#EndBadGovernance Protest Grounds Economic Activities In South West

The nationwide protest, staged across the country to address various socio-economic grievances, brought economic activities in the entire Southwest region to a near standstill yesterday.

Significant roads were deserted in Lagos, and trading activities stopped due to a large-scale protest.

The disruption has significantly impacted daily life and economic activities in the city. Shops in markets across Ikorodu, Ketu, Ojota, Mile 12, Maryland, Iyana Ipaja, Agege, Ogba, and Ikeja are closed, with stalls empty and sellers absent.

Commercial vehicles, including motorcycles, are scarce in the affected areas, and many corporate establishments, such as banks and filling stations, remain closed.

The protest, led by over a thousand youths, features chants and solidarity songs criticizing the country’s economic hardships.

A team of police and military personnel, including an armoured tank, has been stationed near the protest site, observing from a distance. Despite their presence, protesters have avoided entering Gani Fawehinmi Park, fearing potential setups by the authorities.

Protesters who tried to converge on Lekki Toll Gate in continuation of the national protest against hunger and lousy governance were dispersed yesterday with tear gas by heavily armed security operatives.

The police authority defended its actions by stating that the place was not designated as part of the protest point to converge, saying only the Gani Fawehinmi Park and Freedom Park, Ketu, were selected as protest grounds in the state.

With less vehicular movement, the Ojota protesters ground-recorded people who came out to express their dissatisfaction over the high cost of commodities and the hunger in the land.

The arrival of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Adegoke Fayoade, who led a procession of some of the protesters and journalists into Gani Fawehinmi Park, did not change the resolve of most of the protesters. They stated they preferred not to be confined to the park as they alleged they might be attacked while inside.

Protesters voiced their grievances about government policies, claiming that poor governance has turned Nigerians into “slaves” in their own country.

Adeola Samuel described the protest as peaceful, emphasising that participants are genuine citizens concerned about the nation’s state.

Ogwu Benjamin Chijioke pointed out that many youths resort to crime due to a lack of opportunities, noting that the government does not adequately engage Nigeria’s talented youth. He lamented the lack of legitimate avenues for young people, which leads some to criminal activities.

Protesters believe that even the security personnel assigned to monitor them share their economic struggles.

They chanted “ebi npa wa o” (we are hungry) and held placards demanding various changes, including the reversal of fee hikes in public tertiary institutions and relief for the poor.

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Adegoke Fayoade, led the procession to Gani Fawehinmi Park in the Ojota area of the state.

In Oyo State, the much anticipated #Endbadgovernment# protest commenced in different parts of the state around 8:45 a.m. Hundreds of youths under the Oyo State Coalition Against Hardship took off from Iwo-Road and the University of Ibadan.

The coalition, led by Comrade Akeem Lawal, popularly known as Aluta, was peaceful at the time of filing this report.

Olalekan Hammed, the national president of the Yoruba Youth Socio-cultural Association (YYSA), said the protest is currently going on peacefully in the Southwest.

He said no violence, destruction, or loss of life has been recorded so far, adding that protesters were maintaining peace and order.

In Osun State, commercial activities were paralysed this morning in Osogbo as youths came out in large numbers to protest the hardship caused by the government’s policy.

The protesters converged on the famous Olaiya junction, singing anti-government songs and lamenting the hardships experienced across the country.

Meanwhile, many financial institutions, such as banks and other business enterprises, were under lock and key, while scanty filling stations sold fuel to motorists and other road users in the town.

The spokesperson of Osun State Coordinator, Coalition of Concern Nigeria Citizen, Adetunji Ajala, charged the federal government to bring down the price of petroleum products to N180 per litre and reverse the increase in energy consumption in the country.

A melodrama ensued in Ondo state when an unidentified man protesting in Akure was attacked by the youths suspected to be thugs in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

LEADERSHIP gathered that the man protesting alone parked his Toyota car by the roadside and put placards on the front and back of the vehicle at the popular NEPA Roundabout in the state capital.

An eyewitness told LEADERSHIP that the man was only enjoying himself at the same spot without moving about when the thugs attacked him.

Meanwhile, LEADERSHIP gathered that some protesters who converged earlier in Ore, the headquarters of Odigbo Local Government Area of the state, were dispersed by the thugs.

In Ogun state, the 10-day #Endbadgovernance protest started on Thursday but recorded a poor turnout of participants as the majority of the protesting groups deserted the MKO Abiola International Stadium and the Dipo Dina Stadium in Abeokuta and Ijebu Ode towns designated as the venue of the protest.

The protest, which appeared to have been completely deserted in the early hours of Thursday, later witnessed the convergence of participants in Abeokuta and Ijebu Ode metropolis around 11 30a.m., with about 20 protesting youths arriving at the Abeokuta venue and less than 50 youths participating at the Ijebu Ode protest.

Meanwhile, LEADERSHIP recalled that an Ogun State High Court had, on Wednesday, ordered the sponsors of the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests to limit their activities to four locations in the state and also restricted the window period of the demonstrations to between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Although there was no protest in Ekiti State, the residents remained in their homes, leaving the commercial spots empty.