Ahead of the planned August 1st nationwide hunger protest, some youths have trooped to the streets of Niger State to protest the ongoing cost of living crisis in Nigeria.
They are wielding placards such as ‘Enough is Enough’; ‘Stop Anti-Masses Policies’; ‘We Are Not Slaves In Our Country’; ‘Hardship Is Unbearable’, ‘Fuel Subsidy Must Be Back’, among others.
The protesters marched on the streets as they chant anti-government songs.
The Federal and State governments had made several efforts to stop the protest, saying it could be hijacked by hoodlums and enemies of democracy.
Last week, Governor Mohammed Bago was said to have wooed residents of Niger with welfare packages to prevent the protest.
He was said to have announced a N20,000 wage allowance for state and local government civil servants, ordered the immediate release of 50,000 metric tonnes of assorted grains to be sold at subsidised rates to mitigate the current economic hardship.
“We have over 100,000 metric tonnes of food in our reserves, out of which we will be releasing 50,000 metric tonnes to be sold at 50% of its present price. Before the end of the year, we will slash food prices by 90%,” he had said at a town hall meeting.
To show appreciation for their efforts in combating banditry, insurgency, and other criminal activities, the governor announced a gift of one Prado Jeep to each head of security agency in the state.
