By Akpos Oghenetega,
Thousands of youth, including young women, yesterday defied the early morning downpour across Delta as hundreds of residents in Ughelli, Sapele, joined the nationwide #EndBadGovernace protests.
The previous day, social media had circulated reminders from protest organisers who were shrouded in an air of secrecy, rallying support with cash said to be huge, as high as one million naira. The conspicuous absence of familiar faces, prominent human rights activists who typically graced such events, fueled the suspicion of compromise and brokered deals against the protest.
Recall that a few days before the protest, the Ndigbo Community, Indigenes of Sapele and the Okpe Youth Council had made eleventh-hour decisions to withdraw their support, urging their members to steer clear of the protest. Yet, like a stubborn ember refusing to be extinguished, the organizers pressed on, their resolve seemingly strengthened by the attempts to silence them.
At the dawn of yesterday, protesters adorned in the vibrant colours of the Nigerian flag and others in mufti converged at Olympia Roundabout. Their message from anger and hungry with desperation, was impossible to ignore. Placards bore messages like "Bag of rice na 87,000 nairas while salary na 70k," and, "You told us Buhari that we will remember you, today we remember you." And so on.
[caption id="attachment_1850878" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
Protesters at Ughelli[/caption]
The familiar rhythm of solidarity songs filled the air as they marched down Okpe Road. A watchful convoy of soldiers, police, paramilitary forces, and vigilante groups closely trailed the crowd.
At Amukpe roundabout, the express connecting Warri and Benin, the protest transformed into a human barricade, their chants louder. Music boomed from a nearby truck; among them, a septuagenarian affectionately called "Action Mama" captivated the crowd with her dance moves. Between steps, she lamented the stark difference between the Nigeria of her days and the harsh realities of today: "We entertained friends when they visited us, we were our neighbours' keeper, now we can't keep our brothers."
While some protesters headed back to town, others were steadfast, their chants a steady drumbeat of resistance. As the aroma of roasting goat meat filled the air, a sense of defiance took hold. A live goat, sacrificed for a greater purpose, was being prepared into bowls of Ukodo, a local delicacy. Stanley, a protest leader, explained the significance of the act: "We will try to sustain this for as long as we can, but this hunger is biting hard on everyone, and we are dying."
At Okirighwre junction, a makeshift stage had been erected, a DJ spinning a soundtrack of revolution that spurred the crowd on. Even as the heavens opened, unleashing heavy rainfall, the protesters were undeterred. Drenched they went on dancing, their movements a testament to their undying spirit. A middle-aged woman, became the unlikely star of the downpour, her infectious dance moves drawing audience who showered her with naira notes.
As dusk approached, the resolute crowd made their way back to Olympia Roundabout, their numbers swelled by those who had retreated earlier. Music blared, emergency chefs tended to bubbling pots of Ukodo, and the air crackled with a mix of exhaustion and exhilaration.
Samuel, another protest leader, addressed the crowd, his voice hoarse but filled with passion. "Our demands are not much," he bellowed, his words met with thunderous applause. "We only want him (President Bola Ahmed Tinubu) to bring back subsidy. The removal of subsidy brought this whole hunger, let him save us from this hunger."
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Protesters at Sapele[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_1850879" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Protesters at Sapele[/caption]
As the sun set casting long shadows across the heart of the timber town, one thing was clear: the fight was far from over. The people had tasted defiance, seasoned with the comforting familiarity of Ukodo and fueled by the embers of hope.
At Ughelli, protesters in Ughelli North shunned an appeal by the local government council chairman, Olorogun Jaro Egbo; the presence of security agents turned out massively to protest against bad governance, acute hunger and the incessant increase in the price of goods and services.
The protesters displaying placards with inscriptions such as #EndBadGovernance in Nigeria", "Reduce Fuel Price", and "We dey hungry," accused the Nigerian government of making life difficult for them after voting them into power.
The peaceful protest was, however, marred by the shooting of tear gas by security agents stationed at Otovwodo junction, Ughelli.
Some of the protesters who spoke to us blamed the government for the hardship in the land; according to Mrs Eseoghene, Comrade Peter and others disclosed that the degree of the hardship is much, and as such, they cannot accept the offer of the chairman nor restrict them in one place.
Another female protester who identified her as Madam Pepper said, "I am personally joining this protest because the hunger in the land is too much, and it is painful that prices of goods and services have become a nightmare for us the commoners.
She said, "One piece of ice fish is N2,000, a Basket of Garri is N4,000, a sack of pepper and onions is N150,000 each. President Tinubu wants to kill us, our children are dying of hunger, and we will not accept it anymore.
One of the protesters, who identified himself as Garba, said, "When I saw that the protest was peaceful, I joined, and we were going peacefully, but along the line, the police and army fired canisters at us."
"We decided not to do anything because we had an accord with them that the protest was going to be peaceful, but they broke the deal to give us bad names." Ejiro stated.
