Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, attributed the nation’s hardships to Federal Government policies in a statement on Sunday. This came as hunger protesters in Edo State held a church service on the streets.
Obaseki highlighted his administration’s efforts to alleviate the suffering of Edo residents, citing initiatives such as raising the minimum wage to N70,000, launching a free transport scheme with the Edo City Transport Service, extending free Wi-Fi to public spaces, and partnering with religious institutions to provide statewide feeding for the vulnerable.
“The protest is clearly a reaction to the harsh living conditions Nigerians have faced, especially in the past year, due to Federal Government policies,” Obaseki stated. “These policies have led to skyrocketing food prices, high transportation costs, rampant inflation, and loss of capital for small businesses.”
He emphasized that his government has taken various measures within its constitutional authority to mitigate the impact of these challenges on the people of Edo State.
Meanwhile, The PUNCH reported that some protesters, part of the ongoing nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests, continued their demonstrations on Sunday with a roadblock and church service at Agho Junction on Ekehuan Road. Protesters sang, danced, and called for an end to bad governance, restricting vehicular movement during the service.
The Edo State Civil Society Organisation’s Coordinator, Agho Omobude, noted that the protest, planned for ten days, would persist as President Bola Tinubu failed to meet the protesters’ demands in his nationwide broadcast. Soldiers were seen patrolling major roads to clear any barricades set up by protesters.
