There was a heavy security presence in and around the Abuja city centre as protesters wrapped up the ten days of demonstrations against hardship and bad governance in the nation’s capital
Although no rallies were held on the final day of the protests, the former country Director of ActionAid Ene Obi also led her team in a sit-out at the Moshood Abiola Stadium.
The group believes strongly that the ten-day protest was a huge success, and hopes that the government will learn its lessons and see the need to continually engage citizens on the issues raised.
The most recent demonstrations in Nigeria which was tagged the #EndBadGovernance protests came in the wake of the hardship in the country.
Since the stoppage of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira by President Bola Tinubu’s administration, the cost of essential commodities has increased, going beyond the reach of millions of Nigerians.
The government has since then introduced a raft of policies including a new minimum wage among others to cushion the impacts of the harsh economic conditions.
But these could not deter many who stormed the streets across several parts of Nigeria beginning from August 1 to press home their demands for a better economy.
The protests which were largely peaceful initially, however, turned awry, especially in some parts of the north. The violence escalated, leading to destruction and looting. That prompted states to impose curfew as part of moves to arrest the conflict.
After days of pressure, President Tinubu addressed the nation, saying the protesters’ voices have been heard. He called for dialogue but insisted on no reversal of the fuel subsidy removal which was one of the demonstrators’ demands.
However, the protesters and some stakeholders flayed President Tinubu’s broadcast. Unmoved, the protesters returned to the streets – although not with much vigour as the earlier days – demanding that the government heed their requests.
