AGENE GODWIN , Benin
Several angry youths in Benin, Edo State capital Monday took to the streets to decry what they described as ‘biting hunger’ owing to alleged government bad policies.
This was sequel to a last minute call off of the much publicized protest against the policies of the Federal Government across major cities of the Nation by popular Nigerian Musician, Innocent Idibia, popularly known as 2face
The group, who marched to the Secretariat of the Edo State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, under the aegis of Concerned Youth Leaders, carried various placards with inscriptions which read, “Give Us Jobs” “What happened to Our Economy?”, “ Where is the change we voted for?” “Rescue Us from Recession” and “Stop Herdsmen’s Attacks” among others.
Spokesperson for the group, Dr Carl Oshodin, said the growing hunger occasioned by bad government policies has pauperised many Nigerians with no hope in sight to revamp the economy.
He said “Today Nigerian youths after graduating from Universities don’t have jobs; workers are owed months of unpaid salaries. We want to convey the message to Nigerians that enough is enough. We want the government to return Nigeria of yesterday back, we want good governance.”
Coordinator, Talakawa Parliament, Comrade Kola Marxist Edokpayi, also lamented the State of affairs of the nation and noted that the President Buhari-led government has failed to meet the expectations of the Nigerian people
“Today Nigerians can no longer eat rice even to buy garri is a problem for the masses, a lot of people have committed suicide because of hunger.
“The essence of government in line with the 1999 constitution of the federal government of Nigeria is to provide welfare and succour. How long shall we continue to suffocate in the grip of poverty? As we speak our youths are leaving this Country on a daily basis. They prefer to die in Libya than to live in this Nigeria. We want to use this opportunity to tell President Buhari that if he lacks the political will to pilot the affairs of this Country he should honourably resign.”
