Ex-minister joins protest as protesters urge Tinubu to address Nigerians

Protesters have blocked major roads in Jos, the Plateau State capital, urging President Bola Tinubu to address Nigerians over the hardship in the country.

The number of protesters for the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protest, on Friday, August 2, 2024, increased significantly, compared to Thursday, the first day of the nationwide protest in Plateau State.

The protesters blocked the Old Airport Roundabout, compelling motorists to seek alternative routes in the state capital.

The former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, urged Tinubu to save Nigerians the stress by addressing the nation.

Dalung said: “I thought the president would have saved Nigeria from the stress that the people are going through and the demonstration.

“But maybe due to ill advice, he thought the demonstration was not going to be possible, but it recorded 70 per cent success.

Protesters reconvene after tear gas attack in Abuja

“Nigerians that came out yesterday and today indicate that the president should listen to Nigerians. Nigerians are talking.

“They are saying, restore the oil subsidy because you withdrew it and we are suffering; bring it back.

”Nigerians are saying that you increased the electricity tariff, and it is making us poorer.

“Nigerians are saying we want to go to the farm and do our businesses, but there is no security. Provide security.

“Are these demands too big for the government of Nigeria? I don’t think so.”

The convener of the protest in Jos, Prophet Isah Elbuba, said the protest was going on peacefully, adding that the people were having a feeling of a festival and sharing their pain.

Elbuba also urged Tinubu to rise up to the occasion at this time in the country.

The convener urged the President to reverse the fuel price and reinstitute the subsidy.

According to him, the government needs to take proactive action to end hunger in the country.

The Programme Manager of the International Organisation for Peace and Social Justice (PSJ), s Sam Odeh, said despite their hungry state, the youths still remained peaceful, dancing, and placing their demands before the government.

Odeh, therefore, said the government needed to urgently address the issues that led to the protest.

The Star