Osun youths protest, march against soaring costs, urge govt intervention

Discontentment over rising living costs boiled over in Osun State on Friday, as youths staged a peaceful march to express their grievances.

Led by civil society leaders, the protesters highlighted the burden of escalating prices on essential goods and services, calling for immediate action from both federal and state authorities.

Despite a visible police presence, the protesters assembled early Friday morning along MDS Road in Osogbo, determined to make their voices heard.

Their concerns extend beyond Osun, reflecting a nationwide sentiment of economic hardship amidst inflation and a weakening currency.

Addressing the protesters who were armed with placards bearing different inscriptions such as ‘change the unfavourable policies’, ‘Nigerians are suffering, we can’t cope again’, and ‘We are humans, stop mistreating the citizens’, among others, the chairman, Osun Civil Societies Coalition, Waheed Lawal, said the protest would continue until the Federal Government thinks out solutions to the current economic hardship ravaging the country.

Read Also: CAN laments economic hardship, says it’s becoming unbearable for Nigerians

In his words, “Government must ameliorate the suffering of the people. They must do whatever they need to do to make sure that the people live in better conditions.

“Nigerians deserve the best. They promised us renewed hope but what they are giving us now is renewed hardship. We reject renewed hardship in our lives, and in our economy because Nigerians deserve the best.

“What Nigerians want is a peaceful atmosphere. We don’t want insecurity in our land again. We can’t travel from Osogbo to Ibadan without panicking. You will be thinking that they will kidnap you.

“The abduction of monarchs is the order of the day in our country now. We urge the government to provide security for the lives and property of the citizens. It is their responsibility, it is a constitutional responsibility.

“Every government that fails to provide security for the lives of the citizens is no longer a government. What we are saying is simple, we are ready to face the government in this hardship and we are marathon runners.

“We have started this struggle today and if the government fails to listen to us, we will continue to mobilise our people to protest this hardship because enough is enough.”

Their call for intervention suggests a desire for concrete measures to alleviate the economic pressure on ordinary Nigerians. This protest adds to a growing wave of public discontent across the country, highlighting the urgent need for solutions to address affordability concerns.

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