Hardship: Osun CSOs stage protest, ask Tinubu to address sufferings of Nigerians

The Osun Civil Societies Coalition, OCSC, has called on the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government to look beyond making millions of Naira available to governors as palliatives and think of ways to ameliorate the sufferings of Nigerians.

The OCSC Chairman, Waheed Lawal, made the call on Thursday during a protest organised by civil society organisations over the high cost of living and economic hardship in the country.

Protesters moved from Nelson Mandela Freedom Park and ended at the popular Olaiya-Overhead Bridge in Osogbo.

The protest was tagged ”OSOGBO ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, President Bola Tinubu let the poor breathe.”

Lawal said, “President Bola Tinubu must look beyond giving millions of naira as palliatives to governors to addressing their hungry subjects but rather find a lasting solution to ameliorate the sufferings of Nigerians.”

The OCSC Chairman also condemned the decision of the Trade Union Congress, TUC, to back out of the proposed two-day nationwide protest.

Lawal said the last minute decision by the TUC to back out of a proposed protest which both labour unions agreed upon was worrisome.

He said the union ought to have aligned itself with the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, in the best interest of about 200 million Nigerians facing economic hardship and high cost of living.

”I will have loved the TUC to see reason why they ought not to back out at this point because the two days proposed protest is for the best interest of all nigerians.

”The both labour unions should try and sort things out on or before the commencement of the protest. But if TUC failed to join, we support NLC to carry on with the strike,” Lawal said.

Also, Wale Adebisi, Director, Ola-Oni Centre, said the protest in Osogbo will send a signal to those in authority that February 27 and 28 would be the mother of all protests across the country .

Adebisi, advised President Tinubu to fulfil his promises to nigerians after the removal of fuel subsidy that has worsened the economic predicament in the country.

Earlier, Ayo Ologun, the spokesperson for The Osun Mastermind, condemned the policies and programmes put in place to ameliorate the sufferings of Nigerians by the Tinubu administration.

“No CNG buses. No increased national minimum wage. High price of Premium Motor Spirit, high cost of living among others have left many Nigerians suffering.”

He advised the President to quickly fulfil all the promises made to organised labour in order to make life meaningful to all Nigerians.

DAILY POST observed that security personnel were present at the scene of the protest in order to avert any public disturbance and violence.