Barely ten days to the Presidential Election in Nigeria, there is pandemonium in Nigeria as residents including women trooped out en masse to protest the Federal Government’s anti-people new naira policy which made them penniless.
The protest is happening in the major cities of Nigeria as President Muhammadu Buhari is presiding over the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory.
Among the cities and states where the protest is being held are Ibadan and Ogbomosho, capital of Oyo State, Ilorin, capital of Kwara State, Warri in Delta State, Benin in Edo State, Ondo town in Ondo State, Port Harcourt, Sango-Ota in Ogun State
The protest took a dangerous dimension as security operatives shot three dead and injured many in Benin. Also, security agents mainly policemen and soldiers had rough with the protesters in Ibadan.
In Delta, angry protesters have set ablaze Udu based Access bank in Delta State.
The protesters are demanding the revert of the new naira notes that have made life difficult and made them penniless.
The Federal Government led by a former military head turned civilian president, Muhammadu Buhari has ever kept mute over the new naira saga.
The Buhari-led government forced the citizens to lodge their money in the banks and prevent them from accessing or withdrawing it.
A series of theories have been postulated for the new naira policy. Some Nigerians hold that Buhari came up with the new naira policy to make his political party, All Progressive Congress (APC), which has a Yoruba man, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu as presidential candidate from the South, lose in the forthcoming election, then Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will win and retain power in the North.
Since morning, there has been protests in every part of Ibadan including Akobo, Gbopa, Ologuneru, Apete, Sango Poly Road, Mokola, Iwo Road, Eleyele, UI-Ojoo axis, Beere, Oja’Oba, Ajibode Orogun, Oje, Lagos Ibadan Expressway.
Women were seen leading some protests in Ibadan and they are very daring.
The protests caused gridlock as vehicles were not allowed to pass by the protesters. Residents were subjected to walking wherever they were going.
The protesters were heard lamenting over the non-availability of money and the rejection of the old naira notes by commercial drivers, fuel stations and traders.
Many schoolchildren had to return to their different homes.
In Ilorin, roads were blocked, and tyres were burnt on the roads. Areas, where people were protesting, are Ipata Oloje, Anifowose and Olowo.
One of the protesters who spoke on the protest is one Lateef Dauda living in Anifowowse Area near Ipata Oloje.
He said, “We are appealing to the government to release our money back to us. It is our money. We worked for this money so that we can use it to feed ourselves. We don’t want to die of hunger. They asked us to take the money to the bank to exchange for new naira notes but after the bank has collected our money, they are not giving it back to us. We are now subjected to walking because commercial drivers will not collect the old naira that we have. What is the agenda of Buhari?”
Another protester said, “We are hungry. Nobody is collecting the old notes from us. We can not use it to buy food. Banks are paying old notes, they are not giving us new notes. We are hungry. Let there be a solution to this problem. We have lodged our money in the bank, and now we want to withdraw, but we cannot. They say there are no new notes. and we are hungry. we cannot buy anything.
