Some residents of Umuahia, capital of Abia State, on Sunday, urged President Bola Tinubu, to address the problem of hunger in the country to put an immediate end to the ongoing nationwide protest.
The people made the request in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria, describing the widespread hunger as the root cause of the protest.
They spoke against the backdrop of Sunday’s nationwide broadcast by the president.
In the broadcast, he ruled out the chances of reversing the policy on fuel subsidy removal, despite the agitation by the #EndBadGovernanceIn Nigeria protesters.
A resident, Mr Onyebuchi Irunna, argued that the protest was about the pervasive poverty in the country which, he said, was worsened by the high cost of living.
Irunna said: “I listened to Mr President’s broadcast today and I can say that he seems not to understand why the people are protesting.
“He said that he would not reverse the fuel subsidy removal, giving reasons for some of his economic reforms.
“The truth is that Nigerians are hungry and, if reversing the policy will bring immediate solution to this hunger, I think the government should listen to the people.”
A retiree, Mr Ibe Kanu, called on the president to obey the voice of the people by restoring the fuel subsidy.
“The president talked about the government’s efforts to bring about economic development, which is good, but the truth is that people are dying.
“It is the duty of the government to save the lives of the citizenry.
“So, of what good is a policy that is only causing untold hardship and death.
“Several lives have been lost in the past few days due to the ongoing protest; this government had the opportunity to prevent this but it could not,” Kanu said.
Also, a businesswoman, Mrs Caroline Ogbonna, said that fuel subsidy was the only thing the common man was enjoying from their country that produces oil.
“Our predicament as a country worsened the moment the president announced in his inaugural speech on May 29, 2023, that subsidy was
gone.
“He should toe the path of honour by reversing the policy, just as former President Goodluck Jonathan did during his tenure.
“Government should also reduce its expenses,” Ogbonna said.
He described the government’s huge spending on some unnecessary projects, including the purchase of N160 million Jeep for each member of the National Assembly, as a sheer display of opulence in the face of abject poverty amongst Nigerians.
NAN.
