Officers and men of the Enugu police command provided security cover for protesters taking part in the August 1 nationwide protest.

The protest got underway in Enugu around 11 am on Thursday, August 1, from Naira Triangle on the Expressway, and terminated at Okpara Square with the policemen numbering about 20, calming following from a distance.

The placard-carrying protesters, who marched under the auspices of Citizens Nigeria, sang various songs to indicate their grievances.

Some of their placards read: “End hunger, reduce fuel price, Stop food price hike”, “nobody is safe, reduce high-cost governance”, and “Reduce fuel price to end high cost of food”, among others.

Addressing reporters during the protest, the leader of the group, Igboke Onyebuchi, lamented that the federal government was becoming highly insensitive to the hardship across the country.

“We all can agree that in this country everyone is suffering. Whether you are Christian, Muslim or even unbelievers, we are all suffering. We are united in suffering.

“Whenever it comes to a solution, we are divided. The idea is that politicians have mastered the art of divide and rule. Now you will be hearing some voices from the Southeast, from the Northern part, from the Southwest, they will be telling us to endure. Endure till when?

“What are the chances that the government is doing as if they have direction? By now we are supposed to have a clear direction as to where the government is going.

“Should we talk about the refineries that are not working? Should we talk about hunger? Should we talk about insecurity up North or down here in the Southeast and across the country? Should we talk about the unemployment rate?

“Should we talk about dollar increases day by day? What is the government doing exactly to address this to meet the needs of the people?

“As of this morning, we know that the fuel is sold at N850 to N900. What are the indicators that things will be done right? I am happy that we came out in our numbers to solidarise with other Nigerians across the country”, he said.

He therefore called In President Bola Tinubu to work towards reducing the cost of fuel, saying that alone would go a long way to reducing the high cost of living. (The Nation)

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