*Many people killed, properties burnt
*Reverse your anti-people policies, PDP tells FG
By Myke Uzendu
The much awaited nationwide protest against bad governance in Nigeria began on Thursdays but turned violent in parts of the country.
Many people have been reportedly killed in the first day of the protest while many properties have been burnt or looted.
In Niger State, at least six people have been reportedly killed while some sustained injuries in the ongoing protest in Suleja area of the State.
According to reports, the victims were said to have been killed while security operatives were struggling to dislodge a group of protesters who mounted barricade on a section of Abuja-Kaduna highway.
Many passengers and motorists were trapped on the road for hours as policemen could not control the protesting youths.
Many of those killed were said to have been hit by stray bullets.
In Kano, many places were looted and set ablaze, including the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) office in the State.
The newly built NCC office was scheduled to be commissioned soon.
There were reports of violence from many other parts of the country.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to immediately review all its anti-people policies that are making life difficult in the country.
The Party in a statement on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Hon Debo Ologunagba said that the nationwide protest by Nigerians would not have come if the APC government had dropped its arrogance, insensitivity and show sincere commitment to the citizens by taking steps to address the current hardship occasioned by its ill-implemented polices.
The party reminded Nigerians that it had on several occasions, offered advice on the state of the economy wherein it urged that “President Tinubu should listen to the heartbeat of Nigerians. There is hunger and destitution in the land. The reaction of a hungry people is better imagined! Mr. President, please act now”.
The party lamented that these counsels did not receive the expected consideration resulting in the current situation.
“It is alarming that instead of engaging Nigerians and addressing their concerns, the APC allegedly recruited hoodlums to instigate violence so as to justify a clampdown and killing of innocent Nigerians.
“The APC is completely insensitive to the fact that more than 120 million Nigerians have become destitute and can no longer afford their daily meals and other basic necessities of life as poverty rate soars to over 40% because of the life-discounting policies of the APC administration” PDP stated.
The opposition party said that any people-oriented government ought to have been wary of the suffocating effect of the hasty and ill-implemented twin policies of abrupt increase in the price of petroleum products and arbitrary floating of the Naira without due cushioning measures to ensure the wellbeing of the people.
The PDP restated that these thoughtless policies of the APC administration are responsible for the crippling of the productive sector with the crashing of the Naira to over N1,500 to a Dollar, fuel soaring to over N1,000 per liter, which in turn triggered high costs of goods and services with over 34% inflation rate, over 40% unemployment rate with the closure of millions of businesses and mass exodus of major multi-national companies from our country.
“The APC has plunged Nigeria into a humanitarian crisis where millions of citizens are literarily starving and dying of hunger. Sadly, today a bag of rice sells for over N85,000; a bag of beans goes for N150,000; a measure of garri now sells for N1,500 while a measure of cooking oil which sold for N1,200 now sells for N12,000 with prices of all food items increasing daily.
“More provocative is that while Nigerians are crying for food, the APC officials in government are busy looting the national treasury to fund their luxury appetite, including acquisition of luxury jets, expensive holidays abroad, renovation of official residential mansions and other profligacies, without regard to the feeling and the pains of majority of Nigerians.
“Also disturbing is the scandalous revelation that the APC administration is secretly paying a whopping N5.4 trillion as fuel subsidy for 2024 even after the President announced an end to fuel subsidy”.
PDP said that what Nigerians expect at this time is for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to personally address the nation, announce major policy reviews and order investigation into the alleged looting of subsidy and palliative funds.
The party said that Mr. President should also review all luxury items and purchases in the APC government and channel the resources for immediate intervention in the provision of food and other essential commodities to Nigerians.
The PDP called on Nigerians to remain peaceful and law-abiding in the pursuit of good governance in the country.
