living is gradually taking away human dignity, to the extent that the average Nigerian cannot afford to eat twice in a day or fuel their cars anymore.
“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 Nigerians to poverty, the middle class has fallen, the rich is getting richer and the poor getting poorer.”
Lawal, condemned the economic reforms of the federal government, saying they are strangulating Nigerians and impoverishing the poor. He called on President Bola Tinubu to rescind some of the economic policies in the interest of the poor and ordinary Nigerians.
One of the leaders of the group, Ayo Ologun, condemned the earlier proposed N8, 000 palliatives targeted at 12 million Nigerians, describing it as insensitive to the plight of Nigerians.
Ologun said, “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.”
Another member of the group, Emmanuel Olowu, dispelled rumour that hoodlums would hijack the protest planned by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday, saying such will not happen, as the suffering affects millions of Nigerians who are yearning for a better life. Olowu called on the people of the state to come out in solidarity with NLC on Wednesday, to fight a just course.
Workers Protest in Oyo as Govt Calls Labour for Dialogue
Public sector workers and pensioners in Oyo State, yesterday, staged a peaceful protest over the issues affecting their welfare.
The protesting workers, who gathered at the state secretariat as early as 8am, were vehement in demanding to see Governor Seyi Makinde, to attend to their challenges in person for immediate resolutions. Failure to allow them see the governor, they said they would continue to occupy the state secretariat and cripple the activities of government.
The state government rallied the protesting workers to discuss the issue of salary deductions. In a statement by the Commissioner of Information and Orientation, Dotun Oyelade, the state government insisted only three months, not six months, deductions were owed workers.
The protesting workers blocked the major entrance into the secretariat, as they asked for payment of gratuities to retirees who had been stagnated since 2021. Among others, the protesting workers also demanded the release of their Letters of Promotion for 2021 and 2022. They said they wanted Makinde to personally address them over issues affecting workers in the state.
The state Chairman of Trade Union Congress (TUC), Bosun Olabiyi, who outlined some of their demands, said government’s failure to remit deductions from their salaries for cooperatives and other statutory commitments were among their grouses.
Olabiyi argued that various attempts to discuss with the governor to resolve the agitations had been unfruitful as the government had continued to abuse rules of engagement.
Similarly, the state chairman of NLC, Kayode Martins, said organised labour had been misrepresented in its dialogue with the government, hence the need to have a meeting with the governor in person to resolve their agitations.
Oyelade said every state in the country owed workers salary deductions and the three months owed by the state was the least. He stated that the workers had shown over the years that they were in support of the present administration because of good governance and should reflect on the disposition of government to workers’ welfare.
According to him, “While the July salaries have been paid in Oyo State, not less than 20 states, including Ondo, Plateau, Benue and Bayelsa, are owing several months of salaries in arrears, while several more, including neighbouring states, are owing months of deduction arrears.
“The Oyo State government started the implementation of the N30, 000 minimum wage three years ago, yet up till now many states are still struggling to pay the old wage.
“While it is the right and entitlement of our workers to access their wages, especially at this tough time, government implores them to reflect on the sincerity of purpose of this administration.”
Northern Group Mobilises for Nationwide Protest over Hunger, Fuel Price Increase
ACWGG threatened to embark on a massive protest over widespread hunger. A statement by its publicity secretary, Aminu Muhammad Abbas, said, “As you may be aware, there was artificial fuel scarcity in the significant part of 2022 and early 2023, which led to a build-up of queues in our fuel stations. Miraculously, the queues disappeared immediately after the 2023 general elections.
“Most Nigerians believe that the forces behind the scarcity and unwarranted increase in the price of the PMS were working against the interest of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which ended boomeranging.
“The dark forces took the fight to another dimension by persuading the then president-elect to announce the removal of the subsidy without carrying out a proper situation analysis. This, we believe, was done to punish poor Nigerians who willingly voted for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“We are afraid that should the Tribunal and Supreme Court Justices order a rerun election today, we doubt if the president can survive it.”
